Serological and cellular response to mRNA-SARS-CoV2 vaccine in patients with hematological lymphoid malignancies: Results of the study “Cervax”

messenger RNA (mRNA)-Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) vaccines such as BNT162b2 became available in late 2020, but hematological malignancy patients (HM pts) were not evaluated in initial registration trials. We hereby report the results of a prospective, unicentric, observational study Response to COVID-19 Vaccination in hEmatological malignancies (CERVAX) developed to assess the postvaccine serological and T-cell-mediated response in a cohort of SARS-CoV2-negative HM pts vaccinated with BNT162b2. Patients with lymphomas [non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL)], chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and multiple myeloma (MM); off-therapy for at least 3 months; in a watch-and-wait program; or in treatment with ibrutinib, venetoclax, and lenalidomide were included. Different time points were considered to assess the serological response to the vaccine: before the second dose (T1), at 3–6–12 months after the first dose (T2–3–4, respectively). Since March 2021, 39 pts have been enrolled: 15 (38%) NHL, 12 (31%) CLL, and 12 (31%) MM. There were 13 of the 39 pts (33%) seroconverted at T1; an increase of the serological response was registered after the second dose (T2) (22/39 pts, 56%) and maintained after 6 months (22/39 pts, 56%) and 12 months (24/39 pts, 61%) from the first dose (T3–T4, respectively). Non-serological responders at T4 were 7/39 (18%): 0/15 NHL, 1/12 MM (8%), and 6/12 CLL (50%). All of them were on therapy (one lenalidomide, three ibrutinib, and three venetoclax). SARS-CoV2-reactive T-cell analysis (interferon gamma release assays) was available since June 2022 and was evaluated at 12 months (T4) from the first dose of vaccine in 31/39 pts (79%). T-cell-mediated-responders were 17/31 (55%): most of them were NHL and MM (47%, 41% and 12% for NHL, MM, and CLL, respectively). Both serological and T-cell non-responders were represented by pts on active therapy (venetoclax/ibrutinib). During the period of observation, eight (20.5%) pts developed mild SARS-CoV2 infection; no coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-related deaths or hospitalizations were registered. In conclusion, in our cohort of lymphoproliferative pts receiving BNT162b2, CLL diagnosis and venetoclax/ibrutinib seem to be related with a lower humoral or T-mediated response. Nevertheless, the efficacy of mRNA vaccine in HM pts and the importance to continue the vaccine program even in non-responders after the first dose are supported in our study by demonstrating that a humoral and T-cell-mediated seroconversion should be observed even in the subsets of heavily immunocompromised pts

Evaluating the Utility of Cost-Effective, Consumer-Grade, Wearable Air Monitoring Devices Under Mock Occupational Conditions: Wildfire Smoke and Impact Testing

In the Pacific Northwest, wildfires are growing in size and frequency. Firefighters are spending more time fighting fires increasing the risk for exposure to fine particulate --also called particulate matter sized 2.5 microns or small (PM 2.5 ) -- which is a component of wood smoke and can cause serious health effects. There is limited real-time data on PM 2.5 exposures among wildland firefighters due to the cost and size of research-grade monitors. Thus, we want to evaluate the utility of cost-effective, wearable units under mock wildland firefighting conditions. Here, we test 2 brands of consumer-grade, real-time air monitoring devices and compare the data with a research-grade device. We will present data from two tests; a wood smoke test and an impact test. The wood smoke test will be conducted in a controlled environment where relevant concentrations of smoke will be held for 1-hour “plateaus”. The smoke test will demonstrate accuracy and reliability. For the impact test, we will drop each brand from a consistent height demonstrating durability. The results of this pilot will establish if such cost-effective, wearable air monitoring units can be used for data collection in a wildland firefighting setting, which could ultimately help mitigate occupational health risks

Applicazioni di Structure From Motion (SFM): Tecniche open source di rilievo per interventi archeologici d'emergenza

L'utilizzo di nuove tecnologie e strumenti open source può aiutare a ridurre i tempi necessari allo svolgimento delle operazioni di scavo e di documentazione archeologica. L'articolo illustra l'esecuzione di rilievi 3D e fotopiani. N egli ultimi anni, la gran parte degli interventi di scavo stratigrafico avvengono nell'ambito dell'archeologia d'emergenza, nel contesto di opere pubbliche, dove è richiesta una combinazione di alti livelli qualitativi nella documentazione e di una rapida esecuzione delle operazio-ni archeologiche. Le nuove tecnologie open-source possono aiutare gli archeologi, permettendo di abbattere i tempi della restituzione grafica e mantenendo altissimo il livello scientifico. Esse consentono di ottenere risultati eccellenti e sono un ottimo strumento di lavoro (Francisci 2012) per abbreviare i tempi di rilievo sul campo e migliorare anche il livello qualitativo dei risultati. Per un approfondimento degli strumenti open-source disponibili per il rilievo degli elevati, invece, si consiglia: (Pesce 2012). IL CONTESTO ARCHEOLOGICO Le applicazioni che verranno esposte sono state realizzate durante le attività archeologiche preventive per il nuovo collegamento autostradale Brescia-Bergamo-Milano (BreBe-Mi), lungo le opere connesse: lotti 0H, 0I e 0M, condotte da CAL srl di Brescia con la direzione scientifica della Soprin-tendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Lombardia. La prima struttura, un silos seminterrato (Fig. 1), è stata indagata all'interno di un insediamento romano frequentato tra I e IV secolo d.C., situato a circa 1,3km dall'odierno abitato di Ba-riano, ad E della Cascina Limbo. Il settore sud era organizza-to intorno a un piccolo edificio con fondazioni in muratura, alzati presumibilmente in terra e/o legno e tetto in embrici, suddiviso in almeno due ambienti, di cui quello a N ospitava un focolare che conservava tre piani di combustione. L'area a E dell'edificio ha restituito buche di palo e una fondazione che potrebbero testimoniare la presenza, in aderenza ad una cucina, di una tettoia o comunque di una struttura aperta. A NW del piccolo edificio è stato investi-gato il silos. Nel settore centrale erano presenti tre allineamenti di bu-che di palo, interpretabili come i perimetrali N, W e S di un recinto per animali. Il settore N era invece caratterizzato da un edificio a più ambienti organizzati intorno a un portico servito da un cor-ridoio. Nel settore E sono stati documentati un pozzo e un'este-sa pavimentazione per esterni in ciottoli di fiume e laterizi frammentati. L'abbandono dell'insediamento è sancito dai crolli delle strutture e delle loro coperture e da estese attività di spo-liazione. È ipotizzabile che il settore della cucina e della struttura interrata sia da attribuire alla pars fructuaria, l'edificio del portico alla pars rustica e l'area orientale alla pars domini-ca di una villa rustica di epoca imperiale. Il silos, pressoché quadrato (lato interno 1,65m, profondità 0,85m), era composto da quattro paramenti costruiti contro terra a delimitare un vano quadrato ove erano posati 6 mat-toni di modulo mezzo sesquipedale, con orientamento N-S, distribuiti omogeneamente, 3 lungo la parete E e 3 lungo la parete W. Tutti i paramenti presentavano, a partire dal fondo, 6 corsi regolari di embrici frammentati in modo da ricavare pezzi dotati di un'unica aletta, disposta sul fronte a vista. I corsi erano riempiti da laterizi frammentati legati da malta molto sabbiosa. Alcune varianti erano visibili nella parete W, dove erano inseriti 4 ciottoli, e in quella N, dove era inserito un pozzale, mentre l'estremità orientale del lato S risultava danneggiata e leggermente collassata. La parte superiore prevedeva 2 corsi di frammenti di laterizi disposti a spina di pesce, con presenti anche alcuni coppi, legati dalla medesima malta. Sui lati N e W alcuni laterizi, posati di piatto sui corsi a spina di pesce, sembrano testimo-niare come lo sviluppo originario dei paramenti proseguisse con la tecnica già presente nei 6 filari più bassi. Fig. 1-Nuvola di punti del Silos. tecniche open source Di rilieVo per interVenti archeologici D'eMergenz

Use of principal factor analysis to generate a corn silage fermentative quality index to rank well- or poorly preserved forages

BACKGROUND: To investigate corn silage fermentative quality, a principal factor analysis was carried out on a database consisting of 196 corn silages sampled from the core, lateral and apical parts of silo feed-out face and characterised by 36 variables. Eleven principal factor components (PCs) were retained and interpreted. Two PCs were related to chemical and digestibility variables; four PCs were characterised by end-products associated with clostridia, heterolactic, homolactic or aerobic fermentations; two PCs were associated with mycotoxins produced by Penicillium roqueforti or by Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium spp., while three PCs explained ensiling procedures adopted to store corn silages. RESULTS: Lower (P < 0.05) yeast or mould counts and greater (P < 0.05) aerobic stability were measured in core than in peripheral samples. Excluding PCs related to ensiling procedures, other PCs were able to predict microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amine content as verified by multiple linear regression analysis. Based on these results, several corn silage quality index calculations were computed by using a summative equation approach in which different PCs as well as diverse relative weights multiplying each PCs were combined. To compute definitive index calculation, only PCs explaining clostridia, heterolactic and homolactic fermentations were used with relative weights of 30%, 50% and 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The new proposed fermentative quality index was highly correlated to parameters related to corn silage fermentative quality, such as microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amines and it properly discriminated well- and poorly preserved forages

Effect of inoculation with Lactobacillus buchneri LB1819 and Lactococcus lactis O224 on fermentation and mycotoxin production in maize silage compacted at different densities

We examined the effectiveness of a combined inoculant of hetero-fermentative Lactobacillus buchneri LB1819 and homo-fermentative Lactococcus lactis O224 on quality of maize silage at two different densities. The four treatments were: CTR-LD, untreated at low-density (132 \ub1 6 kg DM/m3); CTR-HD, untreated at high density (186 \ub1 6 kg DM/m3); TRT-LD, inoculated at low density; and TRT-HD, inoculated at high density. The 5 replicates for each treatment were ensiled in 20-L plastic jars and the inoculant was applied at a rate of 250,000 CFU/g ensiled forage. The fermentation profile, aerobic stability, and DM losses were measured after 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 days of ensiling, and the chemical composition, microbial counts, and concentrations of mycotoxins were assessed in the 32 day samples. Data measured once during experiment were analyzed according to a completely randomized design (CRD), with a 2 7 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (i.e., inoculation, density, and their interaction). Data measured at different time points were analyzed according to a CRD, with a 2 7 2 7 5 factorial arrangement of treatments (i.e., inoculation, density, length of ensiling, and their first or second order interactions). The lactic acid concentration increased (P < 0.05) with the duration of ensiling, with no differences among treatments (overall means on day 2 and day 32: 26.7 and 50.9 g/kg DM, respectively). Aerobic stability was greatest (P < 0.05) in the TRT-HD silage at 32 days. After 32 days of ensiling, soluble crude protein was greater in the CTR-HD and TRT-LD silages than the CTR-LD and TRT-HD silages (P < 0.05, inoculation 7 density interaction). The treatments had similar chemical parameters, yeast and mould counts (overall mean: 4.53 log10CFU/g and 1.59 log10CFU/g, respectively). The overall concentration of aflatoxin B1was 0.412 \u3bcg/kg DM. The CTR groups had higher concentrations of fumonisin B2(413 vs. 278 \u3bcg/kg DM, P < 0.05) and roquefortine C (22.81 vs. 3.39 \u3bcg/kg DM, P < 0.05) than the TRT groups. Conversely, the CTR groups had lower concentrations of fusaric acid than the TRT groups after 32 days (2849 vs. 4162 \u3bcg/kg DM, P < 0.05). Both CTR and Lactobacillus buchneri LB1819 and Lactococcus lactis O224 treated samples at a high silage density increased the aerobic stability after 32 days of ensiling (P < 0.05, day 7 density interaction). Results indicated that inoculation and use of a greater silage density enhanced the fermentation and aerobic stability of maize silage

Chemical composition and nutritive value of whole crop maize silage: effect of water shortage

Intensive dairy farming systems have been blamed of negative impact on environment and landscape, contributing to reduction of plant biodiversity, alterations of soil integrity, excessive use of fertilizers and water for irrigation and pollution (EC, 2000). In most Mediterranean Countries, irrigation water for agricultural purposes exceeds 50% of total national water requirement, particularly during summer (Wriedt et al., 2008). Global climate change and competition among agricultural, domestic and industrial water users will unavoidably intensify problems of water scarcity in the Mediterranean regions (Goubanova and Li, 2007; IPCC, 2007; Rodriguez Diaz et al., 2007)