Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) as energy crop in Central Italy: A review

In the European Union energy security have been driving the search for economically viable and environmentally sustainable renewable energy sources since the 90’s. Energy crops could represent a good opportunity to combine the energy goals with the conservation of farmer incomes and the global climate change control. Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) is a perennial rhizomatous grass particularly attractive for energy production because of a high yield potential, a generally positive environmental impact and a good attitude to energy conversion. Long-term studies carried out in Central Italy confirmed its high production level, in both fertile and marginal lands (aboveground yields from 38 to 20 t ha–1 year–1). In addition, the crop highlighted a high growth rate at the beginning of the growing season, progressively decreasing in summer when high temperature and low water availability occurred. Giant reed nutrient requirements were generally low and part of nutrient stocks were remobilized from the rhizome to the aboveground biomass over the spring, with the opposite flow occurring in autumn. From an environmental point of view giant reed showed a positive energy balance with a high-energy efficiency. Compared to other energy crops, giant reed showed the lowest GHG emissions per unit of energy and the best performance in terms of cost per ton of dry biomass or per unit of energy. To improve knowledge on giant reed and to favour the diffusion of energy crops in Italian cropping systems, further studies are needed to analyze the long-term effects of giant reed on soil fertility and the optimal soil management after its cultivation. In our researches the environmental impacts of giant reed and its production costs were referred to the production phase. Therefore, there is the need to extend the research activity to the whole energy chain and to identify the most sustainable conversion technologies (e.g. biogas, 2nd generation bioethanol, etc.) for the different environments

Proposed roles of the immune response regulator-ThPOK in human colorectal cancer progression

Solid tumours are commonly infiltrated by several immune cells [1-3]. In cancer, immune cells play conflicting roles with both the potentials to eliminate or to promote malignancy. In contrast to infiltration of cells responsible for chronic inflammation, the presence of high numbers of lymphocytes, especially T cells, has been reported to be important as indicator of good prognosis in many types of cancer [4-7]. The thorough knowledge of both manners and pathways with which tumors are able to evade immune-mediated attack, once established, is therefore of crucial importance. The strategies to escape anti-tumor immune responses include the limited priming or differentiation of antitumor T cells and the role of tumor microenvironment in order to prevent infiltration or activation of effector phase functions. We proposed to evaluate the role of Th inducing POZ-Kruppel Factor (ThPOK), a transcriptional regulator of T cell fate, in tumour-induced immune system plasticity during colorectal carcinogenesis. Data were collected on the amounts of CD4+, CD8+ and CD56+ as well as on ThPOK+ cells infiltrated in normal colorectal mucosa (NM), in dysplastic aberrant crypt foci (microadenomas, MA, the earliest detectable lesions in colorectal carcinogenesis) and in colorectal carcinomas (CRC); moreover, the colocalization of ThPOK with the above-mentioned markers of immune cells was evaluated using confocal microscopy. Interestingly, ThPOK showed a prominent increase since MA. A strong colocalization of ThPOK with CD4 both in NM and in MA was observed, weaker in carcinomas. Surprisingly, there was a peak in the colocalization levels of ThPOK with CD8 in MA, which was evident, although to a lesser extent, also in carcinomas. In conclusion, according to the data of the present study, ThPOK may be considered a central regulator of the earliest events in the immune system during colorectal cancer development. The novelty of the present study is the proposed role of ThPOK in influencing the immune response against cancer cells. References [1] Dunn et al. (2004) The immunobiology of cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting. Immunity 21: 137-148. [2] Knaapen et al. (2006) Neutrophils and respiratory tract DNA damage and mutagenesis: a review. Muta-genesis 21: 225-236. [3] Coussens and Werb (2002) Inflammation and cancer. Nature 420: 860-867. [4] Watt and House (1978) Colonic carcinoma: a quantitative assessment of lymphocyte infiltration at the periphery of colonic tumors related to prognosis. Cancer 41: 279-282. [5] Galon et al. (2006) Type, density, and location of immune cells within human colorectal tumors predict clinical outcome. Science 313: 1960-1964. [6] Pagès et al. (2009) In situ cytotoxic and memory T cells predict outcome in patients with early-stage colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol 27: 5944-5951. [7] Mlecnik et al. (2010) Biomolecular network reconstruction identifies T-cell homing factors associated with survival in colorectal. Gastroenterology 138: 1429-1434

Th Inducing POZ-Kruppel Factor (ThPOK) Is a Key Regulator of the Immune Response since the Early Steps of Colorectal Carcinogenesis

We purposed to evaluate the role of Th inducing POZ-Kruppel Factor (ThPOK), a transcriptional regulator of T cell fate, in tumour-induced immune system plasticity in colorectal carcinogenesis. The amounts of CD4+, CD8+ and CD56+ and ThPOK+ cells infiltrate in normal colorectal mucosa (NM), in dysplastic aberrant crypt foci (microadenomas, MA), the earliest detectable lesions in colorectal carcinogenesis, and in colorectal carcinomas (CRC), were measured, and the colocalization of ThPOK with the above-mentioned markers of immune cells was evaluated using confocal microscopy. Interestingly, ThPOK showed a prominent increase since MA. A strong colocalization of ThPOK with CD4 both in NM and in MA was observed, weaker in carcinomas. Surprisingly, there was a peak in the colocalization levels of ThPOK with CD8 in MA, which was evident, although to a lesser extent, in carcinomas, too. In conclusion, according to the data of the present study, ThPOK may be considered a central regulator of the earliest events in the immune system during colorectal cancer development, decreasing the immune response against cancer cells

Role of the vanins-myeloperoxidase axis in colorectal carcinogenesis

The presence of chronic inflammation in the colonic mucosa leads to an increased risk of cancer. Among proteins involved in the regulation of mucosal inflammation and that may contribute both to structural damage of the intestinal mucosa and to intestinal carcinogenesis, there are myeloperoxidase (MPO) and vanins. The infiltration of colonic mucosa by neutrophils may promote carcinogenesis through MPO, a key enzyme contained in the lysosomes of neutrophils that regulates local inflammation and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mutagenic species. The human vanin gene family consists of three genes: vanin-1, vanin-2 and vanin-3. All vanin molecules are pantetheinases, that hydrolyze pantetheine into pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), and cysteamine, a sulfhydryl compound. Vanin-1 loss confers an increased resistance to stress and acute intestinal inflammation, while vanin-2 regulates adhesion and transmigration of activated neutrophils. The metabolic product of these enzymes has a prominent role in the inflammation processes by affecting glutathione levels, inducing ulcers through a reduction in mucosal blood flow and oxygenation, decreasing local defense mechanisms, and in carcinogenesis by damaging DNA and regulating pathways involved in cell apoptosis, metabolism and growth, as Nrf2 and HIF-1α

Cardiovascular risk factors, anxiety symptoms and inflammation markers: Evidence of association from a cross-sectional study

Introduction Anxiety disorders and Cardiovascular (CV) diseases, among the most common disorders in Western World, are often comorbid. A chronic systemic inflammatory state might be a shared underlining pathophysiological mechanism. Aims To investigate the association between anxiety symptoms, CV risks factors and inflammatory markers in an outpatient sample. Methods Cross-sectional study. Inclusion criteria: outpatients aged ≥40 years, attending colonoscopy after positive faecal occult blood test, negative medical history for cancer. Collected data: blood pressure, glycaemia, lipid profile, waist circumference, BMI, PCR (C Reactive Protein), LPS (bacterial Lipopolysaccharide). Psychometric tests: HADS, TCI, IMSA, SF36. Statistical analysis performed with STATA13. Results Fifty four patients enrolled (27 males, 27 females). Sixteen patients (30.19%) were positive for anxiety symptoms. Thirty-three patients (61.11%) had hypertension, 14 (25.93%) hyperglycaemia and 64.81% were overweight, with frank obesity (BMI≥ 30) in 11 subjects (20.37%). Anxiety symptoms were associated with low hematic HDL values (OR = 0.01; P = 0.01) and high concentration of triglycerides (OR = 0.023; P = 0.02) at the multiple regression model. At the univariate logistic analysis, anxiety was associated with LPS (OR = 1.06; P = 0.04). Conclusions Further evidence over the epidemiological link between common mental disorders and CV diseases was collected, with possible hints on pathophysiology and causative mechanisms related to inflammation. The importance of screening for anxiety and depression in medical populations is confirmed. Suggestions on future availability of screening tools based on inflammatory-related indicators should be the focus of future research

Attenuated adenomatous polyposis of the large bowel: Present and future

Attenuated adenomatous polyposis (AAP) is a poorly understood syndrome, that can be defined as the presence of 10-99 synchronous adenomas in the large bowel, and it is considered a phenotypic variant of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). This definition has the advantage of simplicity, but it may include sporadic multiple adenomas of the large bowel at an extreme, or FAP cases on the other side. AAP shows a milder phenotype than FAP, with an older age of onset of adenomas and cancer, and less frequent extracolonic manifestations. AAP may be diagnosed as a single case in a family or, less frequently, it may be present in other family members, and it shows distinct pattern of inheritance. In less than 50% of cases, it may be caused by adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) or MUTYH mutations, referred to as APC-associated polyposis, inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, or MUTYH - associated polyposis, which shows an autosomal recessive mechanism of inheritance, respectively. Surveillance should rely on colonoscopy at regular intervals, with removal of adenomas and careful histological examination. When removal of polyps is not possible or advanced lesions are observed, the surgical approach is mandatory, being subtotal colectomy with ileo-rectal anastomosis the treatment of choice. Studies on this syndrome are lacking, and controversies are still present on many issues, thus, other clinical and genetic studies are requested

A West Nile Virus infection expressed as unilateral limb paralysis and complicated by Parsonage–Turner syndrome: a case report

BackgroundWest Nile Virus is a single-stranded Ribonucleic Acid arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family that is transmitted to humans by Culex species mosquitoes. West Nile Virus infection is asymptomatic in the majority of affected people. Of those who develop symptoms, the usual manifestation is a febrile syndrome, while only 1% develop neurological symptoms due to a neuroinvasive form of infection, including encephalitis, meningitis, asymmetrical flaccid paralysis, or a combination of all these features. Parsonage-Turner syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by sudden painful symptoms and subsequent paralysis, involving a shoulder or one of the upper limbs due to post-infective brachial plexopathy. The etiology is unknown, although it can be considered a multifactorial process: a predisposing factor, such as viral infection or strenuous upper-extremity exercise, can trigger an immune-mediated process localized in the brachial plexus.Clinical presentationIn late summer, a 79-year-old male Italian patient was admitted to the emergency department for acute right upper limb weakness and high fever, without any mental status impairment, pain, sensory alterations, or signs of meningeal irritation. Laboratory tests confirmed acute West Nile Virus infection, expressed as a unilateral upper limb flaccid paralysis. After a few days, the patient reported an acute pain in the right upper limb scarcely responsive to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapy and a subsequent wider distribution of flaccid paralysis. After multiple examinations, Parsonage-Turner syndrome could be suspected. Patient was treated with steroids and reported an improvement of clinical condition after 2 months, with complete pain remission but partial strength recovery in the affected limb.ConclusionsWest Nile Virus disease has a broad spectrum of neurological manifestations, among which the most common are signs of meningeal irritation or cognitive impairment. We report an unusual presentation of neuroinvasive West Nile Virus infection with arm weakness as expression of unilateral viral neuritis, followed by a post-infective brachial plexopathy consistent with Parsonage-Turner syndrome diagnosis. We diagnosed Parsonage-Turner syndrome after excluding the most common causes of atraumatic acute upper limb pain, through a challenging differential diagnosis in a patient with several comorbidities

Inflammatory pathways in the early steps of colorectal cancer development

Colorectal cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death in many countries. Colorectal carcinogenesis is a stepwise process which, from normal mucosa leads to malignancy. Many factors have been shown to influence this process, however, at present, several points remain obscure. In recent years some hypotheses have been considered on the mechanisms involved in cancer development, expecially in its early stages. Tissue injury resulting from infectious, mechanical, or chemical agents may elicit a chronic immune response resulting in cellular proliferation and regeneration. Chronic inflammation of the large bowel (as in inflammatory bowel diseases), has been associated with the subsequent development of colorectal cancer. In this review we examine the inflammatory pathways involved in the early steps of carcinogenesis, with particular emphasis on colorectal. Firstly, we describe cells and proteins recently suggested as central in the mechanism leading to tumor development. Macrophages and neutrophils are among the cells mostly involved in these processes and proteins, as cyclooxygenases and resolvins, are crucial in these inflammatory pathways. Indeed, the activation of these pathways establishes an oxidative and anaerobic microenvironment with DNA damage to epithelial cells, and shifting from an aerobic to an anaerobic metabolism. Many cellular mechanisms, such as proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy are altered causing failure to control normal mucosa repair and renewal

The potential for production of high quality bio-coal from early harvested Miscanthus by hydrothermal carbonisation

To meet combustion quality requirements, Miscanthus is conventionally harvested in late winter/early spring after senescence due to a lowering of fuel nitrogen, chlorine and ash content. This can overcome combustion issues such as slagging, fouling and corrosion however there is a significant reduction in dry matter yields compared to early harvesting in the autumn. In this study, Miscanthus × giganteus harvested conventionally (after senescence) and early (green) have been pre-treated by hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) at 200 °C and 250 °C. HTC at 200 °C improves the grindability of the biomass but results in limited energy densification. HTC at 250 °C results in increased energy densification producing a bio-coal with a HHV ranging from 27 to 28 MJ/kg for early and 25 to 26 MJ/kg for conventional harvesting; the Hardgrove Grindability Index (HGI) increases from 0 to 150. At higher HTC temperatures, the combustion profile of the bio-coal exhibits a ‘coal like’ single stage combustion profile. HTC results in a significant reduction in alkali metal content, increases safe combustion temperatures and reduces the theoretical propensity of the derived fuel to slag, foul and corrode. The results indicate that HTC can valorise both conventional and early harvested Miscanthus without producing any adverse effect on the yields and quality of the bio-coal. The challenges associated with early harvesting of Miscanthus appear to be largely overcome by HTC resulting in increased yields of up to 40% per hectare due to reduction in dry matter loss

LIFE+IPNOA mobile prototype for the monitoring of soil N2O emissions from arable crops: First-year results on durum wheat

Agricultural activities are co-responsible for the emission of the most important greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Development of methodologies to improve monitoring techniques for N2O are still needful. The LIFE+IPNOA project aims to improve the emissions monitoring of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils and to identify the agricultural practices that can limit N2O production. In order to achieve this objective, both a mobile and a stationary instrument were developed and validated. Several experimental field trials were set up in two different sites investigating the most representative crops of Tuscany (CentralItaly), namely durum wheat, maize, sunflower, tomato and faba bean. The field trials were realized in order to test the effect on N2O emissions of key factors: tillage intensity, nitrogen fertiliser rate and irrigation. The field trial on durum wheat was set up in 2013 to test the effect of tillage intensity (minimum and conventional tillage) and nitrogen fertilisation rate (0, 110, 170 kg N ha–1) on soil N2O flux. Monitoring was carried out using the IPNOA mobile prototype. Preliminary results on N2O emissions for the durum wheat growing season showed that mean daily N2O fluxes ranged from –0.13 to 6.43 mg m–2 day–1 and cumulative N2O-N emissions over the period ranged from 827 to 2340 g N2O-N ha–1. Tillage did not affect N2O flux while increasing nitrogen fertilisation rate resulted to significantly increase N2O emissions. The IPNOA mobile prototype performed well during this first year of monitoring, allowing to catch both very low fluxes and peaks on N2O emissions after nitrogen supply, showing a good suitability to the field conditions