[email protected] Sistema informativo su istituzioni, enti e strutture di ricerca in Italia

In the first months of 2003, the Presidency of the National Research Council (CNR) entrusted to the CERIS the realization of an innovative information system concerning Public and Sme’s R&D institutions in Italy. The system - at first called Re@Search, then become [email protected] - had to satisfy the information needs regarding research structures, according to the model synthetic but tendentially exhaustive: Who Makes, What, Where? Today, this prototype system still maintains a good informative value, that must be increased, more effectively, on cartographic bases.scientific research, web based data banks, maps, geographic information systems (GIS), internet, industrial districts.

Higher risk of tuberculosis reactivation when anti-TNF is combined with immunosuppressive agents. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Objective. Treatment with tumour necrosis factor antagonists (anti-TNF) has been recognized as a risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. Our aim was to evaluate risk of TB reactivation in rheumatologic and non-rheumatologic diseases treated with the same anti-TNF agents with and without concomitant therapies. Methods. We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating infliximab, adalimumab, and certolizumab in both rheumatologic and non-rheumatologic diseases until 2012. Results were calculated as pooled rates and/or pooled odd ratios (OR). Results. Overall, 40 RCTs with a total of 14,683 patients (anti-TNF: 10,010; placebo: 4673) were included. TB reactivation was 0.26% (26/10,010) in the anti-TNF group and 0% (0/4673) in the control group, corresponding to an OR of 24.8 (95% CI 2.4-133). TB risk was higher when anti-TNF agents were combined with methotrexate or azathioprine as compared with either controls (24/4241 versus 0/4673; OR 54; 95% CI 5.3-88) or anti-TNF monotherapy (24/4241 versus 2/5769; OR 13.3; 95% CI 3.7-100). When anti-TNF was used as monotherapy, TB risk tended to be higher than placebo (2/5769 versus 0/4673; OR 4; 95% CI 0.2-15.7). Conclusions. TB risk with anti-TNF agents appeared to be increased when these agents were used in combination with methotrexate or azathioprine as compared with monotherapy regimen. TB risk seemed to be higher than placebo, even when monotherapy is prescribed

Multiple DNA BARCODING for fish species identification in sushi products

The aim of this work was to perform a molecular survey based on DNA barcoding to identify the seafood species used in the preparation of ethnic products (sushi). Twenty-one raw products (each composed of 3 to 8 pieces, for a total of 88 samples) were purchased in ethnic restaurants in the provinces of Pisa (11), Lucca (2), Livorno (3) and Florence (5). The total DNA extracted (1) was evaluated by gel electrophoresis and amplified using universal primers for mitochondrial (COI, 16SrRNA) or nuclear genes (PEPCK) depending on the species (fish, mollusk or crustacean) and the level of DNA degradation. Different primers (2,3,4,5,6,7) for the amplification of a long (~700 bp) or a short (~139-200 bp) fragment were used. Ninety-five PCR products were obtained (for some products two genes were analyzed). Of these, 30 have already been sequenced (Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Latium and Tuscany (Rome)). The sequences were elaborated with Clustal W in Bioedit 7.0.9.0, and analyzed by a BLAST analysis on GenBank and by using the Identification System on BOLD. A top match with a sequence similarity of at least 98% was used to designate potential species identification (8). DNA was degraded in almost one third of the samples. This was probably due to rice acidification, to repeated cycles of freezing/thawing or to prolonged storage. The degradation was confirmed by PCR amplification. In fact, we obtained long amplicons in 72.6% of the cases (n=69) and short amplicons for 27.3% of the samples (n=26). The average length of the long sequences was 595 bp for the COI FDB and 490 bp for the PEPCK gene, while the length of the short sequences was ~210bp for the 16S rRNA and 139bp for the COI MDB. All the samples were identified at least at the genus level, with identity values ranging from 99 to 100%. Although for some samples it was impossible to achieve a specific identification, the results were informative enough to verify the information given by the producers. No samples were found mislabeled. Even though the COI gene represents the most exploited target for seafood species identification, issues were found during amplification and comparison with the databases. Thus, in order to increase the PCR output, new universal primers, able to amplify a wide range of taxa, would be desirable. Finally, in case of degraded DNA samples, where the number of diagnostic mutation is limited, a multiple gene analysis is advisable

Optimization of dissolved Radon monitoring in groundwater to contribute to the evaluation of the seismic activity. An experience in central-southern Italy

Anomalies in Radon (222Rn) concentrations prior to earthquakes have been widely documented in seismogenic areas worldwide, but questions about their predictability remain largely unanswered. Even if it is not universally accepted, the analysis of the high-resolution time series of Rn (222Rn) concentrations in groundwater, air and soil has been proposed as a suitable method to identify seismic precursors. This study, which is aimed at identifying potential gas-geochemical precursors to nearby earthquakes, analyses groundwater Rn concentrations, which were continuously measured between April 2017 and December 2019. We conducted a detailed time series analysis of dissolved Rn in two springs emerging along two active fault zones in the inner sector of the central-southern Apennines (i.e. the Matese and Morrone fault zones) in Italy. We used a simple statistical method to identify seismic precursor anomalies in Rn concentrations. Anomalies are commonly assumed as values exceeding±2σ. Furthermore, we calculated the strain radius (for which a gas-geochemical precursor was expected) and the epicentral distance (from both our monitoring stations) of each seismic event of Mw ≥3.5 that occurred in the monitoring area. Results from our ongoing research are promising and show significant correlations between seismic signals and Rn concentrations. However, longer time series data that include more energetic earthquakes are needed to shed light on the behaviour of this gas in relation to crustal deformation processes

Estrategias de vida de los hogares: perspectiva conceptual y metodológica a través de la encuesta anual de hogares de la ciudad de Buenos Aires

La perspectiva conceptual y metodológica que se presenta en este trabajo se centra en las estrategias de vida entendidas como el conjunto de actividades que llevan a cabo los diferentes miembros del hogar para hacer posible su reproducción cotidiana y generacional en su interacción con diversos procesos (económicos, sociales) e instituciones sociales, en función del lugar que ocupan en la estructura social. Los estudios encuadrados en este enfoque han identificado una gran diversidad de estrategias. entre las cuales se encuentran: la inserción laboral de sus miembros, la reestructuración de la división del trabajo, la ampliación de las redes sociales, los cambios en el tamaño y composición del hogar, las migraciones, las modificaciones en pautas de consumo. La propuesta conceptual y metodológica que se presenta en este trabajo tiene a los hogares como unidad de análisis y elabora una mirada complementaria a los estudios sobre ingresos, con eje en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. En particular, busca conocer las diversas maneras en las que los hogares despliegan arreglos familiares e individuales a los fines de su manutención e identificar su vinculación con distintos contextos macroeconómicos. Sobre la base de esta propuesta analítica, se propone clasificar las estrategias de manutención según ordenadores conceptuales más amplios, partiendo del bloque temático específico contenido en la Encuesta Anual de Hogares de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (EAH), y analizar su evolución en el tiempo y su relación con características sociodemográficas de los hogares. La EAH releva información de, aproximadamente, 6.500 viviendas dentro de las cuales se encuestan a todos los hogares y sus miembros. Se trata de una encuesta por muestreo de carácter probabilístico estratificado que proporciona información representativa para el total de la Ciudad y para cada comuna.The conceptual and methodological perspective presented in this paper focuses on the strategies of life, understood as the set of activities carried out by different household members to enable their daily and generational reproduction in its interaction with various processes (economic, social) and social institutions, depending on their place in the social structure. Studies framed in this approach have identified a wide variety of strategies: the employment of its members, the restructuring of the division of labor, the expansion of social networks, changes in household size and composition, migration, changes in consumption patterns, among others. The conceptual and methodological proposal presented in this paper has to households as the unit of analysis and develops a complementary perspective to the studies on income, with axis in the City of Buenos Aires. In particular, it seeks to understand the various ways in which households deploy individual and family arrangements for the purposes of his maintenance and identify its relationship with different macroeconomic contexts. Based on this analytical approach, it is proposed to classify maintenance strategies as broader conceptual computers, based on the specific thematic content block at the Annual Household Survey of the City of Buenos Aires (EAH) and analyze their evolution over time and relationship with sociodemographic characteristics of households. The EAH relieves information about 6.500 dwellings within which all households are surveyed and their members. It is a stratified sample survey of probabilistic nature and provides information representative for the total for each city and municipality.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Is raw better? A multiple DNA barcoding approach (full and mini) based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers reveals low rates of misdescription in sushi products sold on the Italian market

New dietary habits have favored an ever growing popularity of Eastern country cooking style and in particular of sushi. Even though the Reg. (EU) 1379/2013 does not apply to restaurants and caterers, the Reg. (EU) 1169/2011 establishes that all the information they provided to the final consumer have to meet the transparency requirements as regards the description of the ingredients used for the preparation of food. The present study aimed at performing a molecular based survey to identify the seafood species used in the sushi preparations at the retail level. A total of 185 samples were collected from sushi venues and supermarkets and DNA barcoding, followed by a pairwise divergence and Neighbor Joining clustering analysis, was applied in order to verify the information declared at purchase. Rather than to a proper training of Food Business Operators working at the catering level, the low mislabeling rate found in this study (3.4%) could be ascribed to the standardization of the products sold in ethnic restaurants. In fact, the common practice of proposing standardized menus always relying on the same species of fish could limit the risk of mislabeling occurrence

Prime osservazioni su specie perenni ed annue autoriseminanti in vista della organizzazione di catene di foraggiamento in ambienti mediterranei

Nel corso del periodo 1987-89 sono state valutate le potenzialità produttive e la distribuzione della produzione di 32 tra ecotipi e varietà di graminacee e leguminose foraggere annue e perenni provenienti prevalentemente dall'Italia centrale. La prova è stata condotta contemporaneamente in tre ambienti appartenenti a diverse zone bioclimatiche dell'area mediterranea (Perugia, Grosseto e Sassari) utilizzando uno schema sperimentale a blocchi randomizzati con quattro ripetizioni. I rilievi effettuati hanno riguardato il ricopri mento specifico e la produzione di sostanza secca determinata con criteri differenti: mensilmente per le leguminose annue; al 50% della fioritura e quindi mensilmente per le leguminose perenni; all'inizio della spigatura e quindi mensilmente per le graminacee. Per le specie annuali oltre alla sostanza secca è stata determinata la produzione di seme. L'obiettivo è stato quello di caratterizzare materiali che possano essere impiegati scalarmente per dilatare il periodo di utilizzazione diretta al pascolo. Dai risultati è stato possibile individuare, a seconda delle località, alcune popolazione di Medicago polymorpha L., Trifolium subterraneum L. e Lotus sp. pl. che hanno permesso di anticipare il periodo di utilizzazione primaverile e prolungare quello autunnale. Su questa base sono stati ipotizzati esempi di catene di foraggiamento semplificate (a tre anelli). Per quanto concerne le specie annue autoriseminanti, esse sembrano poter svolgere un importante ruolo nella regolazione della distribuzione stagionale della produzione foraggera nelle due località caratterizzate da un clima più tipicamente mediterraneo (Grosseto e Sassari) mentre la produzione di seme è risultata più che soddisfacente per assicurare l'autorisemina in tutte e tre le località. During the period 1987-1989, the yield and the distribution of forage production of 32 ecotypes and varieties of annual and perennial forage Iegumes and grasses were evaluated. The origin of plant materials was CentraI Italy. The trial was carried out in three environments characterized by different Mediterranean subclimates (Perugia, Grosseto and Sassari). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates. Specific ground cover was assessed in fall 1987, 1988 and 1989. Dry matter yield was assessed: monthly for annual legumes; at 50% of flowering and then monthly for perennial legumes; at early heading and then monthly for grasses. Seed yield of annual species was also recorded. Aim of the trial was to characterize plant materials that could be utilized subsequently in order to extend the period of direct utilization of herbage by grazing animals. It was possible depending on localities, to identify some populations of Medicago polymorpha L., Trifolium subterraneum L. and Lotus sp. pl.. that allowed to bring forward the spring utilization and to extend the autumn utilization. On the basis of the resu1ts obtained, it was possible to set up some simplified forage chains. Annual self reseeding species seemed to be more important to improve seasonal distribution of herbages in the typical Mediterranean locations (Sassari and Grosseto). Seed production was more than appreciable in order to allow self reseeding at the three locations

Effects of two different probiotics on microflora, morphology, and morphometry of gut in organic laying hens

ABSTRACT The current study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bacillus subtilis, used as probiotics, on the microflora, morphology, and morphometry of the gut in organic laying hens. The birds (180 Hy-Line laying hens) were divided into 3 homogenous groups and received a pre-deposition diet from 16 to 20 wk of age and a deposition diet for the remaining 7 months of the experiment. The control group (CTR) was fed a corn-soybean cake-based diet, the second group (L) received the same diet supplemented with 0.1% of L. acidophilus while in the third group (B) the basal diet was supplemented with 0.05% of B. subtilis. At 18 wk of age (T1) and at 5 (T2) and 7 months (T3) from the beginning of deposition, 9 subjects per group were humanely killed for microbiological, morphological and morphometric analyses of the intestinal tract. The 2 probiotic-supplemented diets increased Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts compared with the CTR diet. The lowest viable counts of E. coli, coliforms and staphylococci were observed in the L group (

Epstein Barr virus in relation to apoptosis markers and patients' outcome in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

In this study, we investigated Epstein Barr virus (EBV) presence, associated to proliferation and apoptosis proteins in pediatric B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). EBERs, Ki67, active caspase 3, Bax and Bcl2 were analyzed on B-NHL tissue from 40 patients. Forty percent showed EBV expression, significantly higher among patients ≤10. years (P= 0.027), and associated with immunosuppression (P= 0.020), but not associated apotosis markers. However, EBV was associated with a worse event-free survival (P= 0.016), particularly under immunosuppression. Even though EBV did not seem to alter apoptotic pathways, it exhibited survival disadvantage and could be an important cofactor in B-cell lymphomagenesis in younger children.Fil: Chabay, Paola Andrea. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lara, María Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Lorenzetti, Mario Alejandro. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cambra, P.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Acosta Haab, G.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: Aversa, L.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; ArgentinaFil: de Matteo, Elena Noemí. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Preciado, María Victoria. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Metabarcoding analysis of the bacterial and fungal communities during the maturation of preparation 500, used in biodynamic agriculture, suggests a rational link between horn and manure

Horn manure (Preparation 500) is a product used in the practice of biodynamic agriculture. It is obtained by an underground fermentation of cow fecal material incubated in cow horns for several months. The product is used as spray treatment meant to increase soil fertility. In the present report, we analyzed the successional changes in bacterial and fungal communities throughout the process of horn manure maturation by high throughput sequencing of ribosomal 16S (bacterial) and ITS (fungal) gene markers. Marked shifts in the microbial community were seen involving a general decrease from a Firmicutes dominated material to a product transiently enriched in Proteobacteria and later in Actinobacteria, mostly within the Nocardioidaceae family. In the fungal community evolution, the most abundant taxon in the starting fecal material resulted a member of the Onygenales order, known to specifically degrade keratin. Its abundance in the intestine is explained by the fact that keratin, which is also the structural component of hairs and horns, is found in all epithelial layers, including gut mucosae. This occurrence suggests a link of enzymatic/catabolic nature between manure and horn