Presenza di un «Potyvirus» sul Carciofo (<i>Cynara scolymus</i> L.) in Sardegna

A latent virus of artichoke has been isolated in Sardinia (Italy). The virus causes characteristic local lesions on Gomphrena globosa L. and Chenopodium amaranticolor Coste et Reyn., and systemic symptoms on Nicotiana benthamiana Domin. and N. clevelandii Gray. In artichoke crude sap the virus has a longevity in vitro of 20-30 hours, a dilution-end point between 10-3 and 10-4 and a thermal inactivation point between 55 and 60°C. The purification of the virus has been obtained from artichoke with two cicles of differential centrifugation followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The purified suspensions had an ultraviolet light (UV) ab sorption spectrum typical of the nucleoproteins with Emax = 260-262 nm; Emin = 246 nm; and a ratio E280/E260 of 0,85 which suggests a RNA content of the virus of about 5,5%. Electron microscope observation showed that negative stained partially purified virus suspensions are composed of filamentous parti cles with a normal lenght (NL) of 730 nm and a mode of the lenght distributions of 729 nm; moreover, ultrathin sections of tissue fragments from leaves of mechanically inocu1ated Nicotiana benthamiana contained cytoplasmic inclusions of the pinwheel type. In serological tube tests, partially purified virus suspensions reacted with homologous serum (titre 1 : 1024) and a serum immune to an ALV (Artichoke Latent Virus) from Bari. These results have been substantially confirmed by serological tests with the method of «antibody coating of virus parti cles » by immune electron microscopy. I t is obvious that a latent potyvirus is widespread in artichoke growing in Sardinia. However, it cannot be exc1uded the possible occurrence in artichoke plants of a latent carlavirus too

<i>Fusarium roseum</i> var. <i>avenaceum</i> (Sacc.) Snyd. et Hans. agente di un « marciume molle» dei frutti di pomodoro in coltura protetta

The Authors report on the results of researches about a serious soft rot of greenhouse tomato fruits recently found in Sardinia (Italy). The disease symptoms and the characters of its causal agent, identified as Fusarium roseum var. avenaceum (Sacc.) Snyd. et Hans., are described. In laboratory, the influence of temperature, pH, and several culture media on growth and sporulation of the fungus, has been investigated. Artificial infection tests on tomato showed the high pathogenicity of the fungus to fruits only, but not to other plant organs

Antifungal metabolites produced by <i>Trichoderma viride</i> against <i>Sclerotium rolfsii</i>

In this comunication we report our progress regarding the isolation and characterization of new antifungal metabolites from this strain of T. viride

Indagine fitosanitaria nel comprensorio di Sarroch, Villa S. Pietro e Pula (prov. di Cagliari) in relazione all'attività di uno stabilimento petrolifero

A five-year investigation (1988-92) of the phytosanitary situation in the Sarroch, Villa S. Pietro and Pula areas, belonging to the Cagliari district, where the SARAS-oil company has been operating for a long time, was carried out. Various degrees of damage caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, acari and by abiotic agents (edaphic and climatic) were detected on trees and herbaceous plants. Investigations on possible S02 damages by means of phytosanitary observations and chemical analysis, clearly showed no noxious effects of this gas on both cultivated and spontaneous plants

Acute Delta Hepatitis in Italy spanning three decades (1991–2019): Evidence for the effectiveness of the hepatitis B vaccination campaign

Updated incidence data of acute Delta virus hepatitis (HDV) are lacking worldwide. Our aim was to evaluate incidence of and risk factors for acute HDV in Italy after the introduction of the compulsory vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 1991. Data were obtained from the National Surveillance System of acute viral hepatitis (SEIEVA). Independent predictors of HDV were assessed by logistic-regression analysis. The incidence of acute HDV per 1-million population declined from 3.2 cases in 1987 to 0.04 in 2019, parallel to that of acute HBV per 100,000 from 10.0 to 0.39 cases during the same period. The median age of cases increased from 27 years in the decade 1991-1999 to 44 years in the decade 2010-2019 (p &lt; .001). Over the same period, the male/female ratio decreased from 3.8 to 2.1, the proportion of coinfections increased from 55% to 75% (p = .003) and that of HBsAg positive acute hepatitis tested for by IgM anti-HDV linearly decreased from 50.1% to 34.1% (p &lt; .001). People born abroad accounted for 24.6% of cases in 2004-2010 and 32.1% in 2011-2019. In the period 2010-2019, risky sexual behaviour (O.R. 4.2; 95%CI: 1.4-12.8) was the sole independent predictor of acute HDV; conversely intravenous drug use was no longer associated (O.R. 1.25; 95%CI: 0.15-10.22) with this. In conclusion, HBV vaccination was an effective measure to control acute HDV. Intravenous drug use is no longer an efficient mode of HDV spread. Testing for IgM-anti HDV is a grey area requiring alert. Acute HDV in foreigners should be monitored in the years to come

Molecular analysis of <i>"Fomitiporia mediterranea"</i> isolates from esca-affected grapevines in Southern Italy

Four Fomitiporia isolates representative of a collection of about 300 isolates from esca-affected grapevines in southern Italy (Apulia, Campania and Abruzzo) were examined by molecular methods. The DNA of each isolate was analysed by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR amplification) using ITS5 and ITS4 primers. An amplification product of 740 bp was obtained from all isolates. The denaturated products had the same migration pattern when analysed by single-strand conformation polymorphism. The PCR fragments that included the ribosomal ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region were sequenced. In order to ascertain the taxonomic identity of the isolates, the ITS sequences were compared with those of Fomitiporia mediterranea, F. punctata and F. robusta deposited in the GenBank. The ITS sequences of the isolates were uniform and homologous with those of the type culture of Fomitiporia mediterranea M. Fischer, to which the southern Italian isolates were compared

Immunohistochemical evaluation of a new epithelial antigen, BER-EP4 in ovarian cancer: a propos of 62 cases

OBJECTIVE: To assess the immunohistochemical expression of BerEP4, a new epithelial antigen in ovarian cancer. METHODS: We studied 62 cases of ovarian cancer in which BerEP4, CEA and CA-125 were investigated by an immunohistochemical method. We evaluated the correlations among immunohistochemical positivity and the grading, histotype and stage of disease. RESULTS: BerEP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%), CA-125 in 36 out of 62 cases (58.06%) and CEA in ten out of 62 cases (16.13%). BerEP4 was present both in serous and in mucinous tumors (80.96% vs. 80.77%). CA-125 was mainly expressed in serous vs mucinous tumors (66.67% vs. 57.69%). CEA was more prevalent in mucinous vs. serous tumors. Ber-EP4 was mainly expressed in G1 (75%) and G2 (77.27%). CA-125 was more present in G1 and G3 (both 62.50%) than G2 (50%), whereas CEA showed positivity in G1: 12.50%, G2: 22.73% and G3: 12.50%. There were no differences among the three antigens studied with regard to clinical stage. CONCLUSIONS: In our study Ber-EP4 was positive in 45 out of 62 cases (72.58%) of primary epithelial ovarian cancers. The presence of this antigen seemed to be related to the histotype and grading but not to clinical stage.</br

Squeezing terahertz light into nanovolumes: Nanoantenna enhanced terahertz spectroscopy (NETS) of semiconductor quantum dots

Terahertz spectroscopy has vast potentialities in sensing a broad range of elementary excitations (e.g., collective vibrations of molecules, phonons, excitons, etc.). However, the large wavelength associated with terahertz radiation (about 300 μm at 1 THz) severely hinders its interaction with nano-objects, such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanotubes, and large molecules of biological relevance, practically limiting terahertz studies to macroscopic ensembles of these compounds, in the form of thick pellets of crystallized molecules or highly concentrated solutions of nanomaterials. Here we show that chains of terahertz dipole nanoantennas spaced by nanogaps of 20 nm allow retrieving the spectroscopic signature of a monolayer of cadmium selenide quantum dots, a significant portion of the signal arising from the dots located within the antenna nanocavities. A Fano-like interference between the fundamental antenna mode and the phonon resonance of the quantum dots is observed, accompanied by an absorption enhancement factor greater than one million. NETS can find immediate applications in terahertz spectroscopic studies of nanocrystals and molecules at extremely low concentrations. Furthermore, it shows a practicable route toward the characterization of individual nano-objects at these frequencies

Terahertz Resonant Dipole Nanoantennas

We investigate the resonance characteristics of terahertz nanoantenna arrays, both numerically and experimentally. We demonstrate their tunability and their significant field enhancement properties, which can find several applications in terahertz spectroscopy and nonlinear optics.</p

Increasing volume and complexity of pediatric epilepsy surgery with stable seizure outcome between 2008 and 2014: A nationwide multicenter study

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess common practice in pediatric epilepsy surgery in Italy between 2008 and 2014. METHODS: A survey was conducted among nine Italian epilepsy surgery centers to collect information on presurgical and postsurgical evaluation protocols, volumes and types of surgical interventions, and etiologies and seizure outcomes in pediatric epilepsy surgery between 2008 and 2014. RESULTS: Retrospective data on 527 surgical procedures were collected. The most frequent surgical approaches were temporal lobe resections and disconnections (133, 25.2%) and extratemporal lesionectomies (128, 24.3%); the most frequent etiologies were FCD II (107, 20.3%) and glioneuronal tumors (105, 19.9%). Volumes of surgeries increased over time independently from the age at surgery and the epilepsy surgery center. Engel class I was achieved in 73.6% of patients (range: 54.8 to 91.7%), with no significant changes between 2008 and 2014. Univariate analyses showed a decrease in the proportion of temporal resections and tumors and an increase in the proportion of FCDII, while multivariate analyses revealed an increase in the proportion of extratemporal surgeries over time. A higher proportion of temporal surgeries and tumors and a lower proportion of extratemporal and multilobar surgeries and of FCD were observed in low (<50surgeries/year) versus high-volume centers. There was a high variability across centers concerning pre- and postsurgical evaluation protocols, depending on local expertise and facilities. SIGNIFICANCE: This survey reveals an increase in volume and complexity of pediatric epilepsy surgery in Italy between 2008 and 2014, associated with a stable seizure outcome