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Deciding on which phytosanitary emergency measures shall be applied in a delimited area is associated with many difficulties. Compulsory measures may strongly affect citizens, municipalities, nurseries and other third parties involved. Studies carried out in the Marche region (Central-Eastern Italy) during 2007-10 aimed to limit the spread of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (red palm weevil) in a demarcated area, according to EU Decision 2007/365/EC. The efficacy of several tools, which may be included into an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for R. ferrugineus control (pest survey, mass trapping, integrated approach based on spherical pruning plus application of chemical insecticides and biological control agents for curative treatment of already infested plants) was evaluated. All methods tested proved to be promising tools for IPM of R. ferrugineus. A detailed description is provided of the compulsory measures applied in the Marche region and the experimental trials on IPM control tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation agriculture is one of the agro-environment measures promoted by the Veneto Region (North-eastern Italy) to regulate and support many ecosystem services. This study compared conventional and conservation agriculture management systems in order to evaluate their effects on both SOC stocks and quality i.e. humic C and its molecular weight fractions, microbial C and N. The experiment was set up in 2010 on three farms in Veneto Region. In order to improve the monitoring procedures, a massive soil sampling programme was conducted in 2011 and 2014 in ca. 150 positions, considering the SOC stratification within a 0–50 cm profile. Results suggested that conservation agriculture practices affected SOC distribution rather than its total amount. The retention of crop residues on the soil surface and the absence of tillage operations drove SOC dynamics in the top layer (0–5 cm) of the conservation system, while residues incorporation with ploughing was responsible for SOC accumulation at the 30–50 cm depth in the conventional one. SOC stock variation in the conservation treatment was also influenced by root C input, which was identified as a major factor able to promote SOC accumulation in the 0–30 cm profile. The role of clay on SOC dynamics was not uniform in the three farms since it depended both on the clay amount and its mineral composition. The strong interactions existing between management systems and local soil conditions were also confirmed by the C quality analyses. This research did not demonstrate the benefits of conservation practices on SOC sequestration during the transition period. However, SOC sequestration is only one of the numerous ecosystem services provided by conservation practices. Some of these depend on the C content and quality in the top layers that, as demonstrated in our work, were strongly affected by the C stratification processes triggered by conservation agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fondo Paviani is a Bronze Age archaeological site located in the Valli Grandi Veronesi area in the lower Venetian plain (northeastern Italy). The inhabited area is surrounded by a moat and a quadrangular rampart, a structural characteristic specific to the so-called terramare, villages that were common in the alluvial plains both north and south of the Po River during the middle and recent Bronze Age. Dark-coloured anthropogenic deposits occurring inside the site of Fondo Paviani were exposed during archaeological excavations and along stratigraphic cross-sections. Here, the micropedological and pedochemical characters of the deposits have been used as a key to decipher the formation processes and post-depositional modifications involved in order to reconstruct the human activities and environmental conditions recorded in the stratigraphy. This reconstruction has been formulated by integrating the abovementioned analytical techniques with geomorphological, pedological and archaeological data. This study focuses on three main lines of research. First, it investigates the cultural and natural mechanisms responsible for the vertical accretion of anthropogenic deposits and for their dark colour. Secondly, it reveals the conversion of a part of the intra-site space to a cultivated area through the establishment of a ridge-and-furrow system in the final Bronze Age, the period in which population density of the site was decreasing. The phenomenon of the conversion of originally inhabited areas to cultivated space in terramare during phases of population change appears to be recurring and requires further investigation. Finally, this study records the occurrence of progressively wetter environmental conditions during and after the abandonment of the site in the final Bronze Age. This is marked by the overflow of muds from the un-managed moat and by the successive deposition of wide alluvial covers related to the reactivation of spring-fed rivers in the Valli Grandi Veronesi area in response to a shift towards wetter climatic conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigates the prevalence and patterns of transmitted drug resistance mutations (TDRMs) and HIV-1 subtypes among antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve individuals in Veneto, Italy, from 2017 to 2024. This research aims to understand the dynamic landscape of TDRMs and HIV-1 genetic diversity to inform treatment strategies effectively. We included all adult ART-naïve people with HIV (PWH) from seven infectious disease units in Veneto, Italy. We collected the genotypic resistance testing conducted to predict drug susceptibility and subtype distribution using the Stanford HIVdb algorithm. We included 762 PWH, showing a slight but statistically significant decline in the B subtype among Italian PWH ( p = 0.045) and an increase in non-B subtypes among foreigners, though it was not statistically significant ( p = 0.333). The most frequent mutations were in Non-nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs), especially in non-B subtypes, with a notable rise from 10.7% in 2017-2019 to 15.5% in 2020-2024. Notably, TDRMs were consistently detected, highlighting an ongoing challenge despite the stable prevalence observed over the years. In addition, the data revealed a concerning rise in mutations against newer drug classes, such as integrase inhibitors. Conclusively, the study underscores the necessity of continuous surveillance of HIV subtypes and resistance patterns to adapt ART regimens optimally. Despite the stable levels of drug resistance, the emergence of resistance against newer drugs necessitates ongoing vigilance and possible adjustment in treatment protocols to enhance clinical outcomes and manage HIV drug resistance effectively.

Background: Immunotherapy has revolutionized the approach to metastatic triple-negative breast cancers. Atezolizumab was approved for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancers whose tumors express PD-L1, determined by SP 142 assay. To assess the availability and practice of SP142 test we administered a survey to all the 15 pathology departments of the Lazio Region during a six-month period., Methods: The survey comprised 12 questions regarding the availability of SP142 in the pathology departments, the percentage of positive tests, the difficulties of pathologists in cases close to cut-off value and the tested samples., Results: The SP142 assay was available in only eight centers. In case of positive result, most centers (5/8, 62.5%) reported values of PD-L1 expression ranging from > 1 to ⩽ 5%, with values close to the cut-off point (⩾ 1% or < 1%) being the greatest challenge.Most of the centers (6/8, 75%) tested material from both their own and other hospitals. In most centers, the evaluations were performed either on primary tumors or metastasis, in particular lymph nodes (5/8, 62.5%), followed by lung (3/8, 37.5%) and liver (1/8, 12.5%) metastasis., Conclusion: Our results raise some important issues concerning the evaluation of PD-L1 in the "real-life" setting, providing strategies for its implementation., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Paolo Marchetti (PM) has/had a consultant/advisory role for BMS, Roche- Genentech, MSD, Novartis, Amgen, Merck Serono, Pierre Fabre, Incyte. The other authors declare they have no competing interests.

Bois noir is an economically important grapevine yellows that is induced by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' and principally vectored by the planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret (Hemiptera: Cixiidae). This study explores the 'Ca. P. solani' genetic variability associated to the nettle-H. obsoletus and bindweed-H. obsoletus systems in vineyard agroecosystems of the central-eastern Italy. Molecular characterization of 'Ca. P. solani' isolates was carried out using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism to investigate the nonribosomal vmp1 gene. Seven phytoplasma vmp-types were detected among the host plants- and insect-associated field-collected samples. The vmp1 gene showed the highest polymorphism in the bindweed-H. obsoletus system, according to restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, which is in agreement with nucleotide sequence analysis. Five vmp-types were associated with H. obsoletus from bindweed, of which one was solely restricted to planthoppers, with one genotype also in planthoppers from nettle. Type V12 was the most prevalent in both planthoppers and bindweed. H. obsoletus from nettle harbored three vmp-types, of which V3 was predominant. V3 was the only type detected for nettle. Our data demonstrate that planthoppers might have acquired some 'Ca. P. solani' profiles from other plant hosts before landing on nettle or bindweed. Overall, the different vmp1 gene rearrangements observed in these two plant hosts-H. obsoletus systems might represent different adaptations of the pathogen to the two host plants. Molecular information about the complex of vmp-types provides useful data for better understanding of Bois noir epidemiology in vineyard agroecosystem., (© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aim: The Cri du Chat syndrome (SCdC / [OMIM #123450]) is a rare disease characterized by the deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5. The typical clinical features are the cat-like cry, microcephaly, a distinct facial phenotype and a severe psychomotor and mental retardation. The aim of this study was to provide an analysis on the data concerning the life quality and families assistance to whom have a child affected by Cri du Chat syndrome such as: the life's change of parents after the child's birth, the frequency of treatments, the collaboration between family and center of reference., Methods: We have also analyzed the improvement obtained, the type of school attended, the aide and the time spent at home in postprimary education. Through a questionnaire sent to 100 families, we have been picked up information on 76 patients., Results: These families have to adapt to the reality of a child with a rare genetic disorder for which there are no pharmacological or surgical therapies., Conclusion: Therefore, it seems important to give information and tips for dealing with the disease and the early start of rehabilitation and educational therapy.

Concentrations of aliphatic acids, phenolic acid, and inorganic nutrients, as well as hormone-like activity, were determined in soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) from two forest sites in N Italy showing differing degrees of silver fir regeneration. In the site where silver fir recruitment was abundant, humification processes prevailed, and the soil DOM had a high content in aliphatic and phenolic acids. This enhanced the hormone-like activity in the soil, which could in turn promote growth of silver fir seedlings. In the site with poor fir recruitment, the soil DOM underwent rapid mineralization and was richer in inorganic nutrients, but had lower concentrations of aliphatic and phenolic acids, and lower hormone-like activity.

The authors report the results obtained in a review of all of the young patients who have been found to be affected with vertebral deformity in an epidemiological study conducted during the academic years 1983-84 and 1984-85. There is predilection for the female sex, which is also more vulnerable to the risk of progression. Menarchal age constitutes the most important period for the progression of the deformity. The most frequent type of curve observed is the double primary one, in particular, right thoracic and left lumbar, which proved to be that most vulnerable to angular progression. The cases which in a previous screening had been defined risk cases were followed-up, and thanks to early diagnosis and suitable treatment surgery was not required in any of these.