International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. 4th edition

The fourth edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN) was prepared by the Steering Committee of the IAVS Working Group for Phytosociological Nomenclature (GPN). The edition consists of 14 Definitions, 7 Principles, 53 Articles, and 7 Appendices. When compared with the previous edition, the main amendments are: (a) the acceptance of electronic publications (Art. 1); (b) the introduction of binding decisions (Definition XIV, Principle II, Articles 1, 2b, 3c, 29b, 40, 42, 44, Appendices 6 and 7); (c) the mandatory use of the English or Latin terminology for syntaxonomic novelties (Definition II, Principle II, Articles 3d and 3i); (d) the introduction of autonyms for the main ranks when the corresponding secondary ranks are created (Articles 13b and 24); (e) the automatic correction of the taxon names (name-giving taxa) used in the names of syntaxa in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) (Article 44); (f) the possibility to mutate the name of a syntaxon in using other correct, alternative names for the name-giving taxa (Article 45); (g) the introduction of inadequate names, a new category of rejected names (Definition V, Articles 43 through 45); and (h) the introduction of a conserved type (Definition XIII, Article 53). The fourth edition of ICPN was approved by the GPN on 25 May 2019 and becomes effectively binding on 1 January 2021.     

Is the Oxidant/Antioxidant Status Altered in CADASIL Patients?

The altered aggregation of proteins in non-native conformation is associated with endoplasmic reticulum derangements, mitochondrial dysfunction and excessive production of reactive oxygen species. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a rare hereditary systemic vasculopathy, caused by NOTCH3 mutations within the receptor extracellular domain, that lead to abnormal accumulation of the mutated protein in the vascular wall. NOTCH3 misfolding could cause free radicals increase also in CADASIL. Aim of the study was to verify whether CADASIL patients have increased oxidative stress compared to unrelated healthy controls. We enrolled 15 CADASIL patients and 16 gender- and age-matched healthy controls with comparable cardiovascular risk factor. Blood and plasma reduced and total aminothiols (homocysteine, cysteine, glutathione, cysteinylglycine) were measured by HPLC and plasma 3-nitrotyrosine by ELISA. Only plasma reduced cysteine (Pr-Cys) and blood reduced glutathione (Br-GSH) concentrations differed between groups: in CADASIL patients Br-GSH levels were higher (p = 0.019) and Pr-Cys lower (p = 0.010) than in controls. No correlation was found between Br-GSH and Pr-Cys either in CADASIL patients (rho 0.25, P=0.36) or in controls (rho -0.15, P=0.44). Conversely, 3-nitrotyrosine values were similar in CADASIL and healthy subjects (p = 0.82). The high levels of antioxidant molecules and low levels of oxidant mediators found in our CADASIL population might either be expression of an effective protective action against free radical formation at an early stage of clinical symptoms or they could suggest that oxidative stress is not directly involved in the pathogenesis of CADASIL.     

Single-molecule analysis reveals cooperative stimulation of Rad51 filament nucleation and growth by mediator proteins

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Cancer surveillance in Italian army peacekeeping troops deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo, 1996–2007: Preliminary results

Objective: An excess of cancer cases was reported in 2000 among Italian troops involved in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. A preliminary assessment of cancer risk in this cohort was done for the period 1996–2007, based on cancer surveillance activity, which was started in 2001. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was done among 27 361 Italian Army soldiers deployed in Bosnia, 31 052 deployed in Kosovo, and a control group of non-deployed soldiers, whose number varies from 130 275 in 1996 to 40 967 in 2007. Standardized incidence ratio and 95% confidence intervals (SIR [95% CI]) of the main types of tumours were computed as the ratio of the observed and expected cases. Results: 98 incident cancers were reported among soldiers deployed in Bosnia, 66 in those stationed in Kosovo and 388 in non-deployed personnel. Overall, cancer incidence was lower than expected in all groups. Annual SIR was significantly higher than expected in 2000 for Hodgkin's lymphoma only among troops deployed in Bosnia (4.34 [1.18–11.12]) and non-deployed personnel (3.48 [1.67–6.39]); and in 2001 for thyroid cancer only among troops deployed in Bosnia (5.28 [1.44–13.51]). Conclusion: Although further investigation is needed, these preliminary results give no indication of an increased risk of cancer for Italian soldiers who were stationed in Bosnia and Kosovo. The cluster of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000 and of thyroid cancer in 2001 were sporadic events, they did not specifically affect deployed personnel and are unlikely to be related to environmental exposures in the Balkans.     

The Complete Female- and Male-Transmitted Mitochondrial Genome of Meretrix lamarckii

Bivalve mitochondrial genomes show many uncommon features, like additional genes, high rates of gene rearrangement, high A-T content. Moreover, Doubly Uniparental Inheritance (DUI) is a distinctive inheritance mechanism allowing some bivalves to maintain and transmit two separate sex-linked mitochondrial genomes. Many bivalve mitochondrial features, such as gene extensions or additional ORFs, have been proposed to be related to DUI but, up to now, this topic is far from being understood. Several species are known to show this unusual organelle inheritance but, being widespread only among Unionidae and Mytilidae, DUI distribution is unclear. We sequenced and characterized the complete female- (F) and male-transmitted (M) mitochondrial genomes of Meretrix lamarckii, which, in fact, is the second species of the family Veneridae where DUI has been demonstrated so far. The two mitochondrial genomes are comparable in length and show roughly the same gene content and order, except for three additional tRNAs found in the M one. The two sex-linked genomes show an average nucleotide divergence of 16%. A 100-aminoacid insertion in M. lamarckii M-cox2 gene was found; moreover, additional ORFs have been found in both F and M Long Unassigned Regions of M. lamarckii. Even if no direct involvement in DUI process has been demonstrated so far, the finding of cox2 insertions and supernumerary ORFs in M. lamarckii both strengthens this hypothesis and widens the taxonomical distribution of such unusual features. Finally, the analysis of inter-sex genetic variability shows that DUI species form two separate clusters, namely Unionidae and Mytilidae+Veneridae; this dichotomy is probably due to different DUI regimes acting on separate taxa.     

Industrial potential of lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are iron- or manganese-containing oxidative enzymes found in plants, animals, bacteria and fungi. LOXs catalyze the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids to the corresponding highly reactive hydroperoxides. Production of hydroperoxides by LOX can be exploited in different applications such as in bleaching of colored components, modification of lipids originating from different raw materials, production of lipid derived chemicals and production of aroma compounds. Most application research has been carried out using soybean LOX, but currently the use of microbial LOXs has also been reported. Development of LOX composition with high activity by heterologous expression in suitable production hosts would enable full exploitation of the potential of LOX derived reactions in different applications. Here, we review the biological role of LOXs, their heterologous production, as well as potential use in different applications. LOXs may fulfill an important role in the design of processes that are far more environmental friendly than currently used chemical reactions. Difficulties in screening for the optimal enzymes and producing LOX enzymes in sufficient amounts prevent large-scale application so far. With this review, we summarize current knowledge of LOX enzymes and the way in which they can be produced and applied.     

Atypical Antipsychotics as Augmentation Therapy in Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening and difficult to treat mental illness with the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder. We aimed to garner preliminary data on the real-world use of olanzapine and aripiprazole as augmentation agents of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in adult inpatients affected by AN. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical charts of patients who were hospitalized between 2012 and 2014. Patients were evaluated upon admission and discharge. We investigated eating symptomatology, and both general and eating psychopathology using: Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorders Scale. The charts of 75 patients were included in this study. The sample resulted equally distributed among those receiving SSRIs and either aripiprazole or olanzapine in addition to SSRIs. Notwithstanding a few baseline clinical differences, upon discharge all groups were significantly improved on all measures. Interestingly, aripiprazole showed the greatest effectiveness in reducing eating-related preoccupations and rituals with a large effect size. The body of evidence on medication management in AN is in dismal condition. Augmentation therapy is a well-established approach to a variety of mental disorders and it is often used in every-day clinical practice with patients affected by AN as well. Nevertheless, to date very little data is available on this topic. Results from our sample yielded promising results on the effectiveness of aripiprazole augmentation in reducing eating-related obsessions and compulsions. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these encouraging findings.