Adult and Egg Mortality of Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus Oliver (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Induced by Thiamethoxam and Clothianidin.

The red palm weevil (RPW) is the major pest of palms in the Mediterranean region. One of the most interesting control solutions for this pest is endotherapy, comprising injections of biologically active substances directly into the stem of the palm. The objective of the present work was to study the ovicidal and adulticidal properties of two neonicotinoid insecticides (clothianidin and thiamethoxam) under laboratory conditions, to obtain evidence for application of endotherapy in the control of RPW infestations. Our results show that both commercial compounds display a dose-dependent action and exhibit different modes of action: clothianidin is more rapid in its action, but in general is less effective for control of the adult stages, while thiamethoxam is more effective, but its action requires longer to show efficacy. The eggs are much less sensitive to treatments, especially for clothianidin

Integrity Model Application: A Quality Support System for Decision-makers on Water Quality Assessment and Improvement

In this paper, a mathematical model has been applied to a river in North-East Italy to describe vulnerability scenarios due to environmental pollution phenomena. Such model, based on the influence diagrams theory, allowed identifying the extremely critical factors, such as wastewater discharges, drainage of diffuse pollution from agriculture and climate changes, which might affect the water quality of the river. The obtained results underlined how the water quality conditions have improved thanks to the continuous controls on the territory, following the application of Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC. Nevertheless, some fluvial stretches did not reach the "good ecological status" by 2015, because of the increasing population in urban areas recorded in the last years and the high presence of tourists during the summer months, not balanced by a treatment plants upgrade

Effects of two plant oil-based products on the mortality of red palm weevil and morpho-physiological characteristics of palm

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorous ferrugineus Oliver (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important, tissue-boring pest of date palm in many parts of the world. The aim of the work was to investigate the effects of two plant oil-based products (BRK6 and BRK9) on the mortality of RPW (Exp. 1) and morpho-physiological characteristics of palm (Exp. 2). Laboratory experiments showed that the two mixture of oils BRK6 and BRK9 showed larvicide and adulticide properties. These properties were more pronounced on BRK9 than BRK6. The lethal concentration for 50% of individuals (LC50) calculated by probit, of BRK6 was 0.22% (for the 90% of individuals LC90 = 0.34) while for BRK9 the calculated LC50 was 0.10% (LC90 = 0.66). These data show that a smaller amount of BRK9 oil was required to induce the 50% of mortality of RPW larvae. As regards to the adults, BRK9 and BRK6 were effective only at the highest concentration (2 and 5%, respectively). Finally, injection of BRK9 into the palm trunk showed to promote chlorophyll content and photosynthesis of leaves thanks to a good translocation of zinc

Hepatitis B virus-infection related cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Clinical manifestations and the effect of antiviral therapy: A review of the literature

Objective: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, about 20% of the patients develop extrahepatic manifestations such as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV), polyarteritis nodosa, non-rheumatoid arthritis, glomerulonephritis and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This review analyzed literature data on clinical manifestations of HBV-related CV and the impact of antiviral therapy with analoques nucleotide. Methods: A PubMed search was performed to select eligible studies in the literature, up to July 2022. Results: Some studies have analyzed clinical manifestations in HBV-related CV and have investigated the role of antiviral therapy with nucleotides analogues (NAs). Clinical manifestations of CV vary from mild to moderate (purpura, asthenia and arthralgias) to severe (leg ulcers, peripheral neuropathy, glomerulonephritis, and non-Hodking lymphoma). NAs therapy leads to suppression of HBV-DNA; therefore, it is capable of producing clinical response in the majority of patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Conclusion: Antiviral therapy with NAs is the first choice for HBV suppression and control of mild to moderate disease. In severe vasculitis (glomerulonephritis, progressive peripheral neuropathy and leg ulcers), rituximab alone or with plasma-exchange is always indicated in combination with antiviral therapy

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

Preliminary classification criteria for the cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis

To develop preliminary classification criteria for the cryoglobulinaemic syndrome or cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis (CV)

How reliable is assessment of true vocal cord-arytenoid unit mobility in patients affected by laryngeal cancer? a multi-institutional study on 366 patients from the ARYFIX collaborative group

Purpose: In clinical practice the assessment of the “vocal cord-arytenoid unit” (VCAU) mobility is crucial in the staging, prognosis, and choice of treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The aim of the present study was to measure repeatability and reliability of clinical assessment of VCAU mobility and radiologic analysis of posterior laryngeal extension. Methods: In this multi-institutional retrospective study, patients with LSCC-induced impairment of VCAU mobility who received curative treatment were included; pre-treatment endoscopy and contrast-enhanced imaging were collected and evaluated by raters. According to their evaluations, concordance, number of assigned categories, and inter- and intra-rater agreement were calculated. Results: Twenty-two otorhinolaryngologists evaluated 366 videolaryngoscopies (total evaluations: 2170) and 6 radiologists evaluated 237 imaging studies (total evaluations: 477). The concordance of clinical rating was excellent in only 22.7% of cases. Overall, inter- and intra-rater agreement was weak. Supraglottic cancers and transoral endoscopy were associated with the lowest inter-observer reliability values. Radiologic inter-rater agreement was low and did not vary with imaging technique. Intra-rater reliability of radiologic evaluation was optimal. Conclusions: The current methods to assess VCAU mobility and posterior extension of LSCC are flawed by weak inter-observer agreement and reliability. Radiologic evaluation was characterized by very high intra-rater agreement, but weak inter-observer reliability. The relevance of VCAU mobility assessment in laryngeal oncology should be re-weighted. Patients affected by LSCC requiring imaging should be referred to dedicated radiologists with experience in head and neck oncology

How reliable is assessment of true vocal cord-arytenoid unit mobility in patients affected by laryngeal cancer? a multi-institutional study on 366 patients from the ARYFIX collaborative group

Purpose: In clinical practice the assessment of the "vocal cord-arytenoid unit" (VCAU) mobility is crucial in the staging, prognosis, and choice of treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The aim of the present study was to measure repeatability and reliability of clinical assessment of VCAU mobility and radiologic analysis of posterior laryngeal extension. Methods: In this multi-institutional retrospective study, patients with LSCC-induced impairment of VCAU mobility who received curative treatment were included; pre-treatment endoscopy and contrast-enhanced imaging were collected and evaluated by raters. According to their evaluations, concordance, number of assigned categories, and inter- and intra-rater agreement were calculated. Results: Twenty-two otorhinolaryngologists evaluated 366 videolaryngoscopies (total evaluations: 2170) and 6 radiologists evaluated 237 imaging studies (total evaluations: 477). The concordance of clinical rating was excellent in only 22.7% of cases. Overall, inter- and intra-rater agreement was weak. Supraglottic cancers and transoral endoscopy were associated with the lowest inter-observer reliability values. Radiologic inter-rater agreement was low and did not vary with imaging technique. Intra-rater reliability of radiologic evaluation was optimal. Conclusions: The current methods to assess VCAU mobility and posterior extension of LSCC are flawed by weak inter-observer agreement and reliability. Radiologic evaluation was characterized by very high intra-rater agreement, but weak inter-observer reliability. The relevance of VCAU mobility assessment in laryngeal oncology should be re-weighted. Patients affected by LSCC requiring imaging should be referred to dedicated radiologists with experience in head and neck oncology

Management of mixed cryoglobulinemia with rituximab: evidence and consensus-based recommendations from the Italian Study Group of Cryoglobulinemia (GISC)

Cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) or mixed cryoglobulinemic syndrome (MCS) is a systemic small-vessel vasculitis characterized by the proliferation of B-cell clones producing pathogenic immune complexes, called cryoglobulins. It is often secondary to hepatitis C virus (HCV), autoimmune diseases, and hematological malignancies. CV usually has a mild benign clinical course, but severe organ damage and life-threatening manifestations can occur. Recently, evidence in favor of rituximab (RTX), an anti-CD 20 monoclonal antibody, is emerging in CV: nevertheless, questions upon the safety of this therapeutic approach, especially in HCV patients, are still being issued and universally accepted recommendations that can help physicians in MCS treatment are lacking. A Consensus Committee provided a prioritized list of research questions to perform a systematic literature review (SLR). A search was made in Medline, Embase, and Cochrane library, updated to August 2021. Of 1227 article abstracts evaluated, 27 studies were included in the SLR, of which one SLR, 4 RCTs, and 22 observational studies. Seventeen recommendations for the management of mixed cryoglobulinemia with rituximab from the Italian Study Group of Cryoglobulinemia (GISC) were developed to give a valuable tool to the physician approaching RTX treatment in CV

What is Scirrhia?

The ascomycetous genus Scirrhia is presently treated as a member of Dothideomycetidae, though uncertainty remains as to which family it belongs in Capnodiales, Ascomycota. Recent collections on stems of a fern, Pteridium aquilinum (Dennstaedtiaceae) in Brazil, led to the discovery of a new species of Scirrhia, described here as S. brasiliensis. Based on DNA sequence data of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), Scirrhia is revealed to represent a member of Dothideomycetes, Capnodiales, Mycosphaerellaceae. Scirrhia is the first confirmed genus in Mycosphaerellaceae to have well developed pseudoparaphyses and a prominent hypostroma in which ascomata are arranged in parallel rows. Given the extremely slow growth rate and difficulty in obtaining cultures of S. brasiliensis on various growth media, it appears that Scirrhia represents a genus of potentially obligate plant pathogens within Mycosphaerellaceae