Lipid profile of Xylella fastidiosa Subsp. pauca associated with the olive quick decline syndrome

Lipids, components of the plasma and intracellular membranes as well as of droplets, provide different biological functions related to energy, carbon storage, and stress responses. Bacterial species display diverse membrane composition that changes in response to the different environmental conditions. During plant-pathogen interactions, lipids might have roles in several aspects such as recognition, signal transduction, and downstream responses. Among lipid entities, free fatty acids (FFAs) and their oxidized form, the oxylipins, represent an important class of signaling molecules in host-pathogen perception, especially related to virulence and defense. In bacteria, FFAs (e.g., diffusible signaling factors) and oxylipins have a crucial role in modulating motility, biofilm formation, and virulence. In this study, we explore by LC-TOF and LC-MS/MS the lipid composition of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca strain De Donno in pure culture; some specific lipids (e.g., ornithine lipids and the oxylipin 7,10-diHOME), characteristic of other pathogenic bacteria, were revealed. Nicotiana tabacum was used for testing the ability of this pathogen in producing such lipids in the host. Different lipid compounds present a clear distribution pattern within the infected plant tissues compared to the uninfected ones

Gender differences and tech-based entrepreneurship: a literature review and research agenda

Despite the widespread recognition of the growing, positive contribution of female entrepreneurship in economic and social development processes, women are still less involved in high-growth entrepreneurship, especially in Europe, where their participation is lower than in most part of the world, and where they show some of the lowest rates of entrepreneurial perceptions (seeing new business opportunities, having the skills to start a new business, being undeterred by fear of failure), according to Women's Entrepreneurship GEM Report (2021). Gender gap in entrepreneurship and management is confirmed by the European Institute for Gender Equality, whose statistics show that across the EU, women business owners make up only 33.2% of self-employed people, and management boards are dominated by men (EIGE Report, 2021). This gap is somewhat larger in tech-based industries, where founding and managing a technology-based firm has been commonly considered to be a male affair (Green et al., 2003; Nelson and Levesque, 2007) and prominently within STEM fields (Poggesi et al., 2020), where women entrepreneurs are still strongly underrepresented (Dautzenberg, 2012; Tonoyan and Strohmeyer, 2021). Since the seminal contribution of Schwartz (1976), the debate surrounding women and entrepreneurship has grown up, focusing on their underrepresentation and their “marginalization” into sectors with low growth perspectives (Carter et al., 2000). There has been, among scholars as well as policymakers, a tendency to interpret this evidence as the expression of female structural weaknesses, to be fixed through specific programs aimed at training women to adopt prototypical entrepreneurial attitudes (Marlow, 2019). Despite this generalized view, a different perspective emerged in the same years, suggesting that female entrepreneurship specificities had to be considered as the result of a generalized gendered subordination (Fischer, 1993; Jennings and Brush, 2013). Even though this topic has given rise to a substantial body of literature, there are relatively few studies dedicated to investigating the presence of women entrepreneurs in technology-based sectors. Except for a few recent works (Wheadon and Duval-Couetil, 2019; Poggesi et al., 2020) that propose a literature review on the topic of gender and technology entrepreneurship, there is currently no dedicated strand of research that, in the field of management, identifies the issue of gender differences with reference to high-tech entrepreneurship. This is even more surprising, when considering that today technology plays a pervasive role and that even mature industries are undergoing strong changes precisely because of the spread of new technologies related to STEM fields. This opens great opportunities from which, once again, women risk being excluded or marginalized. It is therefore important, in our opinion, to examine this issue in depth and take stock of the results of the research conducted so far. Given the above, our study has two overarching objectives. The first is to document the development of the body of work related to gender differences and high-tech entrepreneurship. The second is to assess its contributions vis-a-vis the broader corpus of literature on female entrepreneurship

Progress towards Sustainable Control of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in Olive Groves of Salento (Apulia, Italy)

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca is the causal agent of "olive quick decline syndrome" in Salento (Apulia, Italy). On April 2015, we started interdisciplinary studies to provide a sustainable control strategy for this pathogen that threatens the multi-millennial olive agroecosystem of Salento. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence quantification showed that a zinc-copper-citric acid biocomplex-Dentamet®-reached the olive xylem tissue either after the spraying of the canopy or injection into the trunk, demonstrating its effective systemicity. The biocomplex showed in vitro bactericidal activity towards all X. fastidiosa subspecies. A mid-term evaluation of the control strategy performed in some olive groves of Salento indicated that this biocomplex significantly reduced both the symptoms and X. f. subsp. pauca cell concentration within the leaves of the local cultivars Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò. The treated trees started again to yield. A 1H-NMR metabolomic approach revealed, upon the treatments, a consistent increase in malic acid and γ-aminobutyrate for Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò trees, respectively. A novel endotherapy technique allowed injection of Dentamet® at low pressure directly into the vascular system of the tree and is currently under study for the promotion of resprouting in severely attacked trees. There are currently more than 700 ha of olive groves in Salento where this strategy is being applied to control X. f. subsp. pauca. These results collectively demonstrate an efficient, simple, low-cost, and environmentally sustainable strategy to control this pathogen in Salento

A zinc, copper and citric acid biocomplex shows promise for control of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca in olive trees in Apulia region (southern Italy)

The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca is associated with the “olive quick decline syndrome” in the Apulia region of southern Italy. To investigate control of this phytopathogen, a compound containing zinc and copper complexed with citric-acid hydracids (Dentamet®) was evaluated for in vitro and in planta bactericidal activity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, fluorescent quantification and atomic emission spectroscopy were then used to determine if the compound reached the xylem networks of leaves, twigs and branches of olive, to release zinc and copper within the xylem. A 3-year field trial in an olive orchard containing mature Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola salentina olive trees, and officially declared infected by X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca,was also carried out o to determine if the compound affected severity of the disease. Each year, from early April to October (excluding July and August), six spray treatments of 0.5% (v:v) Dentamet® were applied on the olive tree crowns. The compound reduced severity of symptoms in both cultivars. Most untreated trees died by the end of the trial, whereas all treated trees survived with good vegetative status as assessed by a normalized difference vegetation index. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed from June 2016 to September 2017, following the official procedures established by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. The analysis revealed a statistically significant reduction of X. fastidiosa cell densities within the leaves of treated trees. These promising results suggest that integrated management to reduce severity of X. fastidiosa that includes regular pruning and soil harrowing with spring and summer spray treatments with Dentamet®, is likely to effectively control the disease.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Use of Contraband Cell Phones in Secured Facilities

Offenders accepting contraband cell phones in secured facilities violate state corrections law, and the possession of these cell phones is a form of risk taking behavior. When offenders continue this risky behavior, it affects their decision making in other domains where they are challenging authorities; and may impact the length of their incarceration. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of ex-offenders who had contraband cell phones in secured correctional facilities in order to better understand their reasons for taking risks with contraband cell phones. The theoretical foundation for this study was Trimpop\u27s risk-homeostasis and risk-motivation theories that suggest an individual\u27s behaviors adapt to negotiate between perceived risk and desired risk in order to achieve satisfaction. The research question explored beliefs and perceptions of ex-offenders who chose to accept the risk of using contraband cell phones during their time in secured facilities. Data were collected anonymously through recorded telephone interviews with 8 male adult ex-offenders and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings indicated participants felt empowered by possession of cell phones in prison, and it was an acceptable risk to stay connected to family out of concern for loved ones. The study contributes to social change by providing those justice system administrators, and prison managers responsible for prison cell phone policies with more detailed information about the motivations and perspectives of offenders in respect to using contraband cell phones while imprisoned in secured facilities

Efficacia delle tecniche non skill in sanita

Dire,fare e ascoltare strumenti per una comunicazione che oggi piu' che mai,dev'essere efficace. Comunicare bene è la qualità piu' importante di un team, è il metodo indispensabile per far apprender sia la mission che la vision aziendale, quindi per raggiungere obiettivi. Il dirigente è indispensabile che acquisisca elevate competenze circa tecniche non skill(complementari alle competenze di carattere tecnico),per svolgere le sue funzioni sia di manager che di leader