Efeito de inseticidas sobre Eurhizococcus brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) na cultura da videira.

A pérola-da-terra Eurhizococcus brasiliensis é uma cochonilha subterrânea considerada uma das principais pragas da cultura da videira. O controle químico é realizado através da aplicação no solo de inseticidas neonicotinóides (imidacloprido e thiametoxam) no período de reprodução (novembro a janeiro)

Human west nile virus lineage 2 infection: Epidemiological, clinical, and virological findings

West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 is expanding and causing large outbreaks in Europe. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological, clinical, and virological features of WNV lineage 2 infection during the large outbreak that occurred in northern Italy in 2018. The study population included 86 patients with neuroinvasive disease (WNND), 307 with fever (WNF), and 34 blood donors. Phylogenetic analysis of WNV full genome sequences from patients' samples showed that the virus belonged to the widespread central/southern European clade of WNV lineage 2 and was circulating in the area at least since 2014. The incidence of WNND and WNF progressively increased with age and was higher in males than in females. Among WNND patients, the case fatality rate was 22%. About 70% of blood donors reported symptoms during follow-up. Within the first week after symptom onset, WNV RNA was detectable in the blood or urine of 80% of patients, while 20% and 40% of WNND and WNF patients, respectively, were WNV IgM-seronegative. In CSF samples of WNND patients, WNV RNA was typically detectable when WNV IgM antibodies were absent. Blunted or no WNV IgM response and high WNV IgG levels were observed in seven patients with previous flavivirus immunity

Formation of callus on rootstock cuttings with different substrates during the forcing.

Nowadays the global viticulture scenario has being verifying high levels of an event known as ?young grapevine decline? related to various diseases, such as Esca, Petri and Black Foot. On the grapevine plant propagation, the process of callus formation is crucial to ensure protection against the infection of these fungus during the rooting process on the field. In the heated rooms, the formation of callus on the rootstock cuttings act like a preventive barrier against a possible infection by these fungus. The callusing process (called ?forcing?) is based on the usage of substrates for the maintenance of humidity of the cuttings and for providing optimum conditions of temperature and relative humidity in the dark chamber

Avaliação da solarização do solo para o controle de Ralstonia solanacearum.

O presente trabalho avaliou o emprego da solarização como uma alternativa para o controle da murcha bacteriana, causada por Ralstonia solanacearum, em amostras de solo infestado com o patógeno, dispostas em bolsas de náilon e enterradas em parcelas solarizadas ou não. Dois experimentos foram instalados, um em Campinas (SP), de fevereiro a abril de 2001, e o outro em Piracicaba (SP), de dezembro de 2001 a janeiro de 2002. Os ensaios foram efetuados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, esquema fatorial, com quatro repetições, tendo cada parcela 4 x 4 m. Os fatores avaliados foram a solarização (com ou sem), efetuada com filme plástico transparente de 100 µm de espessura, o período de tratamento (30 e 60 dias e 37 e 60 dias para o primeiro e o segundo experimentos, respectivamente) e a profundidade de colocação das amostras (10 e 20 cm), fator verificado apenas no segundo ensaio. Após os períodos estipulados de solarização, o solo de cada bolsa foi colocado em vasos, para os quais foram transplantadas mudas de tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum). No solo não solarizado, em ambos os experimentos, 43 a 100% dos tomateiros murcharam. No segundo experimento, 6 a 22% dos tomateiros murcharam no solo solarizado por 37 dias. Entretanto não foram detectadas plantas murchas nas parcelas solarizadas do primeiro experimento e no segundo ensaio nenhum tomateiro murchou solo solarizado por 60 dias, nas duas profundidades estudadas. Os resultados indicam que a solarização é uma técnica promissora para o controle de R. solanacearum

Guidelines for the diagnosis, prevention and management of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis poses a significant public health issue. National Societies have developed Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder with an effort of adapting specific tools for risk assessment on the peculiar characteristics of a given population. The Italian Society for Osteoporosis, Mineral Metabolism and Bone Diseases (SIOMMMS) has recently revised the previously published Guidelines on the diagnosis, riskassessment, prevention and management of primary and secondary osteoporosis. The guidelines were first drafted by a working group and then approved by the board of SIOMMMS. Subsequently they received also the endorsement of other major Scientific Societies that deal with bone metabolic disease. These recommendations are based on systematic reviews of the best available evidence and explicit consideration of cost effectiveness. When minimal evidence is available, recommendations are based on leading experts' experience and opinion, and on good clinical practice. The osteoporosis prevention should be based on the elimination of specific risk factors. The use of drugs registered for the treatment of osteoporosis are recommended when the benefits overcome the risk, and this is the case only when the risk of fracture is rather high as measured with variables susceptible to pharmacological effect. DeFRA (FRAX® derived fracture risk assessment) is recognized as a useful tool for easily estimate the long-term fracture risk. Several secondary forms of osteoporosis require a specific diagnostic and therapeutic management

[Study of vitamin D status of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rationale and design of a cross-sectional study by the osteoporosis and metabolic bone diseases study group of the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR)]

The fundamental role of Vitamin D has been long known in regulating calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. An increased contribution of Vitamin D was recently described in association with a lower incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This must not be surprising, as the immunomodulating effects of Vitamin D are clear, which have been attributed protective effects in autoimmune disorders such as some chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes. An interaction was suggested between Vitamin D metabolism and inflammation indexes through mediation of TNF-a which is also especially involved in osteoclastic resorption and therefore in bone loss processes. Some preliminary data would indicate an association between seasonal changes of Vitamin D serum levels, latitude and disease activity (DAS28) in RA patients. Consequently, the Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases Study Group of SIR believes that there are grounded reasons for assessing the Vitamin D status of RA patients in order to investigate whether this is to be related to physiopathological and clinical aspects of disease other than those of bone involvement. Primary end point of the study will be to assess the levels of 25 OH Vitamin D in RA patients. Secondary endpoints will include correlation with disease activity, densitometry values and bone turnover. The cross-sectional study will enrol patients of both sex genders, age ranging between 30 and 75 years according to the 1988 ACR criteria, onset of symptoms at least 2 years prior to study enrollment. Patients will be excluded suffering from osteometabolic diseases, liver and kidney insufficiency and those administered Vitamin D boli in the previous 12 months. Disease activity will be evaluated with the HAQ. Haematochemical tests and femoral and lumbar bone densitometry will be performed, unless recently undergone by patients. Blood levels of 25 OH C Vitamin D and PHT and of the two bone remodeling markers (bone alkaline phosphatase and serum CTX) will be measured, as well. Patient enrolment will start on February 2007 and will last 4 months. By the end of 2007 the study will be concluded and results will be published

Italian consensus on the recommendations about the use of methotrexate for the treatment of rheumatic diseases with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis: results from the "3E initiative"

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Long-Term Outcome After Adoptive Immunotherapy With Natural Killer Cells: Alloreactive NK Cell Dose Still Matters

open26noRecently, many reports were published supporting the clinical use of adoptively transferred natural killer (NK) cells as a therapeutic tool against cancer, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our group demonstrated promising clinical response using adoptive immunotherapy with donor-derived alloreactive KIR-ligand-mismatched NK cells in AML patients. Moreover, the antileukemic effect was correlated with the dose of infused alloreactive NK cells (“functional NK cell dose”). Herein, we update the results of our previous study on a cohort of adult AML patients (median age at enrollment 64) in first morphological complete remission (CR), not eligible for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. After an extended median follow-up of 55.5 months, 8/16 evaluable patients (50%) are still off-therapy and alive disease-free. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) are related with the dose of infused alloreactive NK cells (≥2 × 105/kg).openParisi S.; Ruggeri L.; Dan E.; Rizzi S.; Sinigaglia B.; Ocadlikova D.; Bontadini A.; Giudice V.; Urbani E.; Ciardelli S.; Sartor C.; Cristiano G.; Nanni J.; Zannoni L.; Chirumbolo G.; Arpinati M.; Lewis R.E.; Bonifazi F.; Marconi G.; Martinelli G.; Papayannidis C.; Paolini S.; Velardi A.; Cavo M.; Lemoli R.M.; Curti A.Parisi, S.; Ruggeri, L.; Dan, E.; Rizzi, S.; Sinigaglia, B.; Ocadlikova, D.; Bontadini, A.; Giudice, V.; Urbani, E.; Ciardelli, S.; Sartor, C.; Cristiano, G.; Nanni, J.; Zannoni, L.; Chirumbolo, G.; Arpinati, M.; Lewis, R. E.; Bonifazi, F.; Marconi, G.; Martinelli, G.; Papayannidis, C.; Paolini, S.; Velardi, A.; Cavo, M.; Lemoli, R. M.; Curti, A

Glycoprotein Ib activation by thrombin stimulates the energy metabolism in human platelets

<div><p>Thrombin-induced platelet activation requires substantial amounts of ATP. However, the specific contribution of each ATP-generating pathway <i>i</i>.<i>e</i>., oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) versus glycolysis and the biochemical mechanisms involved in the thrombin-induced activation of energy metabolism remain unclear. Here we report an integral analysis on the role of both energy pathways in human platelets activated by several agonists, and the signal transducing mechanisms associated with such activation. We found that thrombin, Trap-6, arachidonic acid, collagen, A23187, epinephrine and ADP significantly increased glycolytic flux (3–38 times <i>vs</i>. non-activated platelets) whereas ristocetin was ineffective. OxPhos (33 times) and mitochondrial transmembrane potential (88%) were increased only by thrombin. OxPhos was the main source of ATP in thrombin-activated platelets, whereas in platelets activated by any of the other agonists, glycolysis was the principal ATP supplier. In order to establish the biochemical mechanisms involved in the thrombin-induced OxPhos activation in platelets, several signaling pathways associated with mitochondrial activation were analyzed. Wortmannin and LY294002 (PI3K/Akt pathway inhibitors), ristocetin and heparin (GPIb inhibitors) as well as resveratrol, ATP (calcium-release inhibitors) and PP1 (Tyr-phosphorylation inhibitor) prevented the thrombin-induced platelet activation. These results suggest that thrombin activates OxPhos and glycolysis through GPIb-dependent signaling involving PI3K and Akt activation, calcium mobilization and protein phosphorylation.</p></div