Mediterranean swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) population structure revealed by microsatellite DNA: genetic diversity masked by population mixing in shared areas

Background The Mediterranean swordfish stock is overfished and considered not correctly managed. Elucidating the patterns of the Mediterranean swordfish population structure constitutes an essential prerequisite for effective management of this fishery resource. To date, few studies have investigated intra-Mediterranean swordfish population structure, and their conclusions are controversial. Methods A panel of 20 microsatellites DNA was used to investigate fine-scale population structuring of swordfish from six main fishing areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Results This study provides evidence to reject the hypothesis of a single swordfish population within the Mediterranean Sea. DAPC analysis revealed the presence of three genetic clusters and a high level of admixture within the Mediterranean Sea. Genetic structure was supported by significant FST values while mixing was endorsed by the heterozygosity deficit observed in sampling localities indicative of a possible Wahlund effect, by sampling admixture individuals. Overall, our tests reject the hypothesis of a single swordfish population within the Mediterranean Sea. Homing towards the Mediterranean breeding areas may have generated a weak degree of genetic differentiation between populations even at the intra-basin scale

Dirofilaria repens testicular infection in child, Italy

Testicular Dirofilaria repens infection was identified and confirmed by sequence analysis in a child in northeastern Italy. Because human dirofilariasis is emerging in southern and eastern Europe, this parasitic infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of scrotal swelling in disease-endemic countries to avoid unnecessary interventions, such as orchiectomy

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Pesca e acquacoltura tra diversificazione e multifunzionalità

In questo lavoro di tesi,è stato descritto come le tecniche di pesca che da sempre consentono l’approvvigionamento di risorse da mari, laghi e fiumi siano state sempre più sviluppate nel tempo ed adattate per soddisfare le esigenze sempre più crescenti dei consumatori di tutto il mondo; è stato fatto un inquadramento generali sulle varie tecniche ed è stato descritto anche come però spesso tali tecniche siano dannose per l’ambiente circostante e arrechino spesso danni irreparabili ad interi ecosistemi, è stato poi riportato come abbiano causato un impoverimento delle risorse e come, se non opportunamente gestite potrebbero negli anni causare il collasso e l’estinzione di intere specie di animali. Sono state riportate le pratiche della pesca sostenibile e le soluzioni attualmente attuate per tutelare le varie specie, con riferimento particolare al caso del Tonno Rosso. È stato poi descritto come l’acquacoltura sia una pratica che tenta di contrastare, in maniera seppur marginale, il destino a cui sembrano essere condannati ambienti marini, fluviali e lacustri, è stato descritto come anche tale pratica abbia avuto un’evoluzione costante fin da tempi antichissimi e come sia stata migliorata per andare incontro alle richieste dei consumatori senza però venir meno ai principi morali e umani nei confronti degli animali, sono state illustrate le varianti di questa pratica mettendone singolarmente in luce pregi e difetti. Sostanzialmente è infine stato concluso che acquacoltura e pesca sostenibile sono le uniche pratiche che potrebbero di fatto permettere di proseguire con l’approvvigionamento di materie prime ittiche senza necessariamente rimodulare completamente le abitudini alimentari, permettendo una collaborazione tra gli habitat marini, fluviali e lacustri e le nostre necessità

Effects of gold and silver nanoparticles in cultured human osteoarthritic chondrocytes

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) at different concentrations on cultured human osteoarthritic chondrocytes. Cell viability and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were evaluated by light microscopy. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and field emission gun-based scanning transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (FEG-STEM/EDS) allowed us to localize NPs. Gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 3 and 13 and A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs -4 and -5 were carried out by real-time polymerase chain reaction. A cell viability test indicated a significant dose-dependent cytotoxic effect of both NPs. At concentrations of 160 and 250 μM NP light microscopy showed chondrocytes with signs of apoptosis and an increased presence of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Au-NPs were characterized by FEG-STEM/EDS and TEM analysis localized NPs in cytoplasm and in endocytotic vesicles. On the contrary, the Ag-NPs were undetectable by FEG-STEM/EDS and TEM. Increased gene expression, particularly in matrix metalloproteinase-3, was observed for both NPs (160 μM), but at a concentration of 250 μM the expression of the evaluated genes became lower. Our in vitro studies, although preliminary, suggest that engineered Au and Ag-NPs appear to be harmful for human osteoarthritic chondrocytes in high concentrations (160-250 μM). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Prevalence of Diphyllobothrium latum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) plerocercoids in fish species from four Italian lakes and risk for the consumers

In recent years there has been a re-emergence of diphyllobothriasis by Diphyllobothrium latum (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in Italy, France and Switzerland, where in the past this fish-borne zoonosis was widespread and then virtually disappeared. A change in eating habits such as the consumption of raw/undercooked freshwater fish, has led to an increased risk for consumers of ingesting infective larvae of D. latum. A survey on the factors responsible for the re-emergence of human diphyllobothriasis in Italy was carried out from March 2013 to December 2014. The aim of this study was to assess the diffusion of D. latum plerocercoids in the fish populations of the sub-alpine lakes of Maggiore, Como, Iseo and Garda, updating the scarce historical data and assessing a preliminary \u201crisk level\u201d of the lacustrine environments and fish species under investigation. A total of 2228 fish belonging to 5 species, 690 from Lake Maggiore, 500 from Lake Como, 655 from Lake Iseo and 383 from Lake Garda were submitted to parasitological examination. The presence of D. latum plerocercoid larvae was detected in 6.6%, 25.4% and 7.6% of perch (Perca fluviatilis) from Lakes Maggiore, Como and Iseo respectively. The parasite was also present in pike (Esox lucius) with prevalence values ranging from 71.4 to 84.2% and in 3.6\u20133.8% of burbot (Lota lota) from Lakes Iseo and Como. Fish from Lake Garda were negative as well as sampled whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and shad (Alosa fallax lacustris). The results of this survey showed a widespread presence of D. latum plerocercoid larvae in Maggiore, Como and Iseo fish populations. Urban fecal contamination of water is still a key issue to be resolved, together with the improvement of communication with consumers regarding the best dietary habits and the most effective processes of parasite inactivation, required for the consumption of raw/undercooked fish caught in high-risk areas

Towards An End-To-End Approach For Quantum Principal Component Analysis

Quantum Machine Learning has gained significant attention in recent years as a way to leverage the relationship between quantum information and machine learning. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is a fundamental technique in machine learning, and the potential for its quantum acceleration has been extensively studied. However, an algorithmic end-to-end implementation remains challenging. This paper covers quantum PCA implementation up to extracting the principal components. We extend existing processes for quantum state tomography to extract the eigenvectors from the output state, addressing the challenges of dealing with complex amplitudes in the case of non-integer eigenvalues. Finally, we apply our implementation to a practical quantum finance use case related to interest rate risk, and present the results of our experiments

Population genetics, demography and conservation of Mediterranean brown trout from Sardinia

International audienceAbstract Brown trout is a species complex ( Salmo trutta complex, L., 1758) including both widespread invasive (non‐native hatchery strains) lineages and endangered local‐endemic lineages, among which is the Sardinian trout, the only native salmonid present in Sardinia. Multiple stressors (e.g. the spread of stocked brown trout of Atlantic origin, habitat alteration and climate change) combine to seriously threaten the persistence of wild native populations. In this study, the origin, population genetics and demography of wild Sardinian brown trout populations were extensively investigated. A total of 274 trout individuals collected from 12 hydro‐geographical basins were analysed using both mitochondrial (control region) and nuclear ( LDH‐C1* locus and 10 microsatellites) markers. Although stocking activities have altered the native genetic makeup of some populations in the study area, several (almost) uncontaminated populations showing strong genetic structure were detected. Eroded intra‐population diversity, as well as small effective population size, sometimes associated with a bottleneck signal was also found. The genetic characteristics of Sardinian trout populations described in this study are probably due, at least partly, to the peculiarity of local environmental conditions at the margin of the ecological niche for salmonids. Based on the results of this study, the need for urgent measures of conservation aimed to ensure the near future viability of the last wild Sardinian trout populations was discussed