Phenological characteristics of different winegrape cultivars in Central Italy

Statistical models based on temperature accumulation are used to estimate grapevine phenology (e.g. bud break, flowering) through summation of daily heat requirements calibrated from a base temperature and a given date. This study was designed to define the grapevine agro-phenological behaviour through analysis of potential trends of some principal phenological phenomena, such as flowering, harvest, and berry sugar levels at harvest. The data utilized were recorded over a 13-year period (2000-2012) for different grape varieties in the Umbria wine region in central Italy. Moreover, to determine the more important relationships between meteorological variables and recorded data, partial least-squares regressions were carried out. The trend analysis for berry sugar accumulation shows increasing degrees during the study period that were linked more to the 'Grechetto' cultivar than to the 'Chardonnay' and 'Merlot' cultivars, and then to 'Cabernet'. The statistical model that was focused on the study of the relationships between mean annual berry sugar levels and meteorological variables showed that mean maximum temperatures in April and July are the most important predictive variables for berry sugar accumulation, through their positive influence on berry sugar degree

Urinary MicroRNA Profiling in the Nephropathy of Type 1 Diabetes

Background: Patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) are particularly vulnerable to development of Diabetic nephropathy (DN) leading to End Stage Renal Disease. Hence a better understanding of the factors affecting kidney disease progression in T1D is urgently needed. In recent years microRNAs have emerged as important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in many different health conditions. We hypothesized that urinary microRNA profile of patients will differ in the different stages of diabetic renal disease. Methods and Findings: We studied urine microRNA profiles with qPCR in 40 T1D with >20 year follow up 10 who never developed renal disease (N) matched against 10 patients who went on to develop overt nephropathy (DN), 10 patients with intermittent microalbuminuria (IMA) matched against 10 patients with persistent (PMA) microalbuminuria. A Bayesian procedure was used to normalize and convert raw signals to expression ratios. We applied formal statistical techniques to translate fold changes to profiles of microRNA targets which were then used to make inferences about biological pathways in the Gene Ontology and REACTOME structured vocabularies. A total of 27 microRNAs were found to be present at significantly different levels in different stages of untreated nephropathy. These microRNAs mapped to overlapping pathways pertaining to growth factor signaling and renal fibrosis known to be targeted in diabetic kidney disease. Conclusions: Urinary microRNA profiles differ across the different stages of diabetic nephropathy. Previous work using experimental, clinical chemistry or biopsy samples has demonstrated differential expression of many of these microRNAs in a variety of chronic renal conditions and diabetes. Combining expression ratios of microRNAs with formal inferences about their predicted mRNA targets and associated biological pathways may yield useful markers for early diagnosis and risk stratification of DN in T1D by inferring the alteration of renal molecular processes. © 2013 Argyropoulos et al

Orientamento Nel Nostro Centro Sulla Prassi Seguita Nei Pazienti HCV+ in Lista Per Trapianto

Abstract non disponibil

Bioclimatic characterisation of the Mediterranean region: Future climate projections for Spain, Italy and Tunisia.

The present study provides a meteorological and bioclimatic characterisation of three Mediterranean areas: Spain, Italy and Tunisia. This includes, on the one hand, an evaluation of the past climate using meteorological data collected from 1931 to 1994. On the other hand, the future climate characterisation has been constructed for each study area, under the projected A1B emission scenario for the 2081 to 2100 period. Three Bioclimatic Indices are used to compare the annual and seasonal climate from these past periods through to these future periods: the Ombrothermic Index, the Continentality Index and the Thermicity Index. A clear tendency toward semicontinentality in the Mediterranean basin is observed, and higher thermicity is expected in the future. The Ombroclimatic Index, and especially the seasonal indices, is the most helpful of these Bioclimatic Indices, showing that the southern Mediterranean areas would be the most vulnerable to climate change

POLLEN MORPHOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES IN OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) MILL

The fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., the most worldwide cultivated species of Cactaceae family, contain viable seeds (100-250) of large size. This characteristic influences the commercial quality of the fruit. The study of floral biology in Opuntia allows to understand the behaviour of the plant during reproductive phase and perhaps to distinguish clones with different fruits behaviour (with seed and seedless). The study resulted in a palynological characterization by optical and scanning microscopy (SEM), followed by a qualitative analysis on the male line with pollen viability and in vitro germination tests, in addition to a pollen-pistil interaction survey. The plant material collected, during June-July 2010, consisted of clonal samples of the same genetic origin collected from populations characterizing the Sicilian cultivation area and distinguished in seedly cultivar \u2018Gialla\u2019 (yellow) and \u2018Rossa\u2019 (red) and seedless cultivar \u2018Bianca\u2019 (white). The palynological characterization revealed that Opuntia pollen has a radio-symmetric shape with a reticulated surface, poly-panto-porate with a perimeter from circular to polygonal. Moreover, the membrane of the pore appears finely granulated. Scanning microscopy reveals that the pollen has an intectated, reticulated and hetero-brochated exine with about 20-24 pores with a thin membrane. The average viability of the pollen was 91.2% (\ub14.6) in \u2018Bianca\u2019 cultivar, 82.40% (\ub1 9.88) for both seedly cultivars. In vitro germination rate was 28.76% (\ub1 6.59) in the white cultivar, 27.85% (\ub1 5.15) as overall average in \u2018Gialla\u2019 and \u2018Rossa\u2019 cultivar. In vivo germination rate in the seedless cultivar (75.77% \ub1 5.32) was higher than what was that recorded in the other two (53.5% \ub1 6.5)