Modelling Environmental Niche for the Endangered Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipesComplex in Northern and Central Italy

The potential distribution of endangered species is a necessary step to assess species conservation status and manage reintroduction plans. In the context of a EU project on the endangered Austropotamobius pallipescomplex, we modelled the environmental niche of the species in two large areas of Northern (Lombardy, 43 records) and Central Italy (Abruzzo, Province of Isernia, Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park; 69 records). Ecological niche models (ENMs) were built by using the maximum entropy approach as implemented in the MaxEnt software, which predicts the occurrence of a species using presence-only data. The environmental niche was modelled using six variables: altitude, slope, aspect, human disturbance, mean temperature of warmest quarter and distance from stream. Each study area was modelled independently. Both ENMs obtained high performance scores as measured by the AUC index (Northern Italy: 0.854; Central Italy: 0.817). Slope in Northern Italy and the mean temperature of warmest quarter in Central Italy achieved the greatest predictive power. Our results clearly show that the endangered white-clawed crayfish has a narrow range of habitat selection in the two study areas. Our findings may help researchers to select the best sites for future reintroductions in conservation projects

Art. 357 - art. 389 c.c.

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Histological grading based on poorly differentiated clusters is predictive of tumour response and clinical outcome in rectal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Aims: The clinical outcome of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is influenced by the tumour response to treatment, which is reflected by tumour regression grade and post-treatment (y) TNM stage. Little is known about the prognostic value of pretreatment histopathological features of the tumour that may be useful to discriminate potential non-responders and to design tailored therapeutic strategies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic role of poorly differentiated clusters (PDCs) of neoplastic cells in pretreatment biopsies of patients with rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant CRT. Methods and results: Grading based on PDC counting was retrospectively applied to 204 pretreatment endoscopic biopsies of rectal carcinomas from patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. Interobserver agreement in the assessment of PDC grade was good. High PDC grade was significantly associated with high yT stage (P\uc2 =\uc2 0.044), yM+ status (P\uc2 =\uc2 0.0004), and unchanged TNM stage or TNM upstaging (P\uc2 =\uc2 0.032). In addition, high PDC grade was a significant and independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival. Conclusions: PDC grade may be assessed in preoperative biopsies of rectal cancer with good reproducibility. High PDC grade in a pretreatment tumour is significantly associated with a poor response to therapy. Hence, we suggest that PDC grading might be used as a significant predictive and prognostic factor in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who are treated with neoadjuvant CRT, and to identify high-risk patients who need surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

GENOTOXICITY AND BIOCONCENTRATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY METALS IN LEUCISCUS CEPHALUS FROM PESCARA RIVER (ABRUZZO - ITALY): AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

The aim of the present study was to investigate the water quality and the ecosystem health of a segment of Pescara river (Abruzzo-Italy) with the aid of an integrated approach. Sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals were determinated in water and chub samples in order to calculate the bioconcentration factor. Biochemical, physical and microbiological characterisation were also carried out on water samples. Moreover, real and synergic effects of water pollution on biota were investigated by genotoxicological tests. Water samples were tested by Salmonella mutagenicity assay, whereas micronucleus assay on chub  was used to evaluate environmental genotoxic effects on fish. The characterisation of  water samples did not reveal any relevant contamination of Pescara river, but some analytical results obtained for biota were remarkable. In particular, the comparison between the site downstream from the industrial area of Chieti and the control site showed significant differences in chub micronuclei frequencies

Metabolic control and complications in Italian people with diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the degree of glycaemic control and the frequency of diabetic complications in Italian people with diabetes who were treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)