Simultaneous Excisions and Extemporary Skin Plastics: New Reconstructive Techniques after Tumor Surgery

Occurrence of two or more skin tumors closely situated to each other is not so rare in clinical dermasurgical practice. Excision of multiple contiguous skin lesions can represent a major dermasurgical problem that can be solved in different surgical times. However, in our opinion, the best therapeutic solution is to carry out the removal in a single surgical session; this choice allows saving time, an easier plastic reconstruction, and better esthetic results. Many different reconstructive procedures can be designed and applied, to achieve the best result. The simplest Burow’s triangle flap permits excision of two contiguous lesions with less tension compared to two fusiform cuts, but many other plastic solutions can be chosen to satisfy the needs of different anatomical sites and according to skin features. In the author’s personal experience, of about 8000 patients who have undergone dermatologic surgery over the past 20 years, the presence of multiple contiguous lesions occurred in about 200 cases. In all of these, triangle, rotation, advancement, or transposition flaps allowed simultaneous removals, saving time and money and giving better esthetic results compared to multiple direct excision carried out at successive times. In this chapter, the different techniques are described and illustrated in detail

Regional policies and eco-industrial development: the voluntary environmental certification scheme of the eco-industrial parks in Tuscany (Italy)

Industrial ecology is presented in the literature as both a policy tool and an academic theory. This paper discusses a voluntary certification scheme adopted by the regional government of Tuscany (Italy) as a policy tool to disseminate the concepts of industrial ecology. The approval of a regional regulation represents the first adoption in European environmental and industrial policies of a voluntary tool aimed at stimulating the creation and dissemination of eco-industrial parks. This new certification method is analysed by focusing on the prevention of pollution. The criteria required to obtain the qualification, and the roles and responsibilities of all the actors involved are outlined. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the certification scheme are highlighted and the Italian standard compared with the national standard issued in China by the State Environmental Protection Administration. The findings contribute to the discussion of policy measures aimed at disseminating the concepts of Industrial Ecology including a tool based on voluntary co-operation and third-party certifications

Cambio climático y sistemas de producción agroecológico, orgánico y convencional en los cantones Cayambe y Pedro Moncayo

This article analyzes the impact of climate change on agroecological, organic and conventional production in the cantons of Cayambe and Pedro Moncayo due to the challenges of the Ecuadorian agricultural sector in the face of environmental deterioration. The methodology of multi-criteria analysis is applied to determine the best agricultural production alternative, based on its performance in the following indicators: economic, social, environmental, institutional and productive. Producers from the agroecological, organic and conventional systems participated in the study. The information was collected through surveys and analysis of official documents from the cantons. The fulfillment of each of the steps of the multi-criteria analysis allowed us to conclude that the best production system is agroecology, followed by the organic production system. The least adequate is the conventional production system. These systems are affected differently by climate change and their contribution to environmental deterioration is also differentiated. The water and carbon footprint for the organic system is 39.9 m3/Ton and 1.07 TonCO2/Kg of product respectively; while for the agroecological system it is 77.3 m3/Ton and 0.10 TonCO2/Kg of product. The conventional system is the worst scored, with a stronger environmental impact (water footprint = 300.3m3/Ton and carbon footprint = 1.87TonCO2/Kg of product). The study shows that the agroecological system is the best prepared for these events, which means that it is less vulnerable and more resilient in general terms.Este artículo analiza el impacto del cambio climático en el modo de producción agroecológico, orgánico y convencional en los cantones Cayambe y Pedro Moncayo debido a los retos que enfrenta Ecuador en el sector agropecuario, ante el deterioro ambiental. Se aplica la metodología del análisis multicriterio para determinar la alternativa de producción agrícola que mejor se ajusta a la zona, a partir de su comportamiento en los siguientes indicadores: económico, social, ambiental, institucional y productivo. En la investigación participaron productores agroecológicos, orgánicos y convencionales. La información se recopiló mediante encuestas y análisis de documentos oficiales de los cantones. El cumplimiento de cada uno de los pasos del análisis multicriterio permitió conocer que el mejor sistema productivo es la agroecología. Le sigue la producción orgánica y el menos adecuado es el sistema de producción convencional. Estos sistemas son afectados de manera distinta por el cambio climático, y su contribución al deterioro ambiental también es diferenciada. La huella hídrica y de carbono para el sistema orgánico es de 39.9 m3/Ton y 1.07 TonCO2/Kg de producto, respectivamente; mientras que para el sistema agroecológico es de 77.3 m3/Ton y 0.10 TonCO2/Kg de producto. El sistema convencional es el peor puntuado, con un impacto ambiental más fuerte (huella hídrica = 300.3m3/Ton y huella de carbono = 1.87TonCO2/Kg de producto). El estudio muestra que el sistema mejor preparado ante estos eventos es el agroecológico. Ello significa que es menos vulnerable y más resiliente, en términos generales

MicroRNA Detection in Plasma Samples

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Italian Vascular Flora: New Findings, Updates and Exploration of Floristic Similarities between Regions

The tradition of floristic studies in Italy has made it possible to obtain a good knowledge of plant diversity both on a national and regional scale. However, the lack of knowledge for some areas, advances in plant systematics and human activities related to globalization, highlight the need for further studies aimed at improving floristic knowledge. In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria and literature surveys, we update the knowledge on the Italian vascular flora and analyze the floristic similarities between the administrative regions. Four taxa, all exotic, were recorded for the first time in Italy and Europe. In detail, Elaeodendron croceum, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and Sedum spathulifolium var. spathulifolium were found as casual aliens, while Oxalis brasiliensis was reported as historical record based on some herbarium specimens. Furthermore, Kalanchoe laxiflora was confirmed as a casual alien species for Italy and Europe. Status changes for some taxa were proposed at both national and regional levels, as well as many taxa were reported as new or confirmed at the regional level. Currently the Italian vascular flora comprises 9150 taxa of which 7547 are native (of which 1598 are Italian endemics) and 1603 are exotic at the national level. The multivariate analysis of updated floristic data on a regional scale showed a clear distribution along the latitudinal gradient, in accordance with the natural geographical location of the regions in Italy. This pattern of plants distribution was not affected by the introduction of alien species. Despite some taxonomic and methodological issues which are still open, the data obtained confirm the important role of floristic investigations in the field and in herbaria, as well as the collaborative approach among botanists, in order to improve the knowledge of the Italian and European vascular flora

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #45 to #59

New Italian data on the distribution of Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 8 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 27 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Apulia, Campania, Calabria, Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, Sardinia, and Sicily

4-oxo-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide: Two Independent Ways to Kill Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND: The retinoid 4-oxo-N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-oxo-4-HPR) is a polar metabolite of fenretinide (4-HPR) very effective in killing cancer cells of different histotypes, able to inhibit 4-HPR-resistant cell growth and to act synergistically in combination with the parent drug. Unlike 4-HPR and other retinoids, 4-oxo-4-HPR inhibits tubulin polymerization, leading to multipolar spindle formation and mitotic arrest. Here we investigated whether 4-oxo-4-HPR, like 4-HPR, triggered cell death also via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and whether its antimicrotubule activity was related to a ROS-dependent mechanism in ovarian (A2780), breast (T47D), cervical (HeLa) and neuroblastoma (SK-N-BE) cancer cell lines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We provided evidence that 4-oxo-4-HPR, besides acting as an antimicrotubule agent, induced apoptosis through a signaling cascade starting from ROS generation and involving endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) activation, and upregulation of the proapoptotic PLAcental Bone morphogenetic protein (PLAB). Through time-course analysis and inhibition of the ROS-related signaling pathway (upstream by vitamin C and downstream by PLAB silencing), we demonstrated that the antimitotic activity of 4-oxo-4-HPR was independent from the oxidative stress induced by the retinoid. In fact, ROS generation occurred earlier than mitotic arrest (within 30 minutes and 2 hours, respectively) and abrogation of the ROS-related signaling pathway did not prevent the 4-oxo-4-HPR-induced mitotic arrest. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data indicate that 4-oxo-4-HPR anticancer activity is due to at least two independent mechanisms and provide an explanation of the ability of 4-oxo-4-HPR to be more potent than the parent drug and to be effective also in 4-HPR-resistant cell lines. In addition, the double mechanism of action could allow 4-oxo-4-HPR to efficiently target tumour and to eventually counteract the development of drug resistance

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. materia