Grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus is linked with grapevine vein necrosis

Vein necrosis (VN), a virus-like disease latent in all European grapevine cultivars and in most American rootstock species and hybrids, induces necrosis of the veinlets of its specific indicator Vitis rupestris x Vitis berlandieri 110 R at the abaxial side of the leaf blade. VN is very common in southern Italy, e.g. 109 out of 218 of the putative grapevine clones selected during sanitary improvement programmes in the last few years indexed positive in 110 R. As assessed by ELISA, the same vines had a very low rate of infection (< 4 %) by major detrimental viruses (GFLV, GVA, GVB, GLRaV-1, GLRaV-2, GLRaV-3, GLRaV-7, GFkV) commonly looked for during selection. When the VN-positive 110 R indicators were checked by PCR and Western blot for the presence of Grapevine rupestris stem pittingassociated virus (GRSPaV) a strikingly high association (98 %) was observed between this virus and VN symptoms. Likewise, all 72 mother plants of Vitis rupestris used as indicators in indexing trials and recently discovered to be infected by GRSPaV, induced VN reactions after grafting onto 110 R. By contrast, no VN reactions developed in 110 R top-grafted on a single GRSPaV-free V. rupestris. Moreover, GRSPaV was consistently detected in the symptomatic lower leaves of the shoots of infected 110 R vines, but not in the symptomless upper leaves of the same shoots. These findings strongly suggest that GRSPaV is involved in the aetiology of VN

New insight into the identity of italian grapevine varieties: The case study of calabrian germplasm

Calabria is a region located in Southern Italy and it is characterized by a long tradition of viticulture practices and favorable pedoclimatic conditions for grapevine cultivation. Nevertheless, less than 2% of cultivated land is dedicated to grapevine growing in Calabria. The characterization of local grapevine accessions is crucial to valorize the local and peculiar Italian products and boost the Calabrian winemaking sector. With this purpose, we performed a deep characterization of two widespread Calabrian grapevine varieties—Magliocco Dolce and Brettio Nero, of which very little is known. In particular, a genetic and morphological analysis, a berry physico-chemical and polyphenolic compositions assessment, and oenological evaluation of monovarietal wines were carried out. Our results allowed us to demonstrate that Magliocco Dolce and Brettio Nero are unique and distinct varieties with peculiar morphological and chemical characteristics and show the suitability of these two varieties in high-quality wine production. Moreover, the obtained molecular profiles will be useful for authentication and traceability purposes

Local and transboundary transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 398 through pig trading

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type (ST) 398 (LA-MRSA ST398) is a genetic lineage for which pigs are regarded as the main reservoir. An increasing prevalence of LA-MRSA ST398 has been reported in areas with high livestock density throughout Europe. In this study, we have investigated the drivers contributing to the introduction and spread of LA-MRSA ST398 along the pig farming system in Southern Italy. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of LA-MRSA ST398 isolates collected in 2018 from pigs (n=53) and employees (n=14) from 10 farms in the Calabria region were comparatively analysed with previously published WGS data from Italian ST398 isolates (n=45), an international ST398 reference collection (n=89) and isolates from Danish pigs farms (n=283), which are the main suppliers of pigs imported to Italy. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were used to infer isolates relatedness and, together with data from animal trading, factors contributing to LA-MRSA ST398 dissemination were identified. The analyses support the existence of two concurrent pathways for the spread of LA-MRSA ST398 in Southern Italy: i) multiple introductions of LA-MRSA ST398 through the import of colonized pigs from other European countries including Denmark and France and; ii) the spread of distinct clones dependent on local trading of pigs between farms. Phylogenetically related Italian and Danish LA-MRSA ST398 isolates shared extensive similarities including carriage of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our findings highlight the potential risk of transboundary transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial clones with a high zoonotic potential when importing pigs from countries with high LA-MRSA prevalence

Burden of disease, healthcare pathways and costs of cardiovascular high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes: a real world analysis:

Objective: To estimate the burden of disease and to describe healthcare pathways and costs of type-2diabetes (DMT2) patients at high cardiovascular risk (HRCV). Methods: A real-world analysis was performed by using a subset of the AR-CO database, containing administrative health data of >4.3 million of inhabitants. A cohort of adult patients with DMT2 and HRCV was selected in 2013, and followed for 1 year. Through this period, information on antidiabetic and cardiovascular therapies, other co-treatments, hospitalisations, and outpatient services, was collected and analysed. The costs associated with each variable were assessed to estimate the integrated health care expenditure. Results: Overall, 7,167 patients with DMT2 and HRCV were identified, corresponding to 3.1% of all diabetic patients and 0.2% of adult population. During the 1-year follow-up, 90.1% of the cohort received at least a prescription of an antidiabetic drug, 98.0% of a cardiovascular medication and 95.9% used at least an outpatient service. 44.5% had an admission during the follow-up period, especially for cardiovascular events. The integrated cost analysis showed that the overall average cost for each subject was € 13,567. Hospitalisations generated 86.8% of this expenditure, followed by drugs (7.7%) and by outpatient services (5.5%). Conclusions: Although patients with DMT2 and HRCV represent a small percentage of the overall population with diabetes, they generate very high costs for National Healthcare System. These costs are mainly due to the hospitalisations, especially for cardiovascular events. New therapeutic strategies involving these patients should allow reduction of hospital admission, resulting in savings for National Healthcare System

The "question" of American brigs seized by Murat for Napoleon order in Naples between 1809 and 1812

During the reign of Charles of Bourbon, the reorganization of a strong merchant navy was actively encouraged. These first attempts were followed by more frequent voyages to the Americas when strong merchant vessels were built in Sorrento. Then, at the end of the 18th century, after the American Declaration of Independence, first diplomatic relations were established between the Bourbon kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the United States, which intensified during the 19th century. After Napoleon’s rise to power, the Italian Peninsula was invaded by the French in 1799. The Bourbons fled to the island of Sicily. Under Napoleon the Kingdom of Naples was ruled first by Napoleon’s brother Joseph and then by Napoleon’ brother- in- law Joachim Murat