Assessment of Physical-Chemical Drinking Water Quality in the Logone Valley (Chad-Cameroon)

Unsafe drinking water is one of the main concerns in developing countries. In order to deal with this problem, a cooperation project was set up by the ACRA Foundation in the Logone valley (Chad-Cameroon). Water supplies were sampled throughout the villages of this area mostly from boreholes, open wells, rivers and lakes as well as some piped waters. The samples were analysed for their physical-chemical and microbiological quality in order to identify the contamination problems and suggest appropriate solutions. Results of the assessment confirmed that in the studied area there are several parameters of health and aesthetic concern. Elevated lead levels were detected both in aquifers and in surface waters, confirming that further investigations of the occurrence of lead contamination in the Logone valley are warranted. In addition, many groundwater sources are negatively impacted by parameters of aesthetic concern, such as turbidity, iron and manganese. Even though they do not affect human health, elevated levels of these parameters cause consumers to abandon improved water supplies, often in favour of surface water sources that are microbiologically contaminated. The use of alternative sources, improvement of water supply structures and water treatment are possible solutions to improve the quality of drinking water in the Logone valley

Analyses of rare collection samples as conservation tool for the last known Italian population of Graphoderus bilineatus (Insecta: Coleoptera)

Graphoderus bilineatus is a predacious diving beetle, widely distributed across Europe. Its poor dispersal ability and the fragmentation and deterioration of its habitats have been indicated as the major causes of decline. In several western European countries, the species is extinct, justifying its inclusion as "vulnerable" in the IUCN red list. Aiming for the conservation of the last known population of G. bilineatus in the northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna, at the lake Pratignano, we surveyed its genetic diversity at the mitochondrial COI gene and compared it to that of other European populations. Two fixed COI haplotypes were found in the Italian and Austrian populations, respectively. Both haplotypes were unique among the European populations surveyed, suggesting these populations suffered a bottleneck and geographic isolation. Populations in western Europe showed lower genetic diversity and higher degree of differentiation than eastern populations. The uniqueness of Pratignano haplotype makes it difficult to choose a source population from which to transfer animals for a possible restocking. Selection of the source population should be based mainly on ecological considerations, but at the same time ensuring a good genetic diversity to maximize the adaptive potential

Is drinking water from 'improved sources' really safe? A case study in the Logone valley (Chad-Cameroon).

Within a cooperation project coordinated by the Association for Rural Cooperation in Africa and Latin America (ACRA) Foundation, water supplies were sampled across the villages of the Logone valley (Chad-Cameroon) mostly from boreholes, open wells, rivers and lakes as well as from some piped water. Microbiological analyses and sanitary inspections were carried out at each source. The microbiological quality was determined by analysis of indicators of faecal contamination, Escherichia coli, Enterococci and Salmonellae, using the membrane filtration method. Sanitary inspections were done using WHO query forms. The assessment confirmed that there are several parameters of health concern in the studied area; bacteria of faecal origins are the most significant. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) classification and E. coli measurement are not sufficient to state water safety. In fact, in the studied area, JMP defined 'improved sources' may provide unsafe water depending on their structure and sources without E. coli may have Enterococci and Salmonellae. Sanitary inspections also revealed high health risks for some boreholes. In other cases, sources with low sanitary risk and no E. coli were contaminated by Enterococci and Salmonellae. Better management and protection of the sources, hygiene improvement and domestic water treatment before consumption are possible solutions to reduce health risks in the Logone valley

Anticoagulant treatment in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with systemic sclerosis: More shadows than lights

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a chronic and progressive disease characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance leading to heart failure and premature death. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is characterized by proliferative and obstructive lesions in the distal pulmonary arteries and some descriptions include also thrombotic lesions. Despite this, in an era when multiple effective pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies are available, the role of anticoagulation in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension remains uncertain. In particular, anticoagulant treatment in pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with connective tissue disease seems to be associated with unfavorable risk to benefit ratio due to an increased rate of bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. However, anticoagulation may be required in conditions with increased thrombophilia like in the presence of lupus anticoagulant phenomenon or in the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies

Trichothecenes and zearalenone production by Fusarium equiseti and Fusarium semitectum species isolated from Argentinean soybean

Fusarium equiseti and F. semitectum represent the most abundant species in the Fusarium complex isolated from flowers, soybean pods and seeds in Argentina. The aim of the present study was to assess the production of major type A and type B trichothecenes (diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin, nivalenol, deoxynivalenol) and zearalenone by 40 F. equiseti and 22 F. semitectum isolates on rice culture. Mycotoxins were determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection after derivatisation with 1-anthronylnitrile for type A trichothecenes (i.e. diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin), by HPLC with UV detection for type B trichothecenes (i.e. nivalenol and deoxynivalenol) and by TLC for zearalenone. Twenty-two of 40 F. equiseti isolates produced diacetoxyscirpenol, nivalenol and ZEA alone or in combination, whereas only 2 of 20 F. semitectum isolates were nivalenol and ZEA producers. Both Fusarium species did not produce any deoxynivalenol, neosolaniol, T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin. The variable retention in toxigenicity displayed by both fungal species suggests that these species have a saprophytic lifestyle in the soybean agroecosystem in Argentina.Fil: Barros, Germán Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Alaniz Zanon, Maria Silvina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Palazzini, Juan Manuel. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Haidukowski, M.. b Institute of Sciences of Food Production; ItaliaFil: Pascale, M.. b Institute of Sciences of Food Production; ItaliaFil: Chulze, Sofia Noemi. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicoquímicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentin

Effect of antithrombotic therapy on postoperative outcome of 538 consecutive emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomies for acute cholecystitis. Two Italian center’s study

The risk of developing hemorrhagic complications during or after emergency cholecystectomy (EC) for acute cholecystitis (AC) in patients with antithrombotic therapy (ATT) remains uncertain. In this double-center study, we evaluated post-operative outcomes in patients with ATT undergoing EC. We retrospectively evaluated 538 patients who underwent laparoscopic EC for AC between May 2015 and December 2019 at two referral centers. 89 of them (17%) were on ATT. We defined postoperative complication rates, including bleeding, as our primary outcome. Mortality was higher in the ATT group. Morbidity was higher in the ATT group as well; however, the difference was not statistically significant. 12 patients (2%) experienced intraoperative blood loss over 500 ml and ten (2%) had postoperative bleeding complications. Two patients (< 1%) experienced both intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. On multivariate analysis, ATT was not significantly associated with worse postoperative outcomes. Antithrombotic therapy is not an independently associated factor of severe postoperative complications (including bleeding) or mortality. However, these patients still represent a challenging group and must be carefully managed to avoid postoperative bleeding complications

Servizio Civile Nazionale, Associazionismo e Volontariato

il contributo contiene una analisi del percorso che ha condotto all'istituzione del Servizio Civile Nazionale ed una riflessione sugli scenari sociali e politici che ne hanno determinato lo sviluppo. Particolare attenzione è stata data inoltre al ruolo del volontariato e dell'associazionismo ed alla loro capacità di innescare meccanismi di autocoscientizzazione, di autogoverno e di partecipazione alla cittadinanza attiva

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) : tips and tricks of a new surgical technique

Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) can be technically challenging especially in obese and patients with narrow pelvis. Transanal TME (TaTME) is a technique that combines abdominal and transanal endoscopic approach to overcome limitations and facilitate standard laparoscopic TME. The authors present some specific tips and tricks to perform this complex procedure using a double team approach and a new reusable transanal port