Developing a highly stable Carlina acaulis essential oil nanoemulsion for managing Lobesia botrana

The growing interest in the development of green pest management strategies is leading to the exploitation of essential oils (EOs) as promising botanical pesticides. In this respect, nanotechnology could efficiently support the use of EOs through their encapsulation into stable nanoformulations, such as nanoemulsions (NEs), to improve their stability and efficacy. This technology assures the improvement of the chemical stability, hydrophilicity, and environmental persistence of EOs, giving an added value for the fabrication of natural insecticides effective against a wide spectrum of insect vectors and pests of public and agronomical importance. Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) root EO has been recently proposed as a promising ingredient of a new generation of botanical insecticides. In the present study, a highly stable C. acaulis-based NE was developed. Interestingly, such a nanosystem was able to encapsulate 6% (w/w) of C. acaulis EO, showing a mean diameter of around 140 nm and a SOR (surfactant-to-oil ratio) of 0.6. Its stability was evaluated in a storage period of six months and corroborated by an accelerated stability study. Therefore, the C. acaulis EO and C. acaulis-based NE were evaluated for their toxicity against 1st instar larvae of the European grapevine moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major vineyard pest. The chemical composition of C. acaulis EO was investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealing carlina oxide, a polyacetylene, as the main constituent. In toxicity assays, both the C. acaulis EO and the C. acaulis-based NE were highly toxic to L. botrana larvae, with LC50 values of 7.299 and 9.044 µL/mL for C. acaulis EO and NE, respectively. The C. acaulis-based NE represents a promising option to develop highly stable botanical insecticides for pest management. To date, this study represents the first evidence about the insecticidal toxicity of EOs and EO-based NEs against this major grapevine pest

Developing a highly stable carlina acaulis essential oil nanoemulsion for managing Lobesia Botrana

The growing interest in the development of green pest management strategies is leading to the exploitation of essential oils (EOs) as promising botanical pesticides. In this respect, nanotechnology could efficiently support the use of EOs through their encapsulation into stable nanoformulations, such as nanoemulsions (NEs), to improve their stability and efficacy. This technology assures the improvement of the chemical stability, hydrophilicity, and environmental persistence of EOs, giving an added value for the fabrication of natural insecticides effective against a wide spectrum of insect vectors and pests of public and agronomical importance. Carlina acaulis (Asteraceae) root EO has been recently proposed as a promising ingredient of a new generation of botanical insecticides. In the present study, a highly stable C. acaulis-based NE was developed. Interestingly, such a nanosystem was able to encapsulate 6% (w/w) of C. acaulis EO, showing a mean diameter of around 140 nm and a SOR (surfactant-to-oil ratio) of 0.6. Its stability was evaluated in a storage period of six months and corroborated by an accelerated stability study. Therefore, the C. acaulis EO and C. acaulis-based NE were evaluated for their toxicity against 1st instar larvae of the European grapevine moth (EGVM), Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), a major vineyard pest. The chemical composition of C. acaulis EO was investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) revealing carlina oxide, a polyacetylene, as the main constituent. In toxicity assays, both the C. acaulis EO and the C. acaulis-based NE were highly toxic to L. botrana larvae, with LC50 values of 7.299 and 9.044 µL/mL for C. acaulis EO and NE, respectively. The C. acaulis-based NE represents a promising option to develop highly stable botanical insecticides for pest management. To date, this study represents the first evidence about the insecticidal toxicity of EOs and EO-based NEs against this major grapevine pest

Physical activity intervention for elderly patients with reduced physical performance after acute coronary syndrome (HULK study): Rationale and design of a randomized clinical trial

Background: Reduced physical performance and impaired mobility are common in elderly patients after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and they represent independent risk factors for disability, morbidity, hospital readmission and mortality. Regular physical exercise represents a means for improving functional capacity. Nevertheless, its clinical benefit has been less investigated in elderly patients in the early phase after ACS. The HULK trial aims to investigate the clinical benefit of an early, tailored low-cost physical activity intervention in comparison to standard of care in elderly ACS patients with reduced physical performance. Design: HULK is an investigator-initiated, prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial (NCT03021044). After successful management of the ACS acute phase and uneventful first 1 month, elderly (≥70 years) patients showing reduced physical performance are randomized (1:1 ratio) to either standard of care or physical activity intervention. Reduced physical performance is defined as a short physical performance battery (SPPB) score of 4-9. The early, tailored, low-cost physical intervention includes 4 sessions of physical activity with a supervisor and an home-based program of physical exercise. The chosen primary endpoint is the 6-month SPPB value. Secondary endpoints briefly include quality of life, on-treatment platelet reactivity, some laboratory data and clinical adverse events. To demonstrate an increase of at least one SPPB point in the experimental arm, a sample size of 226 patients is needed. Conclusions: The HULK study will test the hypothesis that an early, tailored low-cost physical activity intervention improves physical performance, quality of life, frailty status and outcome in elderly ACS patients with reduced physical performance

The depositional record of the Odyssea drift (Ross Sea, Antarctica)

The Ross Sea is one of the major areas for Antarctic Bottom Water formation (the Ross Sea Bottom Water, RSBW), representing the densest ocean water mass, filling the deepest ocean basins connected to the southern ocean. Peri- odic refill of the RSBW occurs through formation of dense, cold and saline water masses (brine) forming on the shelf at the Ross Sea permanent polynya by freezing and salt rejection (high-salinity shelf water, HSSW). The HSSW periodically overspills the shelf area and descends along the slope. This mechanism represents the engine of the global ocean circulation regulating the climate. The Hillary Canyon, crossing the Ross Sea continental slope, represents one of the main conducts through which the HSSW descends the slope to reach the deeper ocean. On its western levee, there is a mounded depocen- tre that was mapped and ground-sampled during the Italian ITRS17-ODYSSEA expedition on board the RV OGS-Explora (January-February 2017). Geophysical data allowed interpreting such feature as a sediment drift (ODYSSEA Drift), generated by along-slope, contour currents sediment transport and accumulation through sev- eral hundred-thousands years. It was inferred that contour currents transported and deposited the sediments that descent the Hillary Canyon by means of the HSSW. Therefore, the depositional sequence of the ODYSSEA Drift potentially contains the record of the variability of HSSW formation, the along slope current intensity in associa- tion to climate change, and the interplay between the two bottom currents. A multidisciplinary investigation was applied to six gravity cores collected in the proximal and distal area of the ODYSSEA Drift. The cores were analysed to reconstruct the age model combining AMS radiocarbon dating on foraminifera tests, biostratigraphy, and the sediment palaeomagnetic record; the sediment physical properties (wet bulk density, water content and grain size); and compositional characteristics (XRF core scan and geochemistry). Three main lithofacies were distinguished and associated to depositional processes and climatic conditions: 1) finely laminated and bioturbated sediments characterized by a relatively high Ca content with common presence of biogenic component. Such facies was associated to contour current deposition during relatively warm conditions. 2) Bioturbated sediments with abundant, sparse and/or layered Ice Rafted Debris, and high Ca content. The onset of this facies is characterized by a prominent Mn peak that was associated to bottom ocean oxygenation through ice sheet melting/decay. 3) Laminated, barren sediments associated to steady strong bottom currents under harsh climate conditions. Further preliminary data interpretations are discussed

Essential oils as post-harvest crop protectants against the fruit fly drosophila suzukii: Bioactivity and organoleptic profile

The essential oils extracted from mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) fruits, and from tea tree (Maleleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel) leaves have been chemically analyzed and tested for their bioactivity against D. suzukii. Besides, to estimate consumers’ acceptability of the essential oil (EO) treatments, we evaluated their impact on the organoleptic characteristics of the EO-treated fruits. The main chemical constituents of the two EOs were 1,8-cineole and 4-terpineol for M. alternifolia (22.4% and 17.6% of the total components, respectively), and limonene (83.6% of the total components) for C. reticulata. The behavioral tests indicate that the two EOs are able to deter D. suzukii oviposition and that D. suzukii shows positive chemotaxis to low concentrations of the EOs and negative chemotaxis when the EO concentration increases. While no negative effects on the organoleptic profiles were detected for fruits treated with C. reticulata EO, the olfactory profile of fruits treated with M. alternifolia EO was so negative that they were defined as “not suitable for consumption” by panellists. Overall, our findings indicate that the use of EOs for the post-harvest protection of small fruits is feasible, provided that the essential oils are selected not only for their bioactivity against the insect pest but also for their affinity with the consumers’ sensorial system

Multiproxy investigation of the last 2,000 years BP marine paleoenvironmental record along the western Spitsbergen margin

A reconstruction of the last 2,000 years BP of environmental and oceanographic changes on the western margin of Spitsbergen was performed using a multidisciplinary approach including the fossil assemblages of diatoms, planktic and benthic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils and the use of geochemistry (X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction). We identified two warm periods (2,000–1,600 years BP and 1,300–700 years BP) that were associated with the Roman Warm Period and the Medieval Warm Period that alternate with colder oceanic conditions and sea ice coverage occurred during the Dark Ages (1,600–1,300 years BP) and the beginning of the Little Ice Age. During the Medieval Warm Period the occurrence of ice-rafted debris and Aulocoseira spp., a specific diatom genus commonly associated with continental freshwater, suggests significant runoff of meltwaters from local glaciers

A young infant with transient severe hypertriglyceridemia temporarily associated with meropenem administration : A case report and review of the literature

Background: Slight changes in the lipid profile can be observed over the acute phase of infectious diseases. Moreover, some antiinfective drugs can modify serum lipid concentrations, although antibiotics do not seem to have a relevant, direct, or acute effect on the lipid profile. Methods:A 75-day-old breastfed Caucasian female, born at term after a regular pregnancy, was hospitalized for osteomyelitis. She was immediately treated with intravenous meropenem and vancomycin. Therapy was effective, but after 22 days of treatment, her blood was found to be viscous with a purple shade. Results: A fasting blood sample showed serum triglycerides of 966mg/dL, total cholesterol of 258mg/dL, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 15mg/dL. Secondary causes of hyperlipidemia and primary hereditary disorders were ruled out. Thereafter, the possibility that antibiotics may have had a role in the hypertriglyceridemia was considered, and meropenem was discontinued. After 72 hours of meropenem discontinuation, a sharp modification of lipid variables was observed, and further testing showed a complete normalization of the lipid profile. Conclusion: In this child with osteomyelitis, the increase in serum triglycerides appeared suddenly after 3 weeks of meropenem treatment and resolved quickly after meropenem discontinuation, thus highlighting the possible association between meropenem and lipid profile alterations. Monitoring the lipid profile should be considered in cases of long-term treatment with meropenem, and further studies on meropenem safety should include evaluation of the lipid profile

Area-wide eradication of the invasive European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana in California, USA

17openBothIn the fall of 2009, the first confirmed North American detection of the European grapevine moth (EGVM) Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) occurred in Napa County, California, USA. Based on its status as a significant grape pest in other parts of the world, the establishment of EGVM in California presented significant production and export issues for grapes, as well as for other fresh market agricultural commodities. Over the following seven years, an intensive California state-wide survey and area-wide eradication campaign was undertaken in partnership with agricultural officials at local, state and federal levels, university scientists and the wine, table grape and raisin industries. These efforts resulted in a dramatic decline in moth captures in pheromone traps from over 100 000 moths in 2010, to one in 2014, and none in 2015. In August of 2016, eradication was declared for all previously infested areas in California. The decision to pursue the eradication effort was based on the limited host range and geographic area of the EGVM infestation, the availability of effective tools for monitoring and control, and the strong support of the affected grape production and export industries. The eradication campaign employed coordinated logistical, regulatory, and technical efforts that included: 1) state-wide-monitoring using a network of pheromone-baited traps and in field monitoring; these findings were recorded in a geographic information system that was used to regularly communicate survey results to programme officials; 2) an area-wide application of mating disruption dispensers to infested vineyards, including use in urban environments within infested zones; 3) implementation by coordinators of area-wide insecticide treatments with application timing determined by degree-day modelling for each infested region; 4) a robust regulatory programme that initiated and maintained a quarantine of infested areas that regulated movement of fruit, farming equipment and winery processing waste; 5) an extensive outreach programme to grape growers, wineries, pest control specialists and the public; 6) formation of a technical working group that provided recommendations to the operational programme. An extensive methods development effort supported the programme. This included developing enhanced detection methods for vineyards under mating disruption, testing efficacy and residual control of insecticides, testing mating disruption formulations, evaluating the impacts of winery processing methods on EGVM mortality, developing methods to determine the timing of the development of successive EGVM generations (or biofix) under California conditions to improve degree-day models, developing EGVM rearing methods, testing the quality of pheromone lures and trap monitoring; and a spatial analysis of trapping data to determine programme effectiveness and to analyse invasion pathwaysopenSimmons, G.S.; Varela, L.; Daugherty, M.; Cooper, M.; Lance, D.; Mastro, V.; Carde, R.T.; Lucchi, A.; Ioriatti, C.; Bagnoli, B.; Steinhauer, R.; Broadway, R.; Stone Smith, B.; Hoffman, K.; Clark, G.; Whitmer, D.; Johnson, R.Simmons, G.S.; Varela, L.; Daugherty, M.; Cooper, M.; Lance, D.; Mastro, V.; Carde, R.T.; Lucchi, A.; Ioriatti, C.; Bagnoli, B.; Steinhauer, R.; Broadway, R.; Stone Smith, B.; Hoffman, K.; Clark, G.; Whitmer, D.; Johnson, R

Cultivar-specific transcriptome prediction and annotation in Ficus carica L.

The availability of transcriptomic data sequence is a key step for functional genomics studies. Recently, a repertoire of predicted genes of a Japanese cultivar of fig (Ficus carica L.) was released. Because of the great phenotypic variability that can be found in this species, we decided to study another fig genotype, the Italian cv. Dottato, in order to perform comparative studies between the two cultivars and extend the pan genome of this species. We isolated, sequenced and assembled fig genomic DNA from young fruits of cv. Dottato. Then, putative gene sequences were predicted and annotated. Finally, a comparison was performed between cvs. Dottato and Horaishi predicted transcriptomes. Our data provide a resource (available at the Sequence Read Archive database under SRP109082) to be used for functional genomics of fig, in order to fill the gap of knowledge still existing in this species concerning plant development, defense and adaptation to the environment

Geomorphology and development of a high-latitude channel system: the INBIS channel case (NW Barents Sea, Arctic)

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Arktos. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s41063-019-00065-9 .The INBIS (Interfan Bear Island and Storfjorden) channel system is a rare example of a deep-sea channel on a glaciated margin. The system is located between two trough mouth fans (TMFs) on the continental slope of the NW Barents Sea: the Bear Island and the Storfjorden–Kveithola TMFs. New bathymetric data in the upper part of this channel system show a series of gullies that incise the shelf break and minor tributary channels on the upper part of the continental slope. These gullies and channels appear far more developed than those on the rest of the NW Barents Sea margin, increasing in size downslope and eventually merging into the INBIS channel. Morphological evidence suggests that the Northern part of the INBIS channel system preserved its original morphology over the last glacial maximum (LGM), whereas the Southern part experienced the emplacement of mass transport glacigenic debris that obliterated the original morphology. Radiometric analyses were applied on two sediment cores to estimate the recent (~ 110 years) sedimentation rates. Furthermore, analysis of grain size characteristics and sediment composition of two cores shows evidence of turbidity currents. We associate these turbidity currents with density-driven plumes, linked to the release of meltwater at the ice-sheet grounding line, cascading down the slope. This type of density current would contribute to the erosion and/ or preservation of the gullies’ morphologies during the present interglacial. We infer that Bear Island and the shallow morphology around it prevented the flow of ice streams to the shelf edge in this area, working as a pin (fastener) for the surrounding ice and allowing for the development of the INBIS channel system on the inter-ice stream part of the slope. The INBIS channel system was protected from the burial by high rates of ice-stream derived sedimentation and only partially affected by the local emplacement of glacial debris, which instead dominated on the neighbouring TMF systems