Le piante vascolari del litorale trapanese: da Ronciglio a Capo San Vito

Vascular flora of the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily). – The list of the vascular plants observed and collected in the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily) during the last 20 years is presented here and commented. In total, 541 specific and infraspecific taxa were recorded. This flora has marked Mediterranean characteristics as shown by the absolute prevalence of therophytes as well as Mediterranean chorotypes. Among the most interesting taxa belonging to this flora are some halophytes and rare endemics such as Biscutella maritima, Calendula maritima, Cynomorium coccineum, Erica sicula, Galium litorale, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Limonium bocco- nei, L. ponzoi, Limoniastrum monopetalum e Pseudoscabiosa limonifolia

First record of Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Cav.) Griseb. (Malvaceae) as a casual alien species in the Mediterranean area

Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Cav.) Griseb. is here reported for the first time as alien species in Italy and in the Mediterranean area. It is a perennial shrub native to Southern America, where it is often considered a ruderal species frequent in cultivated areas. It was found in a population of a few individuals within Opuntia ficus-indica groves of Rocca Palumba territory (Western Sicily). Actually, due to short-term observational period and the low number of plants, Sphaeralcea bonariensis should be considered as a casual species in Italy. The ecological characteristics of the growing stand and the consistency of the population, as well as the possible causes of its introduction, are briefly discussed

The dissimilar chemical composition of the planet-hosting stars of the XO-2 binary system

Using high-quality spectra of the twin stars in the XO-2 binary system, we have detected significant differences in the chemical composition of their photospheres. The differences correlate strongly with the elements' dust condensation temperature. In XO-2N, volatiles are enhanced by about 0.015 dex and refractories are overabundant by up to 0.090 dex. On average, our error bar in relative abundance is 0.012 dex. We present an early metal-depletion scenario in which the formation of the gas giant planets known to exist around these stars is responsible for a 0.015 dex offset in the abundances of all elements while 20 M_Earth of non-detected rocky objects that formed around XO-2S explain the additional refractory-element difference. An alternative explanation involves the late accretion of at least 20 M_Earth of planet-like material by XO-2N, allegedly as a result of the migration of the hot Jupiter detected around that star. Dust cleansing by a nearby hot star as well as age or Galactic birthplace effects can be ruled out as valid explanations for this phenomenon.Comment: ApJ, in press. Complete linelist (Table 3) available in the "Other formats -> Source" downloa

The occurrence of diseases and related factors in a center for asylum seekers in italy

Introduction. Italy is the main recipient of asylum seekers in the European region, and Sicily is their first point of arrival. This geographical position creates a large job for Health Authorities to identify and deal with the health of immigrants. This study evaluates the prevalence of disease among asylum seekers, assessing which are associated factors. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyse demographic and clinical data in an Acceptance Centres for Asylum Seekers from February 2012 to May 2013. All variables that were found to be significant on unvariable analysis for the most frequent pathologies were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. Results. Post-traumatic stress disorders with 17.4% and major depression with 7.3% were the most frequent diseases. The factors associated with post-traumatic stress disorders among asylum seekers were: major depression diagnosis (OR=2.91, p=0.004),Pakistan as a country of origin (OR=3.88, p<0.001), the largest number of medical visits (OR=1.02, p=0.033) and refugee status (OR=1.97, p=0.036). The variables linked with the diagnosis of major depression from the multivariable analysis were: suffering from post-traumatic stress disorders (OR=3.83, p<0.001), Pakistan as a country of origin (OR=3.45, p=0.004) and the highest number of visits to psychologist (OR=1.15, p<0.001). Conclusions.The mental wellbeing of asylum seekers needs special attention, and interventions should be done to prevent the consolidation of psychiatric morbidity. A short psychological screening after the arrival might prove helpful here. Moreover, carefully designed longitudinal studies should be carried out when political recommendations try to change the organization of psychological and healthcare services

OXA-163-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Cairo, Egypt, in 2009 and 2010.

Two genetically unrelated OXA-163-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were identified from two infection cases in June 2009 and May 2010 in Cairo, Egypt. OXA-163-producing Enterobacteriaceae had been previously reported in Argentina only. Both patients had no history of travel abroad. The emergence of this newly recognized OXA-48-related \u3b2-lactamase able to hydrolyze cephalosporins and carbapenems is especially worrying in a geographic area where OXA-48 is endemic and effective surveillance for antibiotic resistance is largely unaffordable

NDM-1 and OXA-163 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Cairo, Egypt, 2012

Here we describe carbapenem resistance determinants in two Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates recovered from two hospitalised patients in the same intensive care unit of a cancer hospital in Cairo, Egypt. PCR and sequencing were used to detect and characterise β-lactamase genes. Clonal relationships between the isolates were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The first K. pneumoniae isolate carried the blaNDM-1 gene and the second isolate carried the blaOXA-163 gene. Both isolates co-expressed the extended-spectrum β-lactamase CTX-M-15. The two isolates belonged to different sequence types (STs), ST11 and ST16, respectively. No history of travel was established for the two patients. The first identification of NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae in Egypt adds further evidence to the spread of NDM-1-producing Gram-negative micro-organisms in North Africa. The additional detection of blaOXA-163 in a K. pneumoniae isolate confirms its endemic presence in a critical healthcare setting of this geographic area

Descriptive Epidemiology of Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Among Patients Admitted to Two Healthcare Facilities in Algeria

Aim: To evaluate nasal carriage rate and variables associated with Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients admitted in two healthcare facilities. Results: S. aureus was isolated from 159 (26%) of the enrolled patients. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus was isolated from 150 (24.5%) patients, and MRSA was isolated from 9 (1.5%). Cancer and previous hospitalization were associated with a significantly higher frequency of nasal S. aureus carriage among the patients admitted to the general hospital and the nephrology department, respectively. MRSA isolates were heterogeneous with respect to their staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) type, sequence type (ST), and toxin genes (pvl and tst1) content. Four isolates were attributed with the ST80-MRSA-IV clone, which is known to be predominant in Algeria. Conclusions: This is the first assessment of S. aureus and MRSA nasal carriage and associated variables in Algeria. Our findings provide also a picture of the MRSA strains circulating in the community in this geographic area. They can be useful as a guide for implementing screening and control procedures against S. aureus/MRSA in the Algerian healthcare facilities

Enhanced surveillance of invasive listeriosis in the Lombardy region, Italy, in the years 2006-2010 reveals major clones and an increase in serotype 1/2a.

Background Invasive listeriosis is a rare, life-threatening foodborne disease. Lombardy, an Italian region accounting for 16% of the total population, reported 55% of all listeriosis cases in the years 2006-2010. The aim of our study was to provide a snapshot of listeriosis epidemiology in this region after the implementation of a voluntary laboratory-based surveillance system. Methods We characterized by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing and detection of epidemic clone markers, 134 isolates from 132 listeriosis cases, including 15 pregnancy-related cases, occurring in the years 2006-2010 in Lombardy. Demographic and clinical characteristics of cases have also been described. Results The mean age of non pregnancy-associated cases was 64.7\u2009years, with 55.9% of cases being older than 65\u2009years. Cases having no underlying medical conditions accounted for 11.6%. The all-cause fatality rate of 83 cases with a known survival outcome was 25.3%. Serotypes 1/2a and 4b comprised 52.2% and 38.8% of isolates, respectively. Seventy-three AscI pulsotypes and 25 sequence types assigned to 23 clonal complexes were recognized. Moreover, 53 (39.5%) isolates tested positive for the epidemic clone markers. Twelve molecular subtype clusters including at least three isolates were detected, with cluster 11 (1/2a/ST38) including 31 isolates identified during the entire study period. No outbreaks were notified to public health authorities during this period. Conclusions The findings of our study proved that epidemiology of listeriosis in Lombardy is characterized by a high prevalence of major clones and the increasing role of serotype 1/2a. Molecular subtyping is an essential tool in the epidemiology and surveillance of listeriosis. Rapid molecular cluster detection could alert about putative outbreaks, thus increasing the chance of detecting and inactivating routes of transmission

Single-cell gene network analysis and transcriptional landscape of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines

Neuroblastoma (NBL) is a pediatric cancer responsible for more than 15% of cancer deaths in children, with 800 new cases each year in the United States alone. Genomic amplification of the MYC oncogene family member MYCN characterizes a subset of high-risk pediatric neuroblastomas. Several cellular models have been implemented to study this disease over the years. Two of these, SK-N-BE-2-C (BE2C) and Kelly, are amongst the most used worldwide as models of MYCN-Amplified human NBL. Here, we provide a transcriptome-wide quantitative measurement of gene expression and transcriptional network activity in BE2C and Kelly cell lines at an unprecedented single-cell resolution. We obtained 1105 Kelly and 962 BE2C unsynchronized cells, with an average number of mapped reads/cell of roughly 38,000. The single-cell data recapitulate gene expression signatures previously generated from bulk RNA-Seq. We highlight low variance for commonly used housekeeping genes between different cells (ACTB, B2M and GAPDH), while showing higher than expected variance for metallothionein transcripts in Kelly cells. The high number of samples, despite the relatively low read coverage of single cells, allowed for robust pathway enrichment analysis and master regulator analysis (MRA), both of which highlight the more mesenchymal nature of BE2C cells as compared to Kelly cells, and the upregulation of TWIST1 and DNAJC1 transcriptional networks. We further defined master regulators at the single cell level and showed that MYCN is not constantly active or expressed within Kelly and BE2C cells, independently of cell cycle phase. The dataset, alongside a detailed and commented programming protocol to analyze it, is fully shared and reusable