Durum wheat growth analysis in a semiarid environment in relation to crop rotation and nitrogen rate

SUMMARY – A research on durum wheat growth analysis was carried out at Sparacia farm (37°37’N-13°42’E) during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons in a typical semi-arid environment. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of crop rotation (continuous wheat and wheat-pea rotation) and N fertilizer rates (0, 60 and 120 Kg ha-1) on growth of four durum wheat varieties, characterized by different productive ability and adaptation. A split- split-plot design with three replications was used. The study highlighted the role of the CGR index in order to enable a better knowledge of the relationship among crop techniques and wheat yield respons

Lung ultrasonography for long-term follow-up of COVID-19 survivors compared to chest CT scan

Background: While lung ultrasonography (LUS) has utility for the evaluation of the acute phase of COVID-19 related lung disease, its role in long-term follow-up of this condition has not been well described. The objective of this study is to compare LUS and chest computed tomography (CT) results in COVID-19 survivors with the intent of defining the utility of LUS for long-term follow-up of COVID-19 respiratory disease. Methods: Prospective observational study that enrolled consecutive survivors of COVID-19 with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (HARF) admitted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit. Three months following hospital discharge, patients underwent LUS, chest CT, body plethysmography and laboratory testing, the comparison of which forms the basis of this report. Results: 38 patients were enrolled, with a total of 190 lobes analysed: men 27/38 (71.1%), mean age 60.6 y (SD 10.4). LUS findings and pulmonary function tests outcomes were compared between patients with and without ILD, showing a statistically significant difference in terms of LUS score (p: 0.0002), FEV1 (p: 0.0039) and FVC (p: 0.012). ROC curve both in lobe by lobe and in patient's overall analysis revealed an outstanding ILD discrimination ability of LUS (AUC: 0.94 and 0.95 respectively) with a substantial Cohen's coefficient (K: 0.74 and 0.69). Conclusions: LUS has an outstanding discrimination ability compared to CT in identifying an ILD of at least mild grade in the post COVID-19 follow-up. LUS should be considered as the first-line tool in follow-up programs, while chest CT could be performed based on LUS findings

MICROALGAE BIOPOLYMERS: A REVIEW

Algae are ubiquitous organisms whose capabilities have drawn much attention as of late in the bioengineering field due to their potential to enable a wide range of bioproducts. Microalgae are ideal organisms for the application of the biorefinery concept since they can be grown in wastewater and, at the same time, produce many products of commercial interest. These microorganisms are also known for their resilience to extreme environmental conditions and suitable cell growth rates. Beyond the known potential for biofuel production, these microorganisms can still produce other compounds, being lipids, pigments, vitamins, proteins, and polysaccharides, whose applications go from pharmaceutical to agricultural industries. Recently, the research focus has been directed to the biopolymer-producing ability of both micro- and macroalgae, as they can be rather varied and useful to many applications. However, this is still an ongoing research field, and new data are frequently added in the literature, notably on biomass processing, which can be done with the intent of use into dyes, bioplastics, paints, and even as biochar in solid fuel cells. Microalgae-based biopolymers can be used in a wide range of products, nevertheless, the resulting process efficiency and yields depend on the extraction process utilized, as well as on the microalgae species used and the culture conditions. Furthermore, the polymer extraction can be done directly with common solvents at atmospheric pressure or with other fluids, such as supercritical CO2 or subcritical solvents, and assisted by specific treatments, e.g., ultrasound and microwave. The residual biomass can still be used to produce other less valuable products, such as feedstock, and energy via combustion. In this sense, the present work aims to provide a state-of-the-art review on microalgae biopolymers. Issues related to the efficiency of current treatment methods, industrial applications, and environmental performance are presented and discussed. Besides, the perspectives in this area of knowledge are also a contribution of the present work, the extent to which scientific research is still under development

Somatostatin receptor PET/CT imaging for the detection and staging of pancreatic NET. A systematic review and meta-analysis

We investigated the diagnostic performance of Somatostatin Receptor Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (SSR-PET/CT) for the detection of primary lesion and initial staging of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). A comprehensive literature search up to January 2020 was performed selecting studies in presence of: sample size ≥10 patients; index test (i.e., 68Ga-DOTATOC or 68Ga-DOTANOC or 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT); and outcomes (i.e., detection rate (DR), true positive, true negative, false positive, and false-negative). The methodological quality was evaluated with QUADAS-2. Pooled DR and pooled sensitivity and specificity for the identification of the primary tumor were assessed by a patient-based and a lesion-based analysis. Thirty-eight studies were selected for the qualitative analysis, while 18 papers were included in the meta-analysis. The number of pNET patients ranged from 10 to 142, for a total of 1143 subjects. At patient-based analysis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity for the assessment of primary pNET were 79.6% (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 71–87%) and 95% (95%CI: 75–100%) with a heterogeneity of 59.6% and 51.5%, respectively. Pooled DR for the primary lesion was 81% (95%CI: 65–90%) and 92% (95%CI: 80–97%), respectively, at patient-based and lesion-based analysis. In conclusion, SSR-PET/CT has high DR and diagnostic performances for primary lesion and initial staging of pNETs

Predictors of Patient-Reported Dysphagia Following IMRT Plus Chemotherapy in Oropharyngeal Cancer

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the factors associated with patient-reported dysphagia in patients affected by locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) treated with definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy (CHT), with or without induction CHT. We evaluated 148 OPC patients treated with IMRT and concurrent CHT, without evidence of disease and who had completed their treatment since at least 6 months. At their planned follow-up visit, patients underwent clinical evaluation and completed the M.D. Anderson dysphagia inventory (MDADI) questionnaire. The association between questionnaire composite score (MDADI-CS) and different patients\u2019 and tumor\u2019s characteristics and treatments (covariates) was investigated by univariable and multivariable analyses, the latter including only covariates significant at univariable analysis. With a median time from treatment end of 30 months [range 6\u201374 months, interquartile range (IQR) 16\u201350 months], the median (IQR) MDADI-CS was 72 (63\u201384). The majority of patients (82.4%) had a MDADI-CS 65 60. At multivariable analysis, female gender, human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative status, and moderate and severe clinician-rated xerostomia were significantly associated with lower MDADI-CS. Patient-perceived dysphagia was satisfactory or acceptable in the majority of patients. HPV status and xerostomia were confirmed as important predictive factors for swallowing dysfunction after radiochemotherapy. Data regarding female gender are new and deserve further investigation

Mediterranean plant germination reports – 5

This is the fifth issue of the series of germination reports from Mediterranean areas (sensu Med-Checklist). It comprises germination protocols for 18 taxa: Hieracium and Pilosella from South Italy by Di Gristina & al. (Nos. 103-106); Genista from Sardinia by Deplano & al. (No. 107); Antirrhinum, Anthyllis, Digitalis, Echium, Jasione, Nothoscordum, Silene and Verbascum by Martínez-Oliver & al. (Nos. 108-116); Dianthus, Helichrysum and Silene from Sicily by Scafidi & Salmeri (Nos. 117-120)

Patterns of urgent hoarseness referrals to ENT – When should we be suspicious of cancer?

Background: Current UK referral criteria stipulate that hoarseness should be persistent to merit 2 week wait (2WW) or urgent suspicion of cancer (USOC) referral. This study delineates patterns of hoarseness presentation with a view to assisting referral pathways, and whereby reassurance could be provided. Methods: A pre-existing database of patients referred with hoarseness under the urgent suspicion of cancer (USOC) category was analysed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on a variety of demographic and comorbid features to produce odds ratios (OR) of features either related or not related to laryngeal cancer. Results: Of 698 consecutive hoarseness referrals were studied. In these referrals there were 506(73%) with persistent hoarseness and 192(27%) with intermittent hoarseness. The most significant patient variables related to laryngeal cancer were persistent hoarseness (OR 4.97), recreational drug use (OR 4.94), male gender (OR 4.01) and weight loss (OR 3.75). Significant patient variables present not related to laryngeal cancer diagnosis were intermittent hoarseness (OR 0.2), the presence of cough (OR 0.2), globus sensation (OR 0.25) and recent viral infection (OR 0.29). Conclusion: The strongest association with cancer is seen in patients that are persistently hoarse. Patients with fluctuating hoarseness do not need an “urgent suspicion of cancer” referral. Additional demographic referral information could help to streamline the referral of these patients, and reassure others

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia: a retrospective study on behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT.

Not available

Galaxy populations in the Hydra i cluster from the VEGAS survey:I. Optical properties of a large sample of dwarf galaxies

At ~50 Mpc, the Hydra I cluster of galaxies is among the closest cluster in the z=0 Universe, and an ideal environment to study dwarf galaxy properties in a cluster environment. We exploit deep imaging data of the Hydra I cluster to construct a new photometric catalog of dwarf galaxies in the cluster core, which is then used to derive properties of the Hydra I cluster dwarf galaxies population as well as to compare with other clusters. Moreover, we investigate the dependency of dwarf galaxy properties on their surrounding environment. The new Hydra I dwarf catalog contains 317 galaxies with luminosity between -18.5<$M_r$<-11.5 mag, a semi-major axis larger than ~200 pc (a=0.84 arcsec), of which 202 are new detections, previously unknown dwarf galaxies in the Hydra I central region. We estimate that our detection efficiency reaches 50% at the limiting magnitude $M_r$=-11.5 mag, and at the mean effective surface brightness $\overline{\mu}_{e,r}$=26.5 mag/$arcsec^2$. We present the standard scaling relations for dwarf galaxies and compare them with other nearby clusters. We find that there are no observational differences for dwarfs scaling relations in clusters of different sizes. We study the spatial distribution of galaxies, finding evidence for the presence of substructures within half the virial radius. We also find that mid- and high-luminosity dwarfs ($M_r$<-14.5 mag) become on average redder toward the cluster center, and that they have a mild increase in $R_e$ with increasing clustercentric distance, similar to what is observed for the Fornax cluster. No clear clustercentric trends are reported with surface brightness and S\'ersic index. Considering galaxies in the same magnitude-bins, we find that for high and mid-luminosity dwarfs ($M_r$<-13.5 mag) the g-r color is redder for the brighter surface brightness and higher S\'ersic n index objects.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 25 pages, 21 figure

The observational clinical registry (cohort design) of the European Reference Network on Rare Adult Solid Cancers: The protocol for the rare head and neck cancers

Care for head and neck cancers is complex in particular for the rare ones. Knowledge is limited and histological heterogeneity adds complexity to the rarity. There is a wide consensus that to support clinical research on rare cancer, clinical registries should be developed within networks specializing in rare cancers. In the EU, a unique opportunity is provided by the European Reference Networks (ERN). The ERN EURACAN is dedicated to rare adults solid cancers, here we present the protocol of the EURACAN registry on rare head and neck cancers (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05483374). Study design Registry-based cohort study including only people with rare head and neck cancers. Objectives 1.To help describe the natural history of rare head and neck cancers; 2.To evaluate factors that influence prognosis; 3.To assess treatment effectiveness; 4.To measure indicators of quality of care. Methods Settings and participants It is an hospital based registry established in hospitals with expertise in head and neck cancers. Only adult patients with epithelial tumours of nasopharynx; nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses; salivary gland cancer in large and small salivary glands; and middle ear will be included in the registry. This registry won t select a sample of patients. Each patient in the facility who meets the above mentioned inclusion criteria will be followed prospectively and longitudinally with follow-up at cancer progression and / or cancer relapse or patient death. It is a secondary use of data which will be collected from the clinical records. The data collected for the registry will not entail further examinations or admissions to the facility and/or additional appointments to those normally provided for the patient follow-up. Variables Data will be collected on patient characteristics (eg. patient demographics, lifestyle, medical history, health status); exposure data (eg. disease, procedures, treatments of interest) and outcomes (e.g. survival, progression, progression-free survival, etc.). In addition, data on potential confounders (e.g. comorbidity; functional status etc.) will be also collected. Statistical methods The data analyses will include descriptive statistics showing patterns of patients and cancers variables and indicators describing the quality of care. Multivariable Cox s proportional hazards model and Hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause or cause specific mortality will be used to determine independent predictors of overall survival, recurrence etc. Variables to include in the multivariable regression model will be selected based on the results of univariable analysis. The role of confounding or effect modifiers will be evaluated using stratified analysis or sensitivity analysis. To assess treatment effectiveness, multivariable models with propensity score adjustment and progression-free survival will be performed. Adequate statistical (eg. marginal structural model) methods will be used if time-varying treatments/ confounders and confounding by indication (selective prescribing) will be present. Results The registry initiated recruiting in May 2022. The estimated completion date is December 2030 upon agreement on the achievement of all the registry objectives. As of October 2022, the registry is recruiting. There will be a risk of limited representativeness due to the hospital-based nature of the registry and to the fact that hospital contributing to the registry are expert centres for these rare cancers. Clinical Follow-up could also be an issue but active search of the life status of the patients will be guaranteed