Search

Introduction The concept of “weekend effect”, that is, substandard healthcare during weekends, has never been fully demonstrated, and the different outcomes of emergency surgical patients admitted during weekends may be due to different conditions at admission and/or different therapeutic approaches. Aim of this international audit was to identify any change of pattern of emergency surgical admissions and treatments during weekends. Furthermore, we aimed at investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the alleged “weekend effect”. Methods The database of the CovidICE-International Study was interrogated, and 6263 patients were selected for analysis. Non-trauma, 18+ yo patients admitted to 45 emergency surgery units in Europe in the months of March–April 2019 and March–April 2020 were included. Demographic and clinical data were anonymised by the referring centre and centrally collected and analysed with a statistical package. This study was endorsed by the Association of Italian Hospital Surgeons (ACOI) and the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES). Results Three-quarters of patients have been admitted during workdays and only 25.7% during weekends. There was no difference in the distribution of gender, age, ASA class and diagnosis during weekends with respect to workdays. The first wave of the COVID pandemic caused a one-third reduction of emergency surgical admission both during workdays and weekends but did not change the relation between workdays and weekends. The treatment was more often surgical for patients admitted during weekends, with no difference between 2019 and 2020, and procedures were more often performed by open surgery. However, patients admitted during weekends had a threefold increased risk of laparoscopy-to-laparotomy conversion (1% vs. 3.4%). Hospital stay was longer in patients admitted during weekends, but those patients had a lower risk of readmission. There was no difference of the rate of rescue surgery between weekends and workdays. Subgroup analysis revealed that interventional procedures for hot gallbladder were less frequently performed on patients admitted during weekends. Conclusions Our analysis revealed that demographic and clinical profiles of patients admitted during weekends do not differ significantly from workdays, but the therapeutic strategy may be different probably due to lack of availability of services and skillsets during weekends. The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact on this difference.

Six stable hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to Grapevine virus D (GVD) were obtained by fusing spleen cells of immunized BALB/c mice with mouse myeloma cell line Sp 2/0-Ag 14, In ELISA all MAbs detected the virus in Nicotiana leaf extracts or cortical shavings from mature grapevine canes, The use of a polyclonal antiserum for coating plates and of monoclonal antibodies and antimouse-conjugated antibodies for antigen detection, gave highly efficient and reproducible results for identification of GVD in field-grown grapevines. The reliability of the ELISA kit was confirmed by GVD-transmission tests to herbaceous hosts, using in vitro explants as inoculum, 223 vines affected by one or more of the 4 syndroms of the rugose wood complex (Kober stem grooving, Corky bark, LN stem grooving and Rupestris stem pitting) were tested in ELISA for the detection of Grapevine virus A (GVA), Grapevine virus B (GVB) and GVD and by Western blot for the detection of Grapevine rupestris stem pitting associated virus (GRSPaV). The possible cause-effect relationship between GVA and KSG, GVB and Co, and GRSPaV and RSP was confirmed, but no consistent association was found between GVD and any of the 4 above syndromes, Intriguingly, a reduction in the expression of stem pitting symptoms in V. rupestris (from 90 % to 75 %) and of stem grooving symptoms in Kober 5BB (from 95 % to 70 %) was observed when vitiviruses and GRSPaV were contemporarily present in the same indicator. Preliminary data of a survey involving 676 grapevine samples showed a high incidence (31 %) of GVD, regardless of the geographical origin of samples., VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 40 No. 2 (2001): Vitis

An epidemiological study aimed to identify potential insect vectors was carried out on a Vermentino and Chardonnay vineyard in north Sardinia (Italy) which was affected by “Bois noir” phytoplasma disease. The Auchenorrhyncha populations were monitored from April to November in 2003 and 2004, using sweep net. The following insects were captured: Delphacidae (Laodelphax striatellus), a Cercopidae, Cicadellidae Deltocephalinae (Agallia ribauti, Eupelix cuspidata, Euscelis lineolatus, Euscelidius variegatus, Exitianus taeniaticeps, Goniagnathus guttulinervis, Neoaliturus fenestratus, N. guttulatus, Phlepsius intricatus, Psammotettix alienus and Tamnotettix zelleri) and Typhlocybinae (Empoasca vitis and Zyginidia scutellaris). In 2003 the molecular analyses (PCR and RFLP), carried out on insects samples, were aimed to assess the presence of the 16SrXII phytoplasma group, while in 2004 the detection was also extended to other groups. In total, 121 DNA samples belonging to 9 species of leafhoppers were amplified and digested with the MseI restriction endonuclease. In 2003 the DNA was extracted and amplified in direct PCR with the universal primers R16F2/R2, then a nested PCR with the specific primers R16(I)F1/R1 (Lee et al., 1995) was carried out. The amplified products were digested with the MseI restriction endonuclease, electrophoresed in agarose gel at 2% and visualised in a GEL DOC. In 2004 the extracted DNA was amplified in direct PCR with P1/P7, followed by two nested-PCR. The primers used in the first round were F1/B6 and in the second R16F2/R2 (Duduk et al., 2004). The amplified products were digested with TruI, RsaI and SspI, and then after electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel at 5%, were visualised in an UV transilluminator. Results showed that the following species were infected: G. guttulinervis, in September was infected by a 16SrXII-A phytoplasma, Stolbur group (Garau et al., 2004); E. lineolatus in the preimaginal state in May and in the adult form in June and L. striatellus in October were infected by a 16SrI-C phytoplasmas, Aster yellows group. P. alienus was infected in different samples by phytoplasmas 16SrI-C and 16SrI-B. A Cercopidae was positive to 16SrX-A phytoplasmas, Apple proliferation group, in July. P. alienus is here reported as a new natural host for two aster yellows phytoplasma subgroups, 16SrI-C and 16SrI-B. Preliminary detection on samples from Chardonnay plants showed presence of 16SrI-B phytoplasmas, which indicate that the grapevine is probably involved in the lifecycle of this prokaryote in this specific environment. No positive results were obtained from spontaneous flora for the pathogens under investigation.

Myrtus communis L., a bushy species of Mediterranean maquis, covers thousands of hectares in Sardinia (Italy). It is found from the coast to the interior of the island and in different soils and climatic zones. The berries and the leafy biomass are used in the food industry and, in the present case in the production of liquors. These liquors are Red Mirto, which is made from cold infusions of the berries in hydro-alcoholic solution, and White Mirto, which is made in the same way but using the young leaves. These products are very popular with around three million bottles a year being sold, and have a growing market. Given the species importance for the regional economy, many studies have been made in recent decades which have increased our knowledge of the process of domestication by defining the best cultivation techniques. Nowadays many cultivars which have been selected for their productive characteristics are available in the nurseries. In this context the sanitary status of the plants is of great importance. In 2003, during field studies comparing the performance of different cultivars, a severe series of symptoms was observed. The syndrome, although prevalent in certain cultivars, affected the majority of the plants, and was characterised by significant vegetative anomalies. These were a yellowing of the leaves showing also witches’-broom aspects, and strong microphyllia. The basal vegetation was prostrate and abnormally striped. As the epidemic developed, the previously mentioned alterations quickly spread from some plants to other on the rows, and, over a period of two years, to the entire plot, although the seriousness of the infection varied from plant to plant. These symptoms could be related to phytoplasmas infection resembling those mentioned by Camele et al. (1996). Studies aimed to assess the phytoplasmas presence were carried out in the autumn of 2004 on six samples of vein tissue from affected plants collected from two different fields. The plant DNA was extracted and amplified in direct PCR with universal primers (P1/P7), in nested PCR with F1/B6, and in a second nested PCR with R16F2n/R2 (Gundersen et al., 1996). The amplified products digested with TruI allowed to identify 16SrIII-B phytoplasma (reference strain Clover yellow edge) on one sample and 16SrX phytoplasma group, on the others. To confirm these results the F1/B6 products were further amplified in nested PCR with R16(X)F1/R1. The RFLP analyses with RsaI and SspI, allowed to identify the phytoplasmas as belonging to the 16SrX-A subgroup (reference strain Apple proliferation). A further nested PCR with R16(I)F1/R1 on the F1/B6 template, after RFLP with TruI, showed that 16SrXII-A phytoplasmas were present, in mixed infection with 16SrX-A, in two samples. This is the first time, as far as we know, that phytoplasmas 16SrIII-B, 16SrX-A and 16SrXII-A are detected on Myrtus communis. Epidemiological and molecular studies are in progress towards designing the possibility to contain further disease spreading.

International audience; Aim: Evaluation of the genetic variability of stolbur phytoplasma infecting grapevines, bindweeds and vegetables, collected in different central and southern Italian regions. Materials and Results: Phytoplasma isolates belonging to stolbur subgroup 16SrXII-A were subjected to molecular characterization by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP), to investigate two different nonribosomal genes: tuf and vmp1. In grapevines, 32% of samples were infected by tuf-a type and 68% by tuf-b type, with different relative incidences in the regions surveyed. All herbaceous samples (bindweeds, tomato, tobacco, pepper, celery) were infected by tuf-b. The gene vmp1 showed higher polymorphism in grapevines (nine profiles) than herbaceous plants (six) by RFLP analysis, in agreement with nucleotide sequences’ analysis and virtual digestions. Conclusions: The phylogenetic analysis of vmp1 gene sequences supports the RFLP data and demonstrates the accuracy of RFLP for preliminary assessments of genetic diversity of stolbur phytoplasmas and for screening different vmp types. Significance and Impact of the Study: Stolbur represents a serious phytosanitary problem in the areas under investigation, owing to heavy economic losses in infected grapevines and vegetables. Molecular information about the complex genotyping of the vmp1 gene provides useful data towards a better understanding of stolbur epidemiology. Moreover, this study clarifies some different vmp1 genotype classifications of stolbur, providing molecular data in comparison with previous investigations.

Myrtus communis is a bushy species of the Mediterranean area that produce very popular liquor: Red mirto and White mirto. Preliminary studies in North Sardinia, resulted in the observation of a severe symptomatology associated with phytoplasma presence. These studies continued, and recently a total of 33 symptomatic plants belonging to different cultivars in two plantations were mapped and repeatedly tested using molecular methods. Phytoplasmas belonging to the 16SrI, 16SrII-F, 16SrIII, 16SrV-A, 16SrX-A, and 16SrXII-A subgroups were identified. Molecular assays on potential insect vectors showed that 16SrX-A+16SrI-B, 16SrXII-A and 16SrIII subgroups were present.

Submitted by Texeira Ana (atanateixeira@gmail.com) on 2012-10-26T19:53:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Melo, S.A.B..pdf: 119977 bytes, checksum: 2be0860c7b8fb5848a2c2567f1ab3fcd (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-26T19:53:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Melo, S.A.B..pdf: 119977 bytes, checksum: 2be0860c7b8fb5848a2c2567f1ab3fcd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2000-09 Supercritical CO2 extraction of essential oil from Thymus vulgaris leaves was studied using experimental data recently obtained in the Florys S.p.A. laboratory. Mass transfer coefficients in the supercritical and solid phases from extraction curves at 40°C and 20 MPa were evaluated using a mathematical model based on the local adsorption equilibrium of essential oil on lipid in leaves. The adsorption equilibrium constant was fitted to these experimental data, and internal and external mass transfer resistances were calculated, allowing identification of the mechanism controlling the extraction process. São Paulo

Research Note Grapevine trichovirus A (GVA) and grapevine trichovirus B (GVB) were successfully transferred with bulk transmission trials under controlled conditions, from infected grapevines to herbaceous hosts by Pseudococcus affinis MASK., a pseudococcid mealybug that may attack grapevines. P. affinis is the fourth mealybug species capable of vectoring GVA and GVB, confirming that transmission by mealybugs of grapevine trichoviruses may not be species-specific., VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 34 No. 1 (1995): Vitis

Investigations were carried out to establish possible correlations of two diseases of the rugose wood complex, i.e. Rupestris stem pitting (RSP) and Kober stem grooving (KSG) with grapevine virus A (GVA) and grapevine leafroll associated viruses I (GLRaV I) and III (GLRaV III). To this purpose 84 clonal accessions of different wine grape cultivars were analyzed by ELISA and by indexing onto the indicators Vitis rupestris, Kober 5BB and LN 33. The results obtained clearly indicated that none of the viruses taken into consideration is apparently involved in the etiology of RSP. Conversely, a remarkably close association of GVA with KSG was discovered., VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 33 No. 3 (1994): Vitis