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The leaf growth and anatomy, together with the soil and plant water status of Burley tobacco, cultivated in open field, was monitored at 55 and 76 days after transplanting. Leaf dry matter was also considered. Three irrigation levels (40, 80 and 120% restitution of ET) were factorially combined with two levels of nitrogen fertilization (240 kg ha-1 and a control treatment not fertilized with nitrogen). The following thickness measurement were carried out on all samples: adaxial and abaxial epidermid, palisade tissue, spongy tissue and the whole leaf thickness. Moreover two diametric measurements of each cell designated as "A and B" were also taken. The AxB product was considered as cell dimension. The water volume influenced soil and plant water status, particularly leaf turgor pressure, while nitrogen fertilization did not affected plant water status. Leaf area, leaf thickness and cell size were linearly related to leaf turgor pressure. Leaf area, dry matter and leaf thickness increased with increasing water volume. Nitrogen fertilization positively influenced leaf area and negatively leaf thickness, the same trend was observed for tissues thicknesses, particularly for the spongy tissue. Water volume increased cell size, while nitrogen fertilization, on average, decreased cell size. This nitrogen effect was observed only with high water volumes, while with the lower irrigation volume (40% ET) cell size and tissue thickness increased with nitrogen availability (240 kg ha-1).

Nine potato cultivars were field-grown to determine relative growth rate (RGR), crop growth rate (CGR) and tuber growth rate (TGR) in order to ascertain which of these parameters, namely leaf area ratio (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass ratio (LMR), leaf area index (LAI) and net assimilation rate (NAR), are most closely correlated with the differences among the cultivars in RGR, CGR and TGR. Nine samplings were carried, for short-cycle, and 11 for long-cycle cultivars, every seven days. The relations between all the indexes considered for all cultivars were analysed with simple linear correlation, separately for weekly data, every four and eight weeks. The data were also subjected to multivariate analysis with the three-stage least squares estimation method. Relations between RGR, CGR and TGR, and LAR, LMR, SLA, LAI and NAR, varied according to the length of the measurement interval and analytical method employed. Based on simple correlation analysis for seven-day periods, RGR CGR and TGR always proved closely and positively correlated with values of NAR, less so with LAR and LMR, and still less with LAI, and only slightly correlated with SLA. For four-week intervals, correlation with NAR appeared weak and for eight-week intervals even negative, while the relation with LAR and LAI increased. From multivariate analysis it emerged that the predominant factor affecting RGR was LAR which, together with LAI, negatively conditions NAR. Upon CGR and TGR an important role is played by LAI which directly and positively affects CGR and TGR, and negatively NAR. Time always showed a negative effect on NAR and positive on RGR and CGR, while LAR had a negative effect on NAR, CGR and TGR.In conclusion, for short periods the differences between cultivars in RGR, CGR and TGR appear chiefly explained by variations in NAR. For long periods and considering the relations among the various traits evidenced by multivariate analysis, the importance of NAR appears less marked, while the morphological traits, namely LAR in determining RGR and LAI for CGR and TGR, assume greater importance.Read Complete Article at ijSciences: V2201305162

Background: The prevalence of certain multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), especially Gram-negative bacteria, is dramatically increasing in patient care settings, including pediatric and neonatal units. However, most of the new drugs available for the treatment of MDROs have not yet been studied in children and newborns. Case report: We report the clinical case of a preterm neonate, born at 31weeks gestation + 1day of age by emergency Cesarean Section(CS), with a bloodstream infection (BSI) due to a Verona integron-borne metallo-β-lactamase (VIM)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. We successfully treated the infection with cefiderocol in an off-label regimen at the following dose: loading dose 60mg/kg and then 40mg/kg every 8h in extended infusion for 9days. The baby showed a quick clinical and biochemical improvement and tolerated wellthe treatment. Follow-up blood cultures at 48h after the start of cefiderocol were negative. Conclusions: Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens are of increasing concern in neonatal settings. More studies in this unique population are necessary to better describe the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of the new drugs against MDROs, such as cefiderocol, and to define a proper effective dose.

Aim Dysphagia is a known complication in Pompe Disease (PD), a severe metabolic myopathy due to alpha-glucosidase deficiency. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alglucosidase alfa is the only approved therapy for PD. Presently no data are available on the effects of ERT on dysphagia in PD patients. The aim of this work is to evaluate the course of this complication in a 6 years old boy affected by PD after treatment with ERT. Methods Dysphagia was assessed by Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) at baseline, before the start of ERT and after 36 months of therapy. We used the Dysphagia Severity Rating Scale (DSS) to define the severity grade of dysphagia. Results VFSS performed at baseline revealed complete incoordination of oral stage swallowing which was classified as a grade 1 dysphagia according to DSS. After 36 months of treatment VFSS revealed normal swallowing, classified as grade 0 by DSS. Conclusion Our results suggest that ERT is effective in improving dysphagia. VFSS may be a useful tool to investigate and monitor swallowing disorders in patients affected by PD.

Background: Elevated plasma concentrations of fibrinogen have been found in patients after stroke. Previous studies have demonstrated that high plasma fibrinogen levels are a risk factor for cerebral and myocardial infarction; thus, there has been increasing interest in drugs that can lower these levels. Mesoglycan is an extractive mucopolysaccharide complex of heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate, with antithrombotic and profibrinolytic properties. Objective: The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the effects of these drugs on functional and immunologic plasma fibrinogen levels and other coagulative parameters. Methods: Criteria for patient enrollment were previous ischemic stroke in the carotid area, a baseline plasma fibrinogen level ≥350 mg/dL, and age >40 years. Patients were randomized into 2 groups, 1 receiving mesoglycan and 1 receiving ticlopidine. Mesoglycan and ticlopidine were orally administered at dosages of 50 mg BID and 250 mg BID, respectively, for 2 months. Results: After 2 months of treatment, we found slight but statistically significant reductions of both functional (P = 0.01) and immunologic (P < 0.05) plasma fibrinogen levels in the group receiving mesoglycan; in the ticlopidine-treated group, these reductions were also significant (P < 0.01 for both). In both groups, this effect was transient; it disappeared 15 days after the end of treatment. No statistically significant changes in prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, or prothrombin 1 and 2 fragments were found. No serious side effects were reported. Conclusions: These results suggest that mesoglycan was tolerable and reduced plasma fibrinogen levels without interfering with other coagulative parameters. Additional, larger studies are required to confirm these hypotheses.

Production of superoxide anions in the incubation medium of hippocampal slices can induce long-term potentiation (LTP). Other reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide are able to modulate LTP and are likely to be involved in aging mechanisms. The present study explored whether intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of oxidant or antioxidant molecules could affect LTP in vivo. With this aim in mind, field excitatory post-synaptic potentials (fEPSPs) elicited by stimulation of the perforant pathway were recorded in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation in urethane-anesthetized rats. N-acetyl-Lcysteine, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or hypoxanthine/xanthineoxidase solution (a superoxide producing system) were administrated by ICV injection. The control was represented by a group injected with saline ICV. Ten minutes after the injection, LTP was induced in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus by high frequency stimulation of the perforant pathway. Neither the H2O2 injection or the N-acetyl-L-cysteine injection caused any variation in the fEPSP at the 10-min post-injection time point, whereas the superoxide generating system caused a significant increase in the fEPSP. Moreover, at 60 min after tetanic stimulation, all treatments attenuated LTP compared with the control group. These results show that ICV administration of oxidant or antioxidant molecules can modulate LTP in vivo in the dentate gyrus. Particularly, a superoxide producing system can induce potentiation of the synaptic response. Interestingly, ICV injection of oxidants or antioxidants prevented a full expression of LTP compared to the saline injection.