Prime osservazioni su specie perenni ed annue autoriseminanti in vista della organizzazione di catene di foraggiamento in ambienti mediterranei

Nel corso del periodo 1987-89 sono state valutate le potenzialità produttive e la distribuzione della produzione di 32 tra ecotipi e varietà di graminacee e leguminose foraggere annue e perenni provenienti prevalentemente dall'Italia centrale. La prova è stata condotta contemporaneamente in tre ambienti appartenenti a diverse zone bioclimatiche dell'area mediterranea (Perugia, Grosseto e Sassari) utilizzando uno schema sperimentale a blocchi randomizzati con quattro ripetizioni. I rilievi effettuati hanno riguardato il ricopri mento specifico e la produzione di sostanza secca determinata con criteri differenti: mensilmente per le leguminose annue; al 50% della fioritura e quindi mensilmente per le leguminose perenni; all'inizio della spigatura e quindi mensilmente per le graminacee. Per le specie annuali oltre alla sostanza secca è stata determinata la produzione di seme. L'obiettivo è stato quello di caratterizzare materiali che possano essere impiegati scalarmente per dilatare il periodo di utilizzazione diretta al pascolo. Dai risultati è stato possibile individuare, a seconda delle località, alcune popolazione di Medicago polymorpha L., Trifolium subterraneum L. e Lotus sp. pl. che hanno permesso di anticipare il periodo di utilizzazione primaverile e prolungare quello autunnale. Su questa base sono stati ipotizzati esempi di catene di foraggiamento semplificate (a tre anelli). Per quanto concerne le specie annue autoriseminanti, esse sembrano poter svolgere un importante ruolo nella regolazione della distribuzione stagionale della produzione foraggera nelle due località caratterizzate da un clima più tipicamente mediterraneo (Grosseto e Sassari) mentre la produzione di seme è risultata più che soddisfacente per assicurare l'autorisemina in tutte e tre le località. During the period 1987-1989, the yield and the distribution of forage production of 32 ecotypes and varieties of annual and perennial forage Iegumes and grasses were evaluated. The origin of plant materials was CentraI Italy. The trial was carried out in three environments characterized by different Mediterranean subclimates (Perugia, Grosseto and Sassari). The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates. Specific ground cover was assessed in fall 1987, 1988 and 1989. Dry matter yield was assessed: monthly for annual legumes; at 50% of flowering and then monthly for perennial legumes; at early heading and then monthly for grasses. Seed yield of annual species was also recorded. Aim of the trial was to characterize plant materials that could be utilized subsequently in order to extend the period of direct utilization of herbage by grazing animals. It was possible depending on localities, to identify some populations of Medicago polymorpha L., Trifolium subterraneum L. and Lotus sp. pl.. that allowed to bring forward the spring utilization and to extend the autumn utilization. On the basis of the resu1ts obtained, it was possible to set up some simplified forage chains. Annual self reseeding species seemed to be more important to improve seasonal distribution of herbages in the typical Mediterranean locations (Sassari and Grosseto). Seed production was more than appreciable in order to allow self reseeding at the three locations

Produzione di seme di leguminose foraggere annuali in tre ambienti italiani

The seed production of 18 natural populations and varieties of annual forage legumes mainly collected in CentraI Italy have been evaluated in three Italian sites with contrasting climate and soil types. AlI species belonged to the genus Medicago and Trifolium. The experiments were carried out in Perugia, Grosseto and Sassari that belong to different bioclimatic zones of the Mediterranean area. The folIowing measurements were taken: seedlings establishment, monthly covering rate, seed yield and its components, percentage of hard seeds. The medics seed yields were not uniform between years particular1y in Perugia where the highest average yield was reached (800 kg ha-1) while the lowest one was recorded in Sassari (300 kg ha-1). A subclover seed yield of about 1600 kg ha-1 was recorded in Perugia in the first year. The persian clover was the highest yielding among the clovers with small seed size (1000-1600 kg ha-1). The seed yield components showed that the seed yield and the number of legumes per square meter were not always correlated. Seed hardiness increased going from humid to semiarid environments. The results show a good potential for annual legume seed yield in the Mediterranean environment. This is important either for the persistency by self reseeding of species to be included permanently in pasturelands and also for the seed production at a commercial level. Moreover, results point out that by exploring Italian genetic resources it is possible to find interesting genotypes to be inc1uded in a wide range of agricultural environments. In tre ambienti italiani con caratteristiche pedo-climatiche differenti sono state valutate le potenzialità produttive di seme di 18 popolazioni e varietà di leguminose foraggere annuali, appartenenti ai generi Medicago e Trifolium, provenienti in prevalenza dal Centro-Italia. La prova è stata condotta-contemporaneamente in tre località corrispondenti ad altrettante zone bioclimatiche dell'area mediterranea (Perugia, Grosseto e Sassari). I rilievi effettuati hanno riguardato l'insediamento, il ricoprimento specifico mensile, la produzione di seme e le sue componenti e la percentuale di semi duri. Le produzioni di seme delle mediche sono risultate oscillanti negli anni, avendo raggiunto al primo e al terzo anno valori più elevati che al secondo, in particolar modo a Perugia dove sono state ottenute le produzioni medie più elevate (800 kg ha-1) mentre le più basse sono state registrate a Sassari (300 kg ha-1). La produzione di seme di trifoglio sotterraneo ha raggiunto valori considerevoli a Perugia al primo anno (circa 1600 kg ha-1). Per quanto riguarda i trifogli a seme minuto, il trifoglio persiano ha manifestato un elevato potenziale produttivo al primo anno nei tre ambienti di prova (1000-1600 kg ha-1). Riguardo le componenti della produzione i risultati ottenuti hanno mostrato che non sempre esiste uno stretto legame fra produzione di seme e numero di infruttescenze per unità di superficie. La durezza dei semi è risultata via via crescente dall'ambiente umido a quello semi-arido e mediamente inferiore nel trifoglio sotterraneo rispetto alle mediche ed ai trifogli a seme minuto. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato in generale buone potenzialità per la produzione di seme di leguminose annuali in ambiente mediterraneo. Questo aspetto riveste un'importanza duplice: per la persistenza per autorisemina di specie da inserire permanentemente nella flora dei pascoli, e per la produzione di seme su scala commerciale. Inoltre, i risultati indicano che dall'esplorazione delle risorse genetiche italiane è possibile individuare genotipi particolarmente interessanti per l'inserimento in un'ampia gamma di realtà agricole e ambientali

Sardinians genetic background explained by runs of homozygosity and genomic regions under positive selection

The peculiar position of Sardinia in the Mediterranean sea has rendered its population an interesting biogeographical isolate. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic population structure, as well as to estimate Runs of Homozygosity and regions under positive selection, using about 1.2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in 1077 Sardinian individuals. Using four different methods - fixation index, inflation factor, principal component analysis and ancestry estimation - we were able to highlight, as expected for a genetic isolate, the high internal homogeneity of the island. Sardinians showed a higher percentage of genome covered by RoHs>0.5 Mb (FRoH%0.5) when compared to peninsular Italians, with the only exception of the area surrounding Alghero. We furthermore identified 9 genomic regions showing signs of positive selection and, we re-captured many previously inferred signals. Other regions harbor novel candidate genes for positive selection, like TMEM252, or regions containing long non coding RNA. With the present study we confirmed the high genetic homogeneity of Sardinia that may be explained by the shared ancestry combined with the action of evolutionary forces

Effect of rituximab on clinical and laboratory features of antiphospholipid syndrome: a case report and a review of literature

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a hypercoagulable state related to persistently elevated levels of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Current treatment for APS is only partially effective and new therapies are strongly needed. We report on a case of a 50 years old man with APS who suffered from recurrent thromboembolic episodes despite conventional anticoagulant treatment. Eight years after the first thrombotic manifestation he was diagnosed with a large B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Treatment with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) plus rituximab was started with partial clinical remission of lymphoma and normalization of aPL levels with a three years follow-up period free of thrombotic episodes. A review of the literature revealed that only 12 case reports on the use of rituximab in patients with primary, secondary and catastrophic APS have been published. Current knowledge clearly suggests the need for clinical trials to evaluate the effect of rituximab in the treatment of resistant APS

Is there a role for imatinib mesylate in the treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis?

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is a systemic eosinophilic vasculitis, belonging to the group of ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV). EGPA pathogenesis is still elusive, but a potential role for IL-5 and Eotaxins mediated eosinophil activation has been reported. Imatinib mesylate, a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor, is approved for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia and FIP1L1/PDGFRA positive gene fusion hypereosinophilia. A potential role for imatinib in the treatment of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and AAV has been recently proposed

Prompt recovery of chemotherapy associated Hand-Foot syndrome treated with acetylsalicylic acid in two patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma

The Hand-Foot syndrome (HFS) consists in an acute-onset painful swelling of hands and feet typically followed by a livid erythema. This syndrome is strongly associated with chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil, capecita-bine). We describe two patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma in which HFS occurred during salvage ifosfamide, gemcitabine and vinorelbine (IGEV) chemotherapy and was promptly relieved, and later on prevented, by acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) administration

A Novel pattern of uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase polymorphisms associated with hyperbilirubinemia during nilotinib treatment

[Letter to the Editor] Here we report on a patient who developed hyperbilirubinemia during nilotinib treatment, showing a pattern of UGT1A1 polymorphisms so far undescribed in this clinical setting