Ethnobotanical knowledge and nutritional properties of two edible wild plants from Central Italy: <i>Tordylium apulum</i> L. and <i>Urospermum dalechampii</i> (L.) F.W. Schmid

Edible wild plants have provided an important source of food since time immemorial and have continued to do so until the present day. The study aimed to evaluate ethnobotanical uses and nutraceutical properties of Tordylium apulum L. and Urospermum dalechampii (L.) F.W. Schmidt. The ethnobotanical data collected showed that knowledge of these two species was not limited to alimentary use, but also included folk medicinal properties. Data obtained by nutraceutical analysis demonstrated how these species contain many of the so-called minor nutrients, such as carotenoids, tocopherol, and polyphenols. Furthermore in a comparison with some cultivated species, these species showed higher calcium, iron, and phosphorus values. T. apulum also showed significant vitamin A, polyphenol and ORAC values

Propriedades microbianas e do solo em ?reas em restaura??o no vale do jequitinhonha, Minas Gerais

O setor florestal no Alto Vale do Jequitinhonha (MG) tem adotado a cria??o de faixas com vegeta??o nativa entre os seus plantios comerciais, com o objetivo de reduzir os impactos negativos do monocultivo. O m?todo utilizado para cria??o dessas faixas tem sido a restaura??o espont?nea da vegeta??o nativa em ?reas anteriormente cultivadas com eucalipto. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de coberturas vegetais sobre propriedades microbianas do solo, para melhor caracterizar o processo de restaura??o da vegeta??o nativa em solos florestais do Vale do Jequitinhonha, MG. Os tratamentos foram: restaura??o inicial (; 4 anos) com ou sem remanescentes de eucalipto; e os controles: plantio comercial de eucalipto, vegeta??o nativa de Cerrado e de mata. As amostras de solo foram coletadas por tr?s anos consecutivos, nos meses de agosto e fevereiro, representando, respectivamente, o per?odo de estiagem e o de chuvas. As ?reas em restaura??o, independentemente da presen?a de eucalipto remanescentes, n?o diferiram quanto a atividade microbiana, exceto para quociente metab?lico (qCO2) em fevereiro de 2007 - per?odo chuvoso. Nessa ?poca, a atividade microbiana foi maior na restaura??o avan?ada sem eucalipto do que na restaura??o inicial sem eucalipto e restaura??o avan?ada com eucalipto. As ?reas em restaura??o, em geral, tamb?m n?o diferiram dos controles: plantio de eucalipto e Cerrado. Em rela??o ao controle mata, as ?reas em restaura??o apresentaram, em geral, menores teores de C org?nico, C microbiano, respira??o basal (Rbasal) e hidr?lise do diacetato de fluoresce?na (FDA), n?o diferindo quanto ao qCO2 e quociente microbiano (qMIC). Em geral, as restaura??es iniciais e avan?adas apresentaram qualidade do solo semelhante. A maioria das propriedades do solo e microbianas, nos tr?s anos avaliados, indicou que as ?reas em restaura??o mostraram maior semelhan?a com a ?rea de Cerrado. Nas ?reas em restaura??o avan?ada sem eucalipto, a menor Rbasal no ano 3 e a menor FDA e qMIC e maior qCO2 no ano 2, em rela??o ao Cerrado, indicaram que a remo??o do eucalipto remanescente n?o promoveu a restaura??o.Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecu?ria de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq)Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)To mitigate the impacts of eucalypt monoculture, forestry companies in the Upper Jequitinhonha Valley (MG) have adopted the insertion of strips of native vegetation in-between the commercial plantations. The method used for the creation of these corridors is to allow spontaneous regrowth of native vegetation in areas previously under eucalypt. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cover crops on microbial and soil properties for a detailed description of the restoration process of native vegetation in forest soils of the Jequitinhonha Valley. The treatments were represented by an initial restoration stage ( 4 years) with or without remaining eucalypt, plus the three controls: commercial eucalypt plantation, Cerrado vegetation and native forest. Soil samples were collected for three consecutive years in the dry and rainy season (August and February, respectively). The microbial activity, regardless of the presence of remaining eucalypt , did not differ among the restoration areas, except for the metabolic quotient (qCO2) in the rainy season of February 2007. At this time, this microbial activity was higher in the advanced restoration stage without eucalypt than initial restoration without eucalypt and advanced restoration with eucalypt. The restoration areas, in general, did not differ from the control: eucalypt plantation and Cerrado either. Compared to the forest, the levels of organic C, microbial C, basal respiration (Rbasal) and hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) in the restoration areas were, in general, lower and did not differ in qCO2 and microbial quotient (qMIC). In general, the soil quality was similar in the initial and advanced restoration stages. Most of the soil and microbial properties in the three years indicated that the restoration areas were most similar to the Cerrado. In the advanced restoration areas without eucalypt compared to Cerrado, the lower Rbasal in the 3rd year and the lower FDA and qMIC and higher qCO2 in the 2nd year indicated that the removal of the remaining eucalypt trees was unfavorable for restoration

How future surgery will benefit from SARS-COV-2-related measures: a SPIGC survey conveying the perspective of Italian surgeons

COVID-19 negatively affected surgical activity, but the potential benefits resulting from adopted measures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in surgical activity and potential benefit from COVID-19 measures in perspective of Italian surgeons on behalf of SPIGC. A nationwide online survey on surgical practice before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in March-April 2022 (NCT:05323851). Effects of COVID-19 hospital-related measures on surgical patients' management and personal professional development across surgical specialties were explored. Data on demographics, pre-operative/peri-operative/post-operative management, and professional development were collected. Outcomes were matched with the corresponding volume. Four hundred and seventy-three respondents were included in final analysis across 14 surgical specialties. Since SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, application of telematic consultations (4.1% vs. 21.6%; p &lt; 0.0001) and diagnostic evaluations (16.4% vs. 42.2%; p &lt; 0.0001) increased. Elective surgical activities significantly reduced and surgeons opted more frequently for conservative management with a possible indication for elective (26.3% vs. 35.7%; p &lt; 0.0001) or urgent (20.4% vs. 38.5%; p &lt; 0.0001) surgery. All new COVID-related measures are perceived to be maintained in the future. Surgeons' personal education online increased from 12.6% (pre-COVID) to 86.6% (post-COVID; p &lt; 0.0001). Online educational activities are considered a beneficial effect from COVID pandemic (56.4%). COVID-19 had a great impact on surgical specialties, with significant reduction of operation volume. However, some forced changes turned out to be benefits. Isolation measures pushed the use of telemedicine and telemetric devices for outpatient practice and favored communication for educational purposes and surgeon-patient/family communication. From the Italian surgeons' perspective, COVID-related measures will continue to influence future surgical clinical practice