Cenni Ecologici su Alcune Piante Notevoli (O Nuove) per la Flora Romana e Loro Attivitàg nella Costituzione della Vegetazione Laziale

Summary

The A. notes some new localities of Latium in which he has found several plants interesting for their rarity, but chiefly for their phytogeographical features in reference to the stations in which these species were found. The following plants are for Latium as new: Bifora radians M. B., Cuscuta pentagona Eng., Lippia nodiflora Rich., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Lapsana hirta Ten.     

The Sequential Aerosol Technique: A Major Component in an Integrated Strategy of Intervention against Riverine Tsetse in Ghana

Background

An integrated strategy of intervention against tsetse flies was implemented in the Upper West Region of Ghana (9.62°–11.00° N, 1.40°–2.76° W), covering an area of ≈18,000 km² within the framework of the Pan-African Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Eradication Campaign. Two species were targeted: Glossina tachinoides and Glossina palpalis gambiensis.

Methodology/Principal Findings

The objectives were to test the potentiality of the sequential aerosol technique (SAT) to eliminate riverine tsetse species in a challenging subsection (dense tree canopy and high tsetse densities) of the total sprayed area (6,745 km²) and the subsequent efficacy of an integrated strategy including ground spraying (≈100 km²), insecticide treated targets (20,000) and insecticide treated cattle (45,000) in sustaining the results of tsetse suppression in the whole intervention area. The aerial application of low-dosage deltamethrin aerosols (0.33–0.35 g a.i/ha) was conducted along the three main rivers using five custom designed fixed-wings Turbo thrush aircraft. The impact of SAT on tsetse densities was monitored using 30 biconical traps deployed from two weeks before until two weeks after the operations. Results of the SAT monitoring indicated an overall reduction rate of 98% (from a pre-intervention mean apparent density per trap per day (ADT) of 16.7 to 0.3 at the end of the fourth and last cycle). One year after the SAT operations, a second survey using 200 biconical traps set in 20 sites during 3 weeks was conducted throughout the intervention area to measure the impact of the integrated control strategy. Both target species were still detected, albeit at very low densities (ADT of 0.27 inside sprayed blocks and 0.10 outside sprayed blocks).

Conclusions/Significance

The SAT operations failed to achieve elimination in the monitored section, but the subsequent integrated strategy maintained high levels of suppression throughout the intervention area, which will contribute to improving animal health, increasing animal production and fostering food security.     

Cost-Utility Analysis of Lopinavir/Ritonavir versus Atazanavir + Ritonavir Administered as First-Line Therapy for the Treatment of HIV Infection in Italy: From Randomised Trial to Real World

Objective

To estimate the lifetime cost utility of two antiretroviral regimens (once-daily atazanavir plus ritonavir [ATV+r] versus twice-daily lopinavir/ritonavir [LPV/r]) in Italian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients naïve to treatment.

Design

With this observational retrospective study we collected the clinical data of a cohort of HIV-infected patients receiving first-line treatment with LPV/r or ATV+r.

Methodology

A Markov microsimulation model including direct costs and health outcomes of first- and second-line highly active retroviral therapy was developed from a third-party (Italian National Healthcare Service) payer’s perspective. Health and monetary outcomes associated with the long-term use of ATV+r and LPV/r regimens were evaluated on the basis of eight health states, incidence of diarrhoea and hyperbilirubinemia, AIDS events, opportunistic infections, coronary heart disease events and, for the first time in an economic evaluation, chronic kidney disease (CKD) events. In order to account for possible deviations between real-life data and randomised controlled trial results, a second control arm (ATV+r 2) was created with differential transition probabilities taken from the literature.

Results

The average survival was 24.061 years for patients receiving LPV/r, 24.081 and 24.084 for those receiving ATV+r 1 and 2 respectively. The mean quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were higher for the patients receiving LPV/r than those receiving ATV+r (13.322 vs. 13.060 and 13.261 for ATV+r 1 and 2). The cost-utility values were 15,310.56 for LPV/r, 15,902.99 and 15,524.85 for ATV+r 1 and 2.

Conclusions

Using real-life data, the model produced significantly different results compared with other studies. With the innovative addition of an evaluation of CKD events, the model showed a cost-utility value advantage for twice-daily LPV/r over once-daily ATV+r, thus providing evidence for its continued use in the treatment of HIV.     

Rat model of fractionated (2 Gy/day) 60 Gy irradiation of the liver: long-term effects

The liver is considered a radiosensitive organ. However, in rats, high single-dose irradiation (HDI) showed only mild effects. Consequences of fractionated irradiation (FI) in such an animal model have not been studied so far. Rats were exposed to selective liver FI (total dose 60 Gy, 2 Gy/day) or HDI (25 Gy) and were killed three months after the end of irradiation. To study acute effects, HDI-treated rats were additionally killed at several time points between 1 and 48 h. Three months after irradiation, no differences between FI and HDI treatment were found for macroscopically detectable small “scars” on the liver surface and for an increased number of neutrophil granulocytes distributed in the portal fields and through the liver parenchyma. As well, no changes in HE-stained tissues or clear signs of fibrosis were found around the portal vessels. Differences were seen for the number of bile ducts being increased in FI- but not in HDI-treated livers. Serum levels indicative of liver damage were determined for alkaline phosphatase (AP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (γGT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A significant increase of AP was detected only after FI while HDI led to the significant increases of AST and LDH serum levels. By performing RT-PCR, we detected up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases, MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-14, and of their inhibitors, TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and TIMP-3, shortly after HDI, but not at 3 month after FI or HDI. Overall, we saw punctual differences after FI and HDI, and a diffuse formation of small scars at the liver surface. Lack of “provisional clot”-formation and absence of recruitment of mononuclear phagocytes could be one explanation for scar formation as incomplete repair response to irradiation.     

In vitro production of embryos in South American camelids

Studies in reproductive biotechnology techniques have been minimal in South American camelids (SAC). Complex reproductive characteristics of these species contribute to slow progress. Nevertheless, some techniques, such as in vitro fertilization, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and nuclear transfer have been applied and have produced advances in knowledge on embryo environment and in vitro conditions necessary for development. Embryo production may have a high impact in both domestic and wild camelids population. Studies addressed to improve in vitro embryo production and oocyte collection could be a potential key to develop IVF and embryo production as a routine procedure in camelids.     

New records of Cynipidae (Hymenoptera) from Italy

New records of Cynipid gall wasps and inquilines for the Italian peninsula and Sicily and their new host plants for the Palaearctic Region are listed and commented on. Among them we find: Cerroneuroterus cerrifloralis (Müllner 1901) as new for Italy and new for the Palaearctic region as host on Quercus suber; Andricus multiplicatus Giraud 1859 on Q. suber, as new host for the Palaearctic region; Aylax papaveris (Perris 1839), reported in Italy over a century ago, but later overlooked; Cerroneuroterus minutulus (Giraud 1859), also reported more than a century ago from Sicily, but later overlooked. Among the inquilines are here listed: Synergus variabilis Mayr 1872, emerged from Janetia cerris (Kollar 1850) galls (Diptera Cecidomyiidae), and found for the first time in the Palaearctic Region as host on Q. suber; Saphonecrus haimi (Mayr 1872) and Saphonecrus barbotini Pujade-Villar & Nieves-Aldrey 1986, are new records for Italy.     

Genetic and molecular characterization of the human Osteosarcoma 3AB‐OS cancer stem cell line: A possible model for studying osteosarcoma origin and stemness

Finding new treatments targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) within a tumor seems to be critical to halt cancer and improve patient survival. Osteosarcoma is an aggressive tumor affecting adolescents, for which there is no second‐line chemotherapy. Uncovering new molecular mechanisms underlying the development of osteosarcoma and origin of CSCs is crucial to identify new possible therapeutic strategies. Here, we aimed to characterize genetically and molecularly the human osteosarcoma 3AB‐OS CSC line, previously selected from MG63 cells and which proved to have both in vitro and in vivo features of CSCs. Classic cytogenetic studies demonstrated that 3AB‐OS cells have hypertriploid karyotype with 71–82 chromosomes. By comparing 3AB‐OS CSCs to the parental cells, array CGH, Affymetrix microarray, and TaqMan® Human MicroRNA array analyses identified 49 copy number variations (CNV), 3,512 dysregulated genes and 189 differentially expressed miRNAs. Some of the chromosomal abnormalities and mRNA/miRNA expression profiles appeared to be congruent with those reported in human osteosarcomas. Bioinformatic analyses selected 196 genes and 46 anticorrelated miRNAs involved in carcinogenesis and stemness. For the first time, a predictive network is also described for two miRNA family (let‐7/98 and miR‐29a,b,c) and their anticorrelated mRNAs (MSTN, CCND2, Lin28B, MEST, HMGA2, and GHR), which may represent new biomarkers for osteosarcoma and may pave the way for the identification of new potential therapeutic targets. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1189–1201, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.