Organic vs. organic - soil arthropods as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in greenhouse system experiment under Mediterranean conditions

Organic greenhouse (OGH) production is characterized by different systems and agricultural practices with diverse environmental impact. Soil arthropods are widely used as bioindicators of ecological sustainability in open field studies, while there is a lack of research on organic production for protected systems. This study assessed the soil arthropod abundance and diversity over a 2-year crop rotation in three systems of OGH production in the Mediterranean. The systems under assessment differed in soil fertility management: SUBST - a simplified system of organic production, based on an input substitution approach (use of guano and organic liquid fertilizers), AGROCOM - soil fertility mainly based on compost application and agroecological services crops (ASC) cultivation (tailored use of cover crops) as part of crop rotation, and AGROMAN - animal manure and ASC cultivation as part of crop rotation. Monitoring of soil fauna was performed by using pitfall traps and seven taxa were considered: Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Araneae, Opiliones, Isopoda, Myriapoda, and Collembola. Results demonstrated high potential of ASC cultivation as a technique for beneficial soil arthropod conservation in OGH conditions. SUBST system was dominated by Collembola in all crops, while AGROMAN and AGROCOM had more balanced relative abundance of Isopoda, Staphylinidae, and Aranea. Opiliones and Myriapoda were more affected by season, while Carabidae were poorly represented in the whole monitoring period. Despite the fact that all three production systems are in accordance with the European Union regulation on organic farming, findings of this study displayed significant differences among them and confirmed the suitability of soil arthropods as bioindicators in protected systems of organic farming

Statistics of fractional moments applied to 3D video streams

© 2014 IEEE. The interest in processing three-dimensional (3D) videos is ever increasing because of the exponential growth of sophisticated devices supporting 3D streams. However, transmitting compressed 3D videos on channels with relatively limited bandwidth resources is a challenging research problem, because of the high variability of 3D streams. A stable and robust characterization of the statistical properties of 3D videos could be very useful for several applications (bandwidth management and control by effective schedulers/controllers, call admission control schemes, etc.). This work proposes a straightforward characterization method, based on the statistics of fractional moments. The properties of long sequences of 3D videos are reduced to a very small set of fitting parameters, constituting the video 'fingerprint'. The method is applied to a set of videos, with different compression degrees. Moreover, possible similarities among different fingerprints are investigated for an effective 3D video classification

Infantile/congenital high-grade gliomas: molecular features and therapeutic perspectives

Brain tumors in infants account for less than 10% of all pediatric nervous system tumors. They include tumors diagnosed in fetal age, neonatal age and in the first years of life. Among these, high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are a specific entity with a paradoxical clinical course that sets them apart from their pediatric and adult counterparts. Currently, surgery represents the main therapeutic strategy in the management of these tumors. Chemotherapy does not have a well-defined role whilst radiotherapy is rarely performed, considering its late effects. Information about molecular characterization is still limited, but it could represent a new fundamental tool in the therapeutic perspective of these tumors. Chimeric proteins derived from the fusion of several genes with neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase mutations have been described in high-grade gliomas in infants as well as in neonatal age and the recent discovery of targeted drugs may change the long-term prognosis of these tumors, along with other target-driven therapies. The aim of this mini review is to highlight the recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of high-grade gliomas in infants with a particular focus on the molecular landscape of these neoplasms and future clinical applications

Lung ultrasonography for long-term follow-up of COVID-19 survivors compared to chest CT scan

Background: While lung ultrasonography (LUS) has utility for the evaluation of the acute phase of COVID-19 related lung disease, its role in long-term follow-up of this condition has not been well described. The objective of this study is to compare LUS and chest computed tomography (CT) results in COVID-19 survivors with the intent of defining the utility of LUS for long-term follow-up of COVID-19 respiratory disease. Methods: Prospective observational study that enrolled consecutive survivors of COVID-19 with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (HARF) admitted to the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit. Three months following hospital discharge, patients underwent LUS, chest CT, body plethysmography and laboratory testing, the comparison of which forms the basis of this report. Results: 38 patients were enrolled, with a total of 190 lobes analysed: men 27/38 (71.1%), mean age 60.6 y (SD 10.4). LUS findings and pulmonary function tests outcomes were compared between patients with and without ILD, showing a statistically significant difference in terms of LUS score (p: 0.0002), FEV1 (p: 0.0039) and FVC (p: 0.012). ROC curve both in lobe by lobe and in patient's overall analysis revealed an outstanding ILD discrimination ability of LUS (AUC: 0.94 and 0.95 respectively) with a substantial Cohen's coefficient (K: 0.74 and 0.69). Conclusions: LUS has an outstanding discrimination ability compared to CT in identifying an ILD of at least mild grade in the post COVID-19 follow-up. LUS should be considered as the first-line tool in follow-up programs, while chest CT could be performed based on LUS findings

photochemical activity of the bacterial reaction center in polymer like phospholipids reverse micelles

An integral membrane protein, the photosynthetic bacterial reaction center (RC), has been incorporated in reverse micelle viscoelastic gels made of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine. Due to the dynamic nature of the gels, the use of a technique which shares the same timescale of the charge recombination is advised, in order to correlate the kinetic behaviour of the RC to the hosting-system properties. Self-diffusion and conductivity measurements have been used to investigate the properties of the model system lecithin/cyclohexane/water. The results indicate that such techniques can describe the properties of the system on a long characteristic time-scale. As a consequence, the kinetic behaviour of the RC has been studied by means of flash-spectro-photometry and related to the structural properties of the hosting gel, investigated by means of conductivity. The conductivity data are consistent with a water-induced sphere-to-rod transition of the phospholipid aggregates. Furthermore, increasing the ratio [water]/[lipid], a maximum in the hydrodynamic dimension of the giant worm-like reverse micelles is found. The experimental P+ decay has been resolved into three exponential components which are strongly affected by the system composition. The functionality of the binding site QB is dependent on the ratio [water]/[lipid] supporting the hypothesis of a water role in the binding process

T-cell depleted HLA-haploidentical HSCT in a child with neuromyelitis optica

Neuromyelitis optica is an immune-mediated disease characterized by a relapsing course, resulting in progressive disability. In children, given the long life expectancy, a disease-modifying treatment could be particularly desirable. Unfortunately, the currently available treatment strategies with this potential are scarce. Very limited data are available about the use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for autoimmune neurological diseases. In this report, we present a pediatric case successfully treated with allogeneic HSCT from an HLA-haploidentical donor, after ex vivo TCR/CD19-depletion of the graft. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a pediatric patient to benefit from such a treatment

Vemurafenib treatment of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma in a child with Down syndrome

Brain tumors are the most common solid neoplasms of childhood, but they are very rarely reported in children with Down Syndrome (DS), who develop more commonly different types of malignancies. In particular, we hereby report the case of an 8-years-old child with DS that presented to our attention for neurological and endocrinological issues. Brain imaging revealed the presence of a mass that was partially resected revealing a histological diagnosis of Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma (PXA), a rare WHO grade II tumor extending from the diencephalic region into the surrounding brain tissue. These tumors can harbor the BRAF mutation p.V600E, targetable by the specific inhibitor Vemurafenib. After confirming the presence of the mutation in the tumor, the patient was treated with Vemurafenib. The treatment proved to be effective, leading to a partial response and a stabilization of the disease. Usually, in patients with DS a reduction of the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs is necessary. Vemurafenib was instead well-tolerated as the only observed adverse effect was grade I skin toxicity. This is, to our knowledge, the first case of a PXA reported in a child with DS and the first DS patient treated with Vemurafenib

Outbreak of Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe infection in kennel: the role of dogs as sentinel in specific environments

Kennels may represent high-risk environments for the diffusion of Leptospira infection in dogs and consequently a threat to public health. This study describes an outbreak of Leptospira infection in a kennel in Italy in 2020, both with clinically ill and asymptomatic dogs. Fifty-nine dogs, including three ill dogs, were tested for Leptospira spp. infection by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and real-time qPCR. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis was used to genotype the identified leptospires. Thirty of the fifty-nine (50.9%) dogs had MAT titer and/or molecular positivity indicative of Leptospira infection. Twenty-two of the fifty-nine (37.3%) dogs exhibited seropositivity against at least one serovar belonging to the Sejroe serogroup, and MLST analysis identified L. borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe (Leptospira ST155) as responsible for the outbreak. Up to now, Sejroe serogroup infection was sporadically reported in dogs. The extension of the MAT antigen panel to several serovars belonging to the serogroup Sejroe could be useful in the diagnosis of canine leptospirosis. Dogs may serve as sentinel of leptospires in specific environments, and surveillance of Leptospira infection in kennels is strongly recommended even when the correct vaccine prophylaxis is administered, because the vaccines currently available are not able to protect from all of the serogroups

The multifaceted covid-19: Ct aspects of its atypical pulmonary and abdominal manifestations and complications in adults and children. a pictorial review

Our daily experience in a COVID hospital has allowed us to learn about this disease in many of its changing and unusual aspects. Some of these uncommon manifestations, however, appeared more frequently than others, giving shape to a multifaceted COVID-19 disease. This pictorial review has the aim to describe the radiological aspects of atypical presentations and of some complications of COVID-19 disease in adults and children and provide a simple guide for radiologists to become familiar with the multiform aspects of this disease

Innovazioni di processo per la produzione di compost di qualità idonei alla conservazione del suolo e alla sostenibilità in agricoltura biologica

La tutela della risorsa suolo è tra gli aspetti fondamentali del metodo di produzione biologico. L’applicazione di compost di qualità coniuga la necessità del recupero di materia da scarti organici con l’esigenza di reintegrare il contenuto di sostanza organica dei suoli. Tali premesse sono la base di una ricerca finalizzata alla produzione di compost tramite un sistema innovativo, alla caratterizzazione del prodotto finito e alla realizzazione di prove sperimentali in ambiente confinato e in pieno campo, idonee ad individuare un codice di buona pratica agricola per l’utilizzo del compost in agricoltura biologica. Il protocollo sperimentale ha previsto la produzione di 4 tipi di compost (C1, C2, C3, C4) ottenuti da una miscela di partenza contenente: sansa umida denocciolata (sn), stallatico (st) e residui ligneocellulosici triturati (lc). I compost C1 (C/N=30) e C3 (C/N=45) sono stati ottenuti dalla miscelazione di sn :st: lc nel rapporto 7:1:5 (p/p) e 1:5:5 (p/p). C2 e C4 derivano rispettivamente da C1 e C3 per essiccazione all’aria in strato sottile alla fine della fase di biossidazione accelerata (BA). L’essiccazione è stata effettuata al fine di rallentare le attività microbiche ed i processi di evoluzione della sostanza organica ottenendo matrici a due stadi di maturazione. I parametri di processo monitorati sono stati: umidità, temperatura, pH, e solidi volatili. Ad inizio processo (T0), alla fine della fase di BA (T1) e alla fine della fase di curing (T2), sono stati prelevati campioni rappresentativi dai cumuli per la misurazione dell’indice respirometrico dinamico (IRD). I 4 compost, prodotti presso l’impianto di compostaggio sperimentale IAMB, sono stati applicati su una rotazione biennale farro - cece da granella e su una coltivazione di spinacio, entrambi condotti con metodo di produzione biologico. La fase di BA, della durata di 35 gg per C1 e C2 e 18 gg per C3 e C4, è stata condotta in cassone areato non movimentato. La fase di curing (86 gg per C1 e 65 gg per C3) è stata condotta in cumulo statico. L’umidità è stata controllata settimanalmente e corretta al fine di garantire valori di processo tra 50 e 60%, la temperatura massima raggiunta è stata di 72 °C per C1 e 76 °C per C3. L’IRD, partendo da valori compatibili con i dati di letteratura nella miscela iniziale (T0: 4.171 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C1 e C2; 5.955 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C3 e C4), ha raggiunto livelli di piena stabilità per tutti i materiali già alla fine della fase di BA (T1: 424 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C1e C2 e 789 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C3 e C4). I diversi rapporti C/N e i contributi della matrice sn nelle due miscelazioni hanno comportato differenze nei tempi di processo e negli andamenti dei picchi di temperatura giornalieri, risultando più brevi per C3-C4 rispetto a C1-C2. In attesa dei risultati finali relativi all’applicazione in pieno campo, si ipotizza che il prolungarsi del processo in C1-C3 rispetto a C2-C4 comporterà una diversa disponibilità di elementi nutritivi nelle relative tesi sperimentali per effetto del procedere dei processi di biossidazione ed evoluzione della sostanza organica