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Weed control is the most difficult and enduring challenge in organic crop production systems. Managing weeds below economic thresholds is critical since most growers face significant yield penalty during the initial years of organic transition. There is renewed interest in using integrated weed management strategies that involve cultural, mechanical, biological, and biochemical approaches to support crop production and enhance ecosystem services. In this chapter, we discussed current weed management issues faced by growers such as soil and water conservation, farming systems and farm characteristics, farmers' perception of weeds, knowledge gaps and a reductionist approach to weed control, climate change impact and species shift, and technology availability and cost. We also discussed emerging opportunities such as cultural (cover crops, crop rotation, conservation tillage, agronomic configurations, sanitary measures, plant breeding, grain-forage systems), mechanical (hoeing, intra-row cultivation, hot and cold treatment, harvest weed seed control, flame weeding, electrocution, and abrasive grit), biochemical (bioherbicides, fatty acids, and allelopathic effect), biological (insect herbivores, plant pathogens, and microbial bioherbicides), and other novel technologies (precision farming, lasers and robotics, and mapping and forecasting), which may improve weed management while maximizing ecosystem services.

The Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) has expedited the chance for elderly patients with kidney failure to receive a timely transplant. This current study evaluated survival parameters of kidneys donated after brain death with or without matching for HLA-DR antigens. This cohort study evaluated the period within ESP with paired allocation of 675 kidneys from donors 65 years and older to transplant candidates 65 years and older, the first kidney to 341 patients within the Eurotransplant Senior DR-compatible Program and 334 contralateral kidneys without (ESP) HLA-DR antigen matching. We used Kaplan-Meier estimates and competing risk analysis to assess all cause mortality and kidney graft failure, respectively. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression were used for comparisons. Within ESP, matching for HLA-DR antigens was associated with a significantly lower five-year risk of mortality (hazard ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.53-0.95) and significantly lower cause-specific hazards for kidney graft failure and return to dialysis at one year (0.55; 0.35-0.87) and five years (0.73; 0.53-0.99) post-transplant. Allocation based on HLA-DR matching resulted in longer cold ischemia (mean difference 1.00 hours; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-1.68) and kidney offers with a significantly shorter median dialysis vintage of 2.4 versus 4.1 yrs. in ESP without matching. Thus, our allocation based on HLA-DR matching improved five-year patient and kidney allograft survival. Hence, our paired allocation study suggests a superior outcome of HLA-DR matching in the context of old-for-old kidney transplantation.

Many plant species monitor and respond to changes in day length (photoperiod) for aligning reproduction with a favourable season. Day length is measured in leaves and, when appropriate, leads to the production of floral stimuli called florigens that are transmitted to the shoot apical meristem to initiate inflorescence development1. Rice possesses two florigens encoded by HEADING DATE 3a(Hd3a) and RICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1(RFT1)2. Here we show that the arrival of Hd3a and RFT1 at the shoot apical meristem activates FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE 1(FT-L1), encoding a florigen-like protein that shows features partially differentiating it from typical florigens. FT-L1 potentiates the effects of Hd3a and RFT1 during the conversion of the vegetative meristem into an inflorescence meristem and organizes panicle branching by imposing increasing determinacy to distal meristems. A module comprising Hd3a, RFT1 and FT-L1 thus enables the initiation and balanced progression of panicle development towards determinacy.

L’objectif principal de cette étude est de rapporter les résultats actualisés per-, postopératoires et fonctionnels de la transplantation rénale robotique (TRR) de donneur vivant (DV), réalisées dans 17 centres européens.

Children's independent mobility (CIM), i.e., the autonomous travel and outdoor play without adult supervision, is crucial for child development. The literature on CIM has focused more on its predictors than its outcomes, and few existing reviews have primarily explored its contribution to children's physical well-being. The aim of this review is to analyze studies on the relation between CIM, particularly in (sub)urban neighborhoods, and children's psychological well-being variables.

In a world where many activities are carried out digitally, it is increasingly urgent to be able to formally represent the norms, policies, and contracts that regulate these activities in order to make them understandable and processable by machine. In multi-agent systems, the process to be followed by a person to choose a formal model of norms and transform a norm written in a natural language into a formal one by using the selected model is a demanding task. In this paper, we introduce a methodology to be followed by people to understand the fundamental elements that they should consider for this transformation. We will focus mainly on a methodology for formalizing norms using the T-Norm model, this is because it allows us to express a rich set of different types of norms. Nevertheless, the proposed methodology is general enough to also be used, in some of its steps, to formalize norms using other formal languages. In the definition of the methodology, we will explicitly state which types of norms can be expressed with a given model and which cannot. Since there is not yet a set of different types of norms that is sufficiently expressive and is recognized as valid by the Normative Mutiagent Systems (NorMAS) community, another goal of this paper is to propose and discuss a rich set of norms types that could be used to study the expressive power of different formal models of norms, to compare them, and to translate norms formalized with one language into norms written in another language.

ABSTRACTDespite recent progress in research on brain tumors, including identification of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), little is known about the interplay of stemness with the commonly observed infection by the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and the widespread features of replication stress in these malignancies. To shed more light on these outstanding issues, here we combine immunohistochemical analysis of archival clinical specimens from a cohort of 25 human pediatric medulloblastomas, complemented by functional experiments and analytical approaches to examine three medulloblastoma cell lines. In the clinical samples, we find consistent, yet individually variable subsets of CSCs expressing the stem-cell markers CD133 and CD15, and a candidate marker VEGFR2, across the spectrum of endogenous DNA damage (γH2AX), expression of HCMV immediate early and late proteins, proliferation rate (Ki67) or molecular class of MB. Contrary to MB cell lines DAOY and D324, the D283 cells showed pronounced phenotypic features of stemness, associated with enhanced endogenous DNA damage, exceptionally high susceptibility to infection with HCMV, unorthodox signaling pathway response to ionizing radiation and hyperactive response to hydroxyurea-induced replication stress. Notably, single-molecule DNA fiber analysis revealed aberrantly slow replication fork progression, pronounced fork asymmetry and inability to timely recover from drug-induced fork stalling in stem-like D283 cells, all hallmarks of pronounced chronic replication stress and propensity to genomic instability. These findings provide insights into human medulloblastoma stemness phenotypes, with various susceptibilities to infection by HCMV and impact on replication fork (mal)function, with implications for better understanding pathogenesis and responses to treatment in pediatric brain malignancies.Abbreviations: CSC: cancer stem-like cells; FBS: fetal bovine serum; HCMV: human cytomegalovirus; MB: medulloblastoma; MBSC: medulloblastoma stem cells; MOI: multiplicity of infection; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; RPA: replication protein A; RS: replication stress; SHH: sonic hedgehog; VEGFR2: vascular endothelia growth factor receptor 2.

Long-term nitrogen (N) fertilization imposes strong selection on nitrifying communities in agricultural soil, but how a progressively changing niche affects potentially active nitrifiers in the field remains poorly understood. Using a 44-year grassland fertilization experiment, we investigated community shifts of active nitrifiers by DNA-based stable isotope probing (SIP) of field soils that received no fertilization (CK), high levels of organic cattle manure (HC), and chemical N fertilization (CF). Incubation of DNA-SIP microcosms showed significant nitrification activities in CF and HC soils, whereas no activity occurred in CK soils. The 44 years of inorganic N fertilization selected only 13C-ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), whereas cattle slurry applications created a niche in which both ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and AOB could be actively 13C-labeled. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Nitrosospirasp. 62-like AOB dominated inorganically fertilized CF soils, while Nitrosospirasp. 41-like AOB were abundant in organically fertilized HC soils. The 13C-AOA in HC soils were affiliated with the 29i4 lineage. The 13C-nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were dominated by both Nitrospira-and Nitrobacter-like communities in CF soils, and the latter was overwhelmingly abundant in HC soils. The 13C-labeled nitrifying communities in SIP microcosms of CF and HC soils were largely similar to those predominant under field conditions. These results provide direct evidence for a strong selection of distinctly active nitrifiers after 44 years of different fertilization regimes in the field. Our findings imply that niche differentiation of nitrifying communities could be assessed as a net result of microbial adaption over 44 years to inorganic and organic N fertilization in the field, where distinct nitrifiers have been shaped by intensified anthropogenic N input.

Nach einer radikalen Prostatektomie hat der PSA-Wert auf ein Minimallevel abzufallen (untere Grenze der Messbarkeit) und dann unverändert zu bleiben. Steigt er über eine Grenze von 0,25 ng/ml an, muss man von einem biochemischen Rezidiv ausgehen. Dieses ist in jedem Fall der Vorbote eines klinischen Rezidivs, das behandelt werden muss. Dabei ist unerheblich, ob der Patient daran sterben wird oder nicht.

In this paper, we attempt to investigate the pedagogical value of visual social media platforms, specifically Instagram, for the development of the online social presence of language classes. Students in intermediate university-level French and Italian classes used Instagram for a six-week period to reply to a series of questions prompted by the instructor as a way to engage in interaction with their own classmates. This research examines how students establish a community of inquiry (CoI) and investigates the development of social presence in students’ posts. Using a mixed methods approach, we performed a content analysis of the transcripts of Instagram posts, coding for social presence. Given the visual nature of Instagram, we also conducted a visual analysis of representative posts to investigate the multimodal projection of social presence. Additionally, we administered voluntary pre-questionnaires to capture demographic data and students’ experience with Instagram. We analyzed the data using the social presence density calculation and performed basic statistical analyses. Findings indicate that students did build online social presence, which can promote the development of a CoI. Both language groups performed in similar ways, which may be a result of the tool rather than the language and context. This finding is consistent with the general use of visual social media as a tool for self-expression, self-identity, and community building.

In several plant species, inflorescence formation is accompanied by stem elongation. Both processes are accelerated in rice upon perception of shortening days. Here, we show that PREMATURE INTERNODE ELONGATION 1(PINE1), encoding a rice zinc-finger transcription factor, reduces the sensitivity of the stem to gibberellin (GA). The florigens reduce PINE1expression to increase stem responsiveness to GA and promote flowering. These data indicate the existence of a regulatory network coordinating flowering and GA-dependent growth.

Buildings represent one of the leading energy consumers in the world and one of the largest CO2and particulate matter emitters, thus their impact is significant on both the environment and the human health. Heat pumps systems powered by renewable energy have been identified as a valid tool to address such a situation, but the diffusion of these energy efficient systems is still insufficient.

•A cluster analysis was conducted to identify distinct profiles of Insect based foods (IBF) consumption based on environmental concerns and food system opinions.•Four clusters emerged: Earth-Balance Responsibles, Green Consumers, Indifferents, and Greens but Meat-Saving.•Preferences for IBF were investigated visually: participante preferered dishes were the insect was not visible.•We investigated the association between traditional disgusting food and IBF: a constant, albeit small association between them was found, especially in foods where the insect is visible.

Reputation is a socially mediated form of knowledge. In social psychology it has been studied with reference to different social actors (individuals, brands, cities, etc). However, the social-psychological conceptualization of city reputation lacks a consensual definition. This research aims to operationally define city reputation, via the construction and validation of the City Reputation Indicators (CRIs). The first and preliminary study (N= 62) defines the underlying dimensions via six focus groups held in two Italian cities that differ in terms of their political/administrative and socio-demographic features. The second study (N= 362) tests the properties of CRIs via a survey administered in Rome. Results show a first validation of the 12 CRIs’ scales, which represent a basic tool for the assessment of people’s perception of a city. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed, as well as development perspectives for improvements.

Intercropping is commonly practiced worldwide because of its benefits to plant productivity and resource-use efficiency. Belowground interactions in these species-diverse agro-ecosystems can greatly contribute to enhancing crop yields; however, our understanding remains quite limited of how plant roots might interact to influence crop biomass, photosynthetic rates, and the regulation of different proteins involved in CO2 fixation and photosynthesis. We address this research gap by using a pot experiment that included three root-barrier treatments with full, partial and no root interactions between foxtail millet (Setaria italica (L.) P.Beauv.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) across two growing seasons. Biomass of millet and peanut plants in the treatment with full root interaction was 3.4 and 3.0 times higher, respectively, than in the treatment with no root interaction. Net photosynthetic rates also significantly increased by 112–127% and 275–306% in millet and peanut, respectively, with full root interaction compared with no root interaction. Root interactions (without barriers) contributed to the upregulation of key proteins in millet plants (i.e. ribulose 1,5-biphosphate carboxylase; chloroplast β-carbonic anhydrase; phosphoglucomutase, cytoplasmic 2; and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase) and in peanut plants (i.e. ribulose 1,5-biphosphate carboxylase; glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; and phosphoglycerate kinase). Our results provide experimental evidence of a molecular basis that interspecific facilitation driven by positive root interactions can contribute to enhancing plant productivity and photosynthesis.

Ludwig's angina is a rare aggressive infection, often of dental origin, characterized by a rapid spread of cellulitis in the submandibular and sublingual spaces. Ludwig's angina is potentially fatal, if it obstructs the airways and if it is not treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Ein adäquates Tumorscreening zur Detektion maligner Neoplasien vor und nach Organtransplantation ist ein im Langzeitverlauf einer Transplantation, neben der Behandlung von kardiovaskulären sowie von metabolischen Erkrankungen, äußerst wichtiger Bestandteil, der jedoch bisweilen eine Herausforderung für unsere Hochleistungsmedizin darstellt. Bezüglich der Neoplasien bei transplantierten Patienten sind präexistente von (mit)transplantierten von De-novo-Neoplasien zu unterscheiden. Die Risikofaktoren für diese Tumorgenese sind multifaktoriell und insbesondere durch eine präexistente sowie die post transplantationem künstlich geschaffene Immunsuppression bedingt. So ist das Risiko für einen Patienten mit terminaler Niereninsuffizienz, bereits während der Dialyse an einer Neoplasie zu erkranken, deutlich höher, wobei anteilig etwa 30 % dieser Neoplasien den Urogenitaltrakt betreffen. Ein regelmäßiges Tumorscreening mittels klinischer und laborchemischer Untersuchungen, Sonographie sowie konsiliarisch gynäkologischer und urologischer Vorstellung scheint daher bereits im Rahmen der Dialysezeit essenziell. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, eine Neoplasie mit einem Spenderorgan zu übertragen, ist derweil gering und wird in der Literatur mit 0,2 % angegeben. Weit häufiger sind die De-novo-Neoplasien, welche eine Prävalenz von 3–26 % vorweisen und folglich im Vergleich zur Normalbevölkerung 4‑ bis 5‑mal häufiger auftreten. Eine adäquate Tumorfrüherkennung ist hier für den Erhalt nicht nur der Transplantatfunktion, sondern auch für die Prognose des transplantierten Patienten entscheidend, sodass auch nach Transplantation ein klar definiertes Konzept eines engmaschigen Tumorscreenings in interdisziplinärer Kooperation gefordert werden muss. Un dépistage adéquat du cancer pour détecter les néoplasies malignes avant et après une greffe d’organe est, à côté du traitement des affections cardio-vasculaires et métaboliques, un élément extrêmement important pour l’évolution à long terme, mais constituant parfois un défi pour notre médecine hautement performante. Dans les néoplasies des patients greffés, il faut distinguer entre les néoplasies préexistantes et les néoplasies nouvellement apparues/apportées par le greffon. Les facteurs de risque prédisposant à cette cancérogenèse sont multifactoriels et dus notamment à une immunosuppression préexistante ainsi qu’à l’immunosuppression causée artificiellement après la greffe. Ainsi, les patients atteints d’insuffisance rénale terminale ont un risque nettement accru de développer une néoplasie déjà au cours de la dialyse. Environ 30 % de ces néoplasies sont uro-génitales. Un dépistage régulier du cancer par des examens cliniques, des analyses biochimiques, des échographies et des présentations consultatives gynécologiques et urologiques semble donc essentiel déjà au cours du traitement par dialyse. Le risque de transmettre une néoplasie avec un greffon est actuellement faible; l’incidence indiquée dans la littérature est de 0,2 %. Les néoplasies de novo sont nettement plus fréquentes: avec une prévalence de 3 à 26 %, elle sont 4 à 5 fois plus fréquentes que dans la population normale. Dans ce contexte, un dépistage précoce du cancer est décisif non seulement pour la fonction du greffon, mais aussi pour le pronostic du patient greffé. Il faut donc exiger un concept clairement défini de dépistage méticuleux dans le cadre d’une coopération interdisciplinaire.

L’objectif principal est de rapporter les résultats actualisés per-, postopératoires et fonctionnels de la transplantation rénale robot-assistée (TTRA) avec donneur vivant (DV), réalisées dans 10 centres européens.

Mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) infection is benign in most individuals but can cause encephalitis in <1% of infected individuals. We show that ∼35% of patients hospitalized for WNV disease (WNVD) in six independent cohorts from the EU and USA carry auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or -ω. The prevalence of these antibodies is highest in patients with encephalitis (∼40%), and that in individuals with silent WNV infection is as low as that in the general population. The odds ratios for WNVD in individuals with these auto-Abs relative to those without them in the general population range from 19.0 (95% CI 15.0–24.0, P value <10–15) for auto-Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml IFN-α and/or IFN-ω to 127.4 (CI 87.1–186.4, P value <10–15) for auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-α and IFN-ω at a concentration of 10 ng/ml. These antibodies block the protective effect of IFN-α in Vero cells infected with WNV in vitro. Auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-α and/or IFN-ω underlie ∼40% of cases of WNV encephalitis.

Objectives: 'Brain death' after accidental or suicidal intoxication is not so rare. Different toxins have specific organ toxicity. After a potential donor's death caused by poisoning, it is possible to [...]

AbstractThis research concerns the impact of cognitive (i.e., framing issues) and psychosocial (i.e., environmental attitudes and place identity) dimensions on people’s Willingness To Pay (WTP) for preservation and improvement of a ‘local’ environmental public good, i.e., local beaches. After a pilot study, a field experiment (N = 102) was carried out in order to verify the effects on WTP of: (1) the reminder about the involvement of other people for preserving ‘local’ beaches; (2) attitudes towards the environmental good; and (3) local identity. Results confirmed the reminder effect, so that individuals reminded of other contributors are willing to pay less than individuals who were not reminded. Positive attitudes towards local beaches are associated to higher WTP for preserving them, but this emerged only in those residents showing a higher local identification.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination was investigated of Italian durum wheat from organic agriculture. A number of 661 samples from 13 genotypes were collected within the national organic durum wheat network variety trials during the six-year period between 2007–2012 in five different growing areas across Italy (Northern Italy, Marches, Central Apennines, West-Central Italy, Apulia). Mean temperatures and total rainfalls in April, May and June were collected nearby the study sites. Average DON contamination value along the whole study period was 67 µg/kg, and DON was detected only in 36% of the samples. Noteworthy, 95% of the analyzed grain revealed a DON contamination lower than 334 µg/ kg. Maximum allowed DON level for unprocessed durum wheat set by European Union (1750 µg/kg) was exceeded only in four samples (0.6%). The highest mean DON values were detected in Northern Italy (175 µg/kg) and Marches (131 µg/kg). The same was for the percentage of positive samples (80% and 58%, respectively). Lower mean values and percentages of contaminated samples were found in West-Central Italy (22 µg/kg and 29%, respectively), Apennines (3 µg/kg and 8%, respectively) and Apulia (2 µg/kg and 7%, respectively). Statistical analysis (Generalized Linear Model, GLZ) was carried out to highlight the effect of factors like cultivation year, growing area and genotype. It revealed a huge effect of year, growing areas and their interaction, while the effect of genotype resulted significantly but quite less than the other main factors. The effect of the year could be explained by climatic data, which suggested an influence of rainfall and temperature at heading on both DON concentration values and percentage of contaminated samples. Results of this study put in evidence a low DON contamination in Italian organic durum wheat.

Gene targeting (GT) is a powerful tool for modifying endogenous genomic sequences of interest, such as sequence replacement and gene knockin. Although the efficiency of GT is extremely low in higher plants, engineered sequence-specific nucleases (SSNs)-mediated double-strand breaks (DSBs) can improve GT frequency. We recently reported a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated approach for heritable GT in Arabidopsis, called the “sequential transformation” strategy. For efficient establishment of GT via the sequential transformation method, strong Cas9 activity and robust DSBs are required in the plant cells being infected with Agrobacteriumcarrying sgRNA and donor DNA. Accordingly, we generated two independent parental lines with maize Ubiquitin 1promoter-driven Cas9 and established sequential transformation-mediated GT in the Japonica rice cultivar Oryza sativaNipponbare. We achieved precise GFPknockin into the endogenous OsFTL1and OsROS1aloci. We believe that our GT technology could be widely utilized in rice research and breeding applications.

Correct measurement of environmental parameters is fundamental for plant fitness and survival, as well as for timing developmental transitions, including the switch from vegetative to reproductive growth. Important parameters that affect flowering time include day length (photoperiod) and temperature. Their response pathways have been best described in Arabidopsis, which currently offers a detailed conceptual framework and serves as a comparison for other species. Rice, the focus of this review, also possesses a photoperiodic flowering pathway, but 150 million years of divergent evolution in very different environments have diversified its molecular architecture. The ambient temperature perception pathway is strongly intertwined with the photoperiod pathway and essentially converges on the same genes to modify flowering time. When observing network topologies, it is evident that the rice flowering network is centered on EARLY HEADING DATE 1, a rice-specific transcriptional regulator. Here, we summarize the most important features of the rice photoperiodic flowering network, with an emphasis on its uniqueness, and discuss its connections with hormonal, temperature perception, and stress pathways.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is associated with poor prognosis despite aggressive surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, this standard therapy does not target glioma cancer stem cells (GCSCs), a subpopulation of GBM cells that can give rise to recurrent tumors. GBMs express human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) proteins, and previously we found that the level of expression of HCMV immediate-early (IE) protein in GBMs is a prognostic factor for poor patient survival. In this study, we investigated the relation between HCMV infection of GBM cells and the presence of GCSCs. Primary GBMs were characterized by their expression of HCMV-IE and GCSCs marker CD133 and by patient survival. The extent to which HCMV infection of primary GBM cells induced a GCSC phenotype was evaluated in vitro. In primary GBMs, a large fraction of CD133-positive cells expressed HCMV-IE, and higher co-expression of these two proteins predicted poor patient survival. Infection of GBM cells with HCMV led to upregulation of CD133 and other GSCS markers (Notch1, Sox2, Oct4, Nestin). HCMV infection also promoted the growth of GBM cells as neurospheres, a behavior typically displayed by GCSCs, and this phenotype was prevented by either chemical inhibition of the Notch1 pathway or by treatment with the anti-viral drug ganciclovir. GBM cells that maintained expression of HCMV-IE failed to differentiate into neuronal or astrocytic phenotypes. Our findings imply that HCMV infection induces phenotypic plasticity of GBM cells to promote GCSC features and may thereby increase the aggressiveness of this tumor.

Internal root resorption is a particular medical condition which requires the clinician to a treatment as early as possible to avoid complications such as excessive loss of mineralized tissues and periodontal communications.

This study was carried out to determine the co-occurrence of deoxynivalenol (DON) and the sum of T2 and HT2 toxins in durum wheat samples belonging to eight cultivars grown in a national network experimental trials over a three-year period (2011–2013). The effect of several factors (cultivar, year and cultivation area) affecting the occurrence of the two types of mycotoxins and their relationship with several agronomic and grain quality parameters were assayed by statistical analysis (GLZ). The results highlighted the different trend of incidence and contamination rate of the two types of mycotoxins in relation to the cropping year and to the growing examined areas. Year and its interaction with the cultivation area was the most important factor affecting the DON contamination, whereas genotype and its interaction with the year mainly influenced T2+HT2 toxins contamination rate. DON and T2+HT2 contamination levels were not significantly correlated with each other. The evidence that the two types of mycotoxins were differently related with several agronomic and grain quality parameters could be connected to the effects of the respective fungal disease on wheat plant.

AbstractThis paper postulates that positive features of the work organizational environment can exert significant positive effects on people’s working organizational life. The focus is on the relationship between the perceived restorative properties of the work environment and some social-psychological dimensions of the organization. A positive relationship between restorativeness and job satisfaction was expected, via Perceived Organizational Supportand work engagement. A self-report questionnaire was filled in by 123 office workers employed in the municipality of an Italian town. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analyses showed a multivariate positive relationship between restorativeness, social support, work engagement and job satisfaction. Moreover, both a full mediation effect of work engagement between restorativeness and intrinsic job satisfaction and a partial mediating effect of work engagement between restorativeness and extrinsic job satisfaction were found. These results illustrate a positive psychological approach for improving employees’ satisfaction in the workplace.

Descrivere le principali cause di fallimento delle terapie endodontiche, illustrarne la prevalenza, determinare un percorso diagnostico e tracciare un quadro prognostico dipendente dal grado di evoluzione delle patologie, suggerendo strategie cliniche idonee a ottenere il risultato atteso.

This paper presents a semantic agent coordination framework for the automatic exchange of Electronic Health Records (EHR). The framework enables health organizations that comply with the existing interoperability standards, as proposed by the Integrating Healthcare Enterprise (IHE), to dynamically connect in a P2P network. A set of autonomous agents and a set of distributed coordination rules are used to coordinate the agents in the search of specific health records. The framework models the interactions among the communities as a combination of the tuple centre agent communication model with the publish-subscribe paradigm and semantic web technologies. In order to illustrate the scalability of our approach, we evaluate the proposed solution in distributed settings. The contribution of this work is that it proposes the coordination mechanisms for IHE compliant communities to dynamically connect and share EHR of patients.

Increasingly, software engineering involves opensystems consisting of autonomous and heterogeneous participants or agentswho carry out loosely coupled interactions. Accordingly, understanding and specifying communications among agents is a key concern. A focus on ways to formalize meaningdistinguishes agent communication from traditional distributed computing: meaning provides a basis for flexible interactions and compliance checking.Over the years, a number of approaches have emerged with some essential and some irrelevant distinctions drawn among them. As agent abstractions gain increasing traction in the software engineering of open systems, it is important to resolve the irrelevant and highlight the essential distinctions, so that future research can be focused in the most productive directions.This article is an outcome of extensive discussions among agent communication researchers, aimed at taking stock of the field and at developing, criticizing, and refining their positions on specific approaches and future challenges. This article serves some important purposes, including identifying (1) points of broad consensus; (2) points where substantive differences remain; and (3) interesting directions of future work.

Thermalism and spa treatments are traditionally considered effective in a number of dermatologic inflammatory conditions, yet there is scarce evidence about spring water effectiveness on psoriasis in a daily setting. We enrolled 34 patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-contralaterally-controlled trial, to evaluate Levico and Vetriolo arsenical-ferruginous water effectiveness on psoriatic lesions by daily 20-minute wet packing for 12 consecutive days. Clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical parameters were considered. A statistically significant difference between spa water-treated lesions and placebo-treated lesions in the same patients was demonstrated for histopathologic and immunohistochemical parameters. Since iron ions have an antiproliferative effect on epithelia, and magnesium ions have an anti-inflammatory effect, Levico and Vetriolo water effectiveness on psoriasis could be addressed to their content of these ions.

Introduction Over the last few years, many urological laparoscopic operations have been successfully performed by LESS. However, the actual role of LESS in the field of minimally invasive urologic surgery remains to be determined with controversial data about postoperative pain control and almost no results on cosmetic data. The aim of the present study is to describe the technique and report the surgical outcomes of LESS radical nephrectomy (RN) in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma with special emphasis for postoperative pain control and almost no results on cosmetic data.Materials And Methods LESS-RN was performed in 33 patients with renal tumors. The indications to perform a LESS-RN were represented by renal tumors not greater than T2, and without evidence of lymphadenopathy or renal vein involvement.Surgical procedure The Endocone (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) was inserted through a transumbilical incision. A combination of standard laparoscopic instruments and bent grasper and scissors was used. The step sequence of LESS-RN was comparable to standard laparoscopic RN. Demographic data and perioperative and postoperative variables were recorded and analyzed.Results The mean operative time was 143.7 ∓ 24.3 min, with a mean estimated blood loss of 122.3 ∓ 34.1 mL and a mean hospital stay of 3.8 ∓ 0.8 d. The mean length of skin incision was 4.1 ∓ 0.6 cm; all patients were discharged from hospital with minimal discomfort, as demonstrated by their pain assessment scores (visual analogue scale: 1.9 ∓ 0.8). The definitive pathologic results revealed a renal cell carcinoma in all cases and a stage distribution of four T1a, 27 T1b, and 2 T2 tumors. All patients were very satisfied with the appearance of the scars, and at a median follow-up period of 13.2 ∓ 3.9 mo, all patients were alive without evidence of tumor recurrence or port-site metastasis.Conclusions LESS is a safe and feasible surgical procedure for RN in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and has excellent cosmetic results.

Arabidopsis plants flower in response to long days (LDs). Exposure of leaves to inductive day lengths activates expression of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein which moves to the shoot apical meristem (SAM) to induce developmental reprogramming. SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1(SOC1) and FRUITFULL(FUL) are induced by FTat the apex. We previously screened the SAM for mRNAs of genes required to promote the floral transition in response to photoperiod, and conducted detailed expression and functional analyses on several putative candidates. Here, we show that expression of AGAMOUS-LIKE 24(AGL24) is detected at the SAM under SD conditions and increases upon exposure to LDs. Mutations in AGL24further delay flowering of a soc1 fuldouble mutant, suggesting that flowering is controlled by AGL24partly independently of SOC1and FUL.

Scopo dell’articolo è descrivere le principali classificazioni delle perforazioni iatrogene e valutare le più attuali tecniche di trattamento per via ortograda.

Il trattamento canalare può incontrare complicanze in presenza di apici molto ampi. È opinione diffusa che sopra i 0,6mm sia difficile ottenere un adattamento adeguato della guttaperca in apice, con conseguente mancanza di sigillo apicale. Se poi la scelta è quella di una tecnica di otturazione “a caldo” della guttaperca, ottenere una buona conicità della preparazione apicale dove compattare il cono di guttaperca può diventare rischioso per l’eccessivo assottigliamento delle pareti canalari.

The aim of the study is to analyze and compare different individual, psycho-social, and psycho-environmental responses of elderly living in different environments. The conceptual frame of reference is the Complementary-Congruence Model of person-environment fit (Carp & Carp, 1984), which focuses on relevant changes in person-environment relationship during the life-span, with particular attention to the processes of ageing. Participants (N = 201 aged over-65 recruited in urban and rural places) filled in a questionnaire including an array of measures. Significant differences emerged between urban and rural elderly residents in psychological well-being, social network, collective identity, and attitudes to relocate. Psycho-social and psycho-environmental dimensions were more influent than individual and intra-personal dimensions on attitudes toward short- and long-term relocation. In particular, a higher environmental competence and a lower home attachment and perceived social network are associated with attitudes toward both short-term and long-term relocation. Finally, environmental competence resulted also as the strongest antecedent of psychological well-being

El propósito de este estudio es analizar y comparar las distintas respuestas individuales, psicosociales y psico- ambientales de personas mayores que residen en diferentes entornos. El marco conceptual de referencia es el Modelo de Complementariedad-Congruencia entre la persona y su entorno (Carp y Carp, 1984), que examina los cambios importantes en la relación entre una persona y su entorno a lo largo de su vida, prestando especial atención a los procesos de envejecimiento. Los participantes (N = 201 de más de 65 años, procedentes de entornos urbanos y rurales) rellenaron un cuestionario que evaluaba una serie de medidas. Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las personas mayores de procedencia rural y las de procedencia urbana en bienestar psicológico, entorno social, identidad colectiva, y actitudes hacia el traslado. La dimensión psicosocial y la psicoambiental ejercen mayor influencia que la dimensión individual y la intrapersonal sobre las actitudes hacia los traslados por períodos cortos y largos. En concreto, una mayor competencia ambiental, un menor apego al lugar y un entorno social más pobre se asocian con actitudes hacia el traslado, tanto por períodos largos como por períodos cortos. Por último, la competencia ambiental resultó ser el antecedente más importante del bienestar psicológico

Protein cages such as ferritin and viral capsids are interesting building blocks for nanotechnology due to their monodisperse structure and ability to encapsulate various functional moieties. Here we show that recombinant ferritin protein cages encapsulating Fe3O4–γ-Fe2O3iron oxide (magnetoferritin) nanoparticles and photodegradable Newkome-type dendrons self-assemble into micrometer-sized complexes with a face-centered-cubic (fcc) superstructure and a lattice constant of 13.1 nm. The magnetic properties of the magnetoferritin particles are affected directly by the hierarchical organization. Magnetoferritin nanoparticles dispersed in water exhibit typical magnetism of single domain noninteracting nanoparticles; however, the same nanoparticles organized into fcc superstructures show clearly the effects of the altered magnetostatic (e.g., dipole–dipole) interactions by exhibiting, for example, different hysteresis of the field-dependent magnetization. The magnetoferritin–dendron assemblies can be efficiently disassembled by a short optical stimulus resulting in release of free magnetoferritin particles. After the triggered release the nanomagnetic properties of the pristine magnetoferritin nanoparticles are regained.

Hyperhomocysteinaemia represents an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral arterial occlusive disease and venous thrombosis. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with increased atherothrombosis and cardiovascular risk profile. The aim of this study is to investigate homocysteine, folic acid and vitamin B12 levels in a cohort of psoriatic patients and its relationship with the severity of the disease. A retrospective observational study in 98 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 98 healthy controls was performed. Total plasma homocysteine level, folic acid, vitamin B12and PASI index were assessed in every patient. Patients with psoriasis had plasma homocysteine levels higher than controls (57% of cases and 25% of controls; p<0.0001). Folic acid and vitamin B12plasma levels were lower in psoriatic patients than in controls (p = NS), lower levels of vitamin B12were found in patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia compared to patients with a normal value of homocysteine (p = 0.0009). The severity of psoriasis assessed according to PASI (19.51±16.26) did not directly correlate either with higher levels of homocysteine or with vitamin B12and folic acid plasma levels. In conclusion, a significantly higher prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia was found in psoriatic patients compared to healthy controls. A significant correlation between hyperhomocysteinaemia and lower vitamin B12levels, but not folic acid, was evidenced. On the contrary, our data do not correlate the high level of homocysteine with higher PASI scores or psoriasis type, suggesting that homocysteine level can be considered an independent risk factor in psoriatic patients.

This work shows the results of trials carried out over three years (2006-2008) within the national networks of durum wheat grown under conventional and organic cropping systems in six representative locations of the main cultivation areas of Italy. The main aspects of grain yield and grain quality were analyzed, particularly assessing the hygienic health status of the grain in relation to the possible presence of deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination.

This large, randomized, multicenter trial evaluated if basiliximab induction and delayed tacrolimus can preserve renal function in older kidney transplant patients.

To determine the systemic response to extraperitoneal laparoscopic (eLRP) and open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP).Materials and Methods. In all, 430 patients who had eLRP (200) or open RRP (230) were recruited; patients in both groups had similar preoperative staging. In addition to peri-operative variables (operative duration, complications, blood loss, transfusion rate, hospitalization, catheterization), oncological data (Gleason score, pathological stage, positive margins) were also compared. The extent of the systemic response to surgery-induced tissue trauma was measured in all patients, by assessing the levels of acute-phase markers C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 before, during and after RP.Results. The duration of surgery, transfusion rate, hospital stay and duration of catheterization were comparable with those of previous studies. There was an increase in IL-6, CRP and SAA but no change in IL-10, and no differences between eLRP and RRP over the entire period assessed.Conclusion. The invasiveness of eLRP could not be substantiated objectively on the basis of the variables measured in this study. The surgical trauma and the associated invasiveness of both methods were equivalent.

AbstractSuppressed growth forms of woody species are common where fire and herbivory are major ecosystem drivers, such as in African savannas. Nevertheless, despite their importance in maintaining plant population viability, woody plants in suppressed growth forms have received little attention in ecological studies. We measured a set of morpho-functional traits and investigated plant density variation in suppressed growth forms (hereafter we refer to them as saplings) of two common species, Acacia nigrescensand Acacia tortilis, across sites that had undergone very different histories of attack from large herbivores while fire had been absent for at least 13 y. We show that heavily browsed saplings have higher regrowth abilities, twice the number of stems produced by the main root crown and twice the root diameter at 5 cm soil depth, than lightly browsed saplings. This suggests that Acaciasaplings are resilient to chronic herbivory and show high morphological plasticity. However, we show that mammalian herbivores can strongly limit sapling recruitment to mature size classes and possibly affect variation in sapling density between heavily and lightly browsed sites. Further studies should investigate whether the persistence of the sapling bank can be ascribed to the “storage effect” by which a plant's reproductive potential is “stored” in a suppressed growth form until a window of opportunity allows rapid maturity.

CD4and CD8T cells specific for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and two immunodominant HCMV antigens (pp65 and IE-1) were monitored in 20 solid organ transplant recipients undergoing primary (n 4) or reactivated (n 16) HCMV infection during the first year after transplantation by using as a stimulator either HCMV-infected autologous dendritic cells (DCs) or pp65- or IE-1 peptide mixtures. Turnaround times for test performance were 7 days for infected DCs and 24 h for peptides. Using infected DCs, HCMV-specific T-cell restoration occurred in all patients for CD8and in 1820 (90) for CD4T-cell subpopulations, resulting in virus clearance from blood. Using peptide mixtures, T-cell responses were less frequently detected. In detail, 14 (70) patients showed pp65-specific CD8T cells and 10 (50) patients IE-1-specific CD8T cells, whereas pp65-specific CD4T cells were detected in 14 (70) patients, and IE-1-specific CD4T cells in three (15) patients only. Protection from HCMV infection was associated with the presence of a HCMV-specific T-cell response directed against multiple viral proteins, but not against pp65 or IE-1 only. In conclusion, the use of pp65 and IE-1 peptide mixtures for rapid monitoring of HCMV-specific T-cell responses in solid organ transplant recipients underestimates the actual T-cell immune response against HCMV.