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Background: West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus. In humans, 80% of infections are asymptomatic, while approximately 20% experience influenza-like symptoms. Fewer than 1% develop the neuroinvasive form which can lead to encephalitis, meningitis, acute flaccid paralysis, and even death. The global spread of the virus to areas where it was not previously present has become a growing concern. Since the 2000 s, there have been numerous outbreaks affecting local and travelling populations worldwide. Given the lack of a vaccine, preventative measures are primarily focused on surveillance, vector control, and the use of personal protective behaviours (PPBs). The importance of PPBs is central to public health recommendations. However, translating these messages into coherent action by the public can prove challenging, as the uptake of such measures is inevitably influenced by socio-economic factors, awareness, knowledge, and risk perception. Methods: A PRISMA-based systematic research was conducted on EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Web of Science databases. PROSPERO registration number CRD42023459714. Quality of studies included in the final stage was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Checklist for Cross-Sectional Study (CEBMa). Results: 2963 articles were screened, and 17 studies were included in the final round. Out of these, six were deemed of high quality, ten were of medium quality, and one was of low quality. In almost all studies considered, both awareness and knowledge of WNV transmission were above 90%, while concern about WNV ranged from 50% to 80%. Concern about the safety of repellents, either with or without DEET, ranged from 27% to 70%. The percentage of people actually using repellents ranged from 30% to 75%, with the lowest usage reported among individuals over 60 years old (29%) and pregnant women (33%), and the highest among students aged 9–11 (75%). Concern for West Nile Virus (WNV) was consistently linked to an increase in taking preventative measures, including the use of repellents, by two to four times across studies. The school-based intervention was effective in increasing the practice of removing standing water (AOR=4.6; 2.7–8.0) and wearing long clothing (AOR=2.4; 95%CI: 1.3–4.3), but did not have a significant impact on the use of repellents. Conclusions: The present systematic review provides an overview of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of WNV and their determinants. While concern about West Nile Virus (WNV) and its effects can be a significant motivator, it is important to promote evidence-based personal protective behaviours (PPBs) to counter unwarranted fears. For example, the use of repellents among the most vulnerable age groups. Given the geographical expansion of WNV, it is necessary to target the entire population preventively, including those who are difficult to reach and areas not yet endemic. The findings of this investigation could have significant implications for public health and support well-informed and effective communication strategies and interventions.

Despite its economic potential, oil palm has earned a bad reputation for its negative environmental and mixed social impacts. In the Eastern Brazilian Amazon, oil palm production has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Meanwhile, in the same landscape, Agroforestry Systems (AFS) have been widely promoted as a solution to achieve economic growth coupled with socio-environmental benefits for smallholders. Our study seeks to shed light on pathways for reconciling oil palm production with farmer livelihoods. We randomly sampled 198 smallholders in the municipality of Tomé-Açu, Pará, Brazil. Our findings point to diverse livelihoods and widely varying yearly income, averaging USD 13,100. Different types of AFS were adopted by 85 % of farmers in our sample, in contrast to just 11 % adopting monocrop oil palm. Almost one third of on-farm income and produced food came from AFS, which mostly contributed to achieving life aspirations. Key indicators on financial and physical capitals (technology level, housing, total income and land size) indicate economic success as most households achieved intermediate levels of living standard. We conclude that family farmers can successfully adopt AFS and that oil palm producers overall are less likely to have low economic success. An overwhelming majority of farmers would like to expand their AFS, but very few would choose to include oil palm. We argue that the expansion of oil palm-based AFS hinges on the extent to which the prevailing business model and technological package can provide sufficient resources to reduce family farmer risks, including: credit conditions, plantation size, species selection and systems suited to farmer livelihood objectives and constraints.

Introduction: The study investigates the potential of Plasma Activated Water (PAW) as an innovative irrigation medium to enhance growth and defense responses in tomato seedlings. It explores PAW’s utility in both healthy seedlings and those inoculated with Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV).Methods: PAW, produced through a dielectric barrier volume discharge, serves as a chemical-free alternative to traditional fertilizers. Tomato seedlings were irrigated with PAW or control solutions. The study employs biometric measurements to assess growth and biochemical analysis to evaluate antioxidant levels and pigments. Gene expression analysis was conducted to evaluate the plant response, while the distribution of macro and micronutrients was assessed through micro X-ray fluorescence.Results and discussion: Results indicate that PAW-irrigated seedlings exhibit significant growth enhancement compared to those receiving conventional fertilization. Increased levels of antioxidant molecules and pigments suggest improved photosynthetic activity and stress tolerance. Gene expression analysis shows up-regulation of defense genes in PAW-treated plants post-viral infection. The up-regulation of defense genes and the restoration of mineral nutrient distribution in PAW-treated, virus-infected plants highlight PAW’s role in enhancing plant resilience against pathogens and mitigating nutrient deficiencies. These findings emphasize PAW’s potential as a sustainable agricultural solution, promoting plant growth, enhancing defense mechanisms, and reducing biotic stress due to virus infections.

Grapevine trunk diseases are a threat to table- and grape-wine cultivation worldwide. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (Pch) is a vascular fungus recognized as one of the most important pathogens associated with grapevine trunk diseases. The relationships between xylem vessel features and Pch susceptibility of 10 table- and 17 wine-grape genotypes, as well as 3 rootstocks, were investigated by image analysis of 50 µm cross-sections and artificial Pch inoculation on one-year-old vine cuttings. Vessels were grouped in the diameter classes 1–30, 31–60, 61–90, 91–120, and >120 µm. Among the table-grape varieties, ‘Sable’, ‘Timco’, and ‘Red Globe’ showed higher densities of large vessels (>120 μm) than ‘Italia’, ‘Sugar Crisp’, and ‘Sugraone’. Among the wine-grape varieties, ‘Minutolo’, ‘Montepulciano’, ‘Primitivo’ CDTa19, and ‘Verdeca’ showed higher densities of large vessels than ‘Aglianico’, ‘Nero di Troia’, ‘Sangiovese’, and ‘Susumaniello’. In the rootstocks, the vessel diameters were 50.8, 54.0, and 60.9 μm for ‘34 E.M.’, ‘140 Ruggieri’, and ‘1103 Paulsen’, in that order. For table-grape varieties, Pch was re-isolated from 13.3% for ‘Sugar Crisp’ and ‘Sugraone’ cuttings up to 93.3% for ‘Timco’. For wine-grape varieties, Pch re-isolation ranged from 51.1% (‘Bombino nero’, ‘Negroamaro’ D15, and ‘Sangiovese’) to 81.1% (‘Montepulciano’), while for the rootstocks, the values were from 33 to 51%. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a positive correlation between the frequencies of large vessels and Pch re-isolation. In addition, in wine grapes and rootstocks, higher Pch re-isolation frequencies in the lateral parts of cuttings were correlated (r = 0.79) to a higher frequency of large vessels. The results highlight relationships between grapevine xylem vessel sizes and susceptibility to P. chlamydospora that are worthy of further research.

Abstract We present a novel framework combining single‐cell phenotypic data with single‐cell transcriptomic analysis to identify factors underpinning heterogeneity in antitumor immune response. We developed a pairwise, tumor‐immune discretized interaction assay between natural killer (NK‐92MI) cells and patient‐derived head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines on a microfluidic cell‐trapping platform. Furthermore we generated a deep‐learning computer vision algorithm that is capable of automating the acquisition and analysis of a large, live‐cell imaging data set (>1 million) of paired tumor‐immune interactions spanning a time course of 24 h across multiple HNSCC lines (n = 10). Finally, we combined the response data measured by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis against NK‐mediated killing with downstream single‐cell transcriptomic analysis to interrogate molecular signatures associated with NK‐effector response. As proof‐of‐concept for the proposed framework, we efficiently identified MHC class I‐driven cytotoxic resistance as a key mechanism for immune evasion in nonresponders, while enhanced expression of cell adhesion molecules was found to be correlated with sensitivity against NK‐mediated cytotoxicity. We conclude that this integrated, data‐driven phenotypic approach holds tremendous promise in advancing the rapid identification of new mechanisms and therapeutic targets related to immune evasion and response.

Intravascular large B-cell Lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare subtype of extranodal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that is challenging to diagnose and has a poor prognosis. Here, we describe two patients newly diagnosed with IVLBCL at our institution: an African man with hemophagocytic-syndrome-associated IVLBCL and an Italian woman with a cutaneous variant of IVLBCL. They presented with very different clinical manifestations. Both cases were diagnosed in a timely manner, successfully treated, and achieved long-lasting remissions.

Hypertrophic heart phenotype is characterized by an abnormal left ventricular (LV) thickening. A hypertrophic phenotype can develop as adaptive response in many different conditions such as aortic stenosis, hypertension, athletic training, infiltrative heart muscle diseases, storage disorders and metabolic disorders. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most frequent primary cardiomyopathy (CMP) and a genetical cause of cardiac hypertrophy. It requires the exclusion of any other cause of LV hypertrophy.Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a comprehensive imaging technique that allows a detailed evaluation of myocardial diseases. It provides reproducible measurements and myocardial tissue characterization. In clinical practice CMR is increasingly used to confirm the presence of ventricular hypertrophy, to detect the underlying cause of the phenotype and more recently as an efficient prognostic tool.This article aims to provide a detailed overview of the applications of CMR in the setting of hypertrophic heart phenotype and its role in the diagnostic workflow of such condition.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas composicionais (Pitombeira 2020) pode fazer uso da matemática como uma poderosa ferramenta para especificação de regras. A maior propriedade desse uso é que ela dá suporte à abstração, tornando-se um meio excelente para modelagem (Pressman 1994). Conceitos oriundos dela proporcionaram uma base para o processo composicional de Xenakis (Xenakis 1992). A estocástica, uma das áreas da matemática selecionada pelo compositor, pode ser aplicada à elaboração da arquitetura de um sistema de composição para combinar elementos pré-existentes da composição ou para trabalhar objetos musicais ou extramusicais, resultando na expansão do processo criativo. Com esse recurso, um sistema composicional markoviano denominado Dorotéia é proposto e como resultado aplicado da pesquisa, são elaboradas algumas obras, cada uma delas conduzida por trechos literários extraídos do livro do escritor oulipiano Italo Calvino (Calvino 1990).

Grapevine trunk diseases are a threat to table- and grape-wine cultivation worldwide. Phaeomoniella chlamydospora (Pch) is a vascular fungus recognized as one of the most important pathogens associated with grapevine trunk diseases. The relationships between xylem vessel features and Pch susceptibility of 10 table- and 17 wine-grape genotypes, as well as 3 rootstocks, were investigated by image analysis of 50 µm cross-sections and artificial Pch inoculation on one-year-old vine cuttings. Vessels were grouped in the diameter classes 1–30, 31–60, 61–90, 91–120, and >120 µm. Among the table-grape varieties, 'Sable', 'Timco', and 'Red Globe' showed higher densities of large vessels (>120 μm) than 'Italia', 'Sugar Crisp', and 'Sugraone'. Among the wine-grape varieties, 'Minutolo', 'Montepulciano', 'Primitivo' CDTa19, and 'Verdeca' showed higher densities of large vessels than 'Aglianico', 'Nero di Troia', 'Sangiovese', and 'Susumaniello'. In the rootstocks, the vessel diameters were 50.8, 54.0, and 60.9 μm for '34 E.M.', '140 Ruggieri', and '1103 Paulsen', in that order. For table-grape varieties, Pch was re-isolated from 13.3% for 'Sugar Crisp' and 'Sugraone' cuttings up to 93.3% for 'Timco'. For wine-grape varieties, Pch re-isolation ranged from 51.1% ('Bombino nero', 'Negroamaro' D15, and 'Sangiovese') to 81.1% ('Montepulciano'), while for the rootstocks, the values were from 33 to 51%. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a positive correlation between the frequencies of large vessels and Pch re-isolation. In addition, in wine grapes and rootstocks, higher Pch re-isolation frequencies in the lateral parts of cuttings were correlated (r = 0.79) to a higher frequency of large vessels. The results highlight relationships between grapevine xylem vessel sizes and susceptibility to P. chlamydospora that are worthy of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Ben Franklin's project to develop his virtuousness, we present an assignment that provides a structured process to facilitate students' virtuousness in their day-to-day lives. Students determine four virtues they wish to develop. Each week, students focus on behaving consistently with one of these virtues. At the end of each day, they record whether their behaviors were consistent with each of their four virtues. On a weekly basis, students engage in self-reflection, practical reflexivity, peer coaching, and a class discussion of their experiences of attempting to live out their chosen virtues and what they are learning about being virtuous, and with what actions and structures they might experiment to improve their effectiveness. These practices deepen students' self-understanding and improve their abilities to be virtuous. Student feedback strongly supports that engaging in the assignment helped them identify meaningful virtues and personal behaviors consistent, and inconsistent, with those virtues, improve their abilities to behave consistently with these virtues, understand the impact of living out their virtues within the context of their day-to-day lives, increase their self-understanding, and improve their abilities to engage in self-observation and self-reflection.

Garlic is an important vegetable crop in numerous countries used as food and natural based medicine. Similar to the majority of vegetatively propagated plants, garlic may be affected by several viruses that can cause severe crop losses. The present study aimed to screen 105 garlic accessions (mother plants) from 5 European countries (Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, and France) for possible presence of Onion yellow dwarf virus (OYDV), Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV), Garlic common latent virus (GCLV) and Shallot latent virus (SLV). The occurrence of three Allexiviruses (GarV-A, GarV-B and GarV-C) in mixed assays was also investigated. Meristem-tip culture assays were performed in order to attempt eradication of the studied viruses. Garlic viruses identification was made by ELISA and RT-PCR. ELISA outcomes showed that all 105 garlic accessions were infected by different virus combinations. The OYDV and LYSV were identified, by ELISA, in all countries at 96% and 88,6% respectively and by RT-PCR at 99% and 96%. Furthermore, GCLV and SLV were detected by ELISA in about 88% and by RT-PCR at 89% and 90%, respectively with the exception of the studied Allexiviruses which were not amplified by RT-PCR with ALLEX1/ALLEX2 primers. Smaller meristem size (0,3-1,5 mm) led to better virus elimination efficiency (29%) compared to 8% obtained for the larger size (2-2,5 mm). The outcomes were opposite (16% vs. 90%) for plants regeneration. Virus elimination efficiency was linked to the virus type, e.g., OYDV and LYSV were eradicated at 90% while GCLV and Allexiviruses were difficult to eliminate (57,4% and 55,6% of eradication). Given the economic relevance of garlic crops worldwide and the frequently reported incidence of viral infections, it is important to make virus-free germplasm available. Therefore, investigating the garlic germplasm sanitary status and constantly improving it is of crucial importance aiming to increase the overall garlic production.

The molecular characterization of a tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) isolate, denoted ToLCNDV-Le, is reported. The virus was associated with severe and recurrent outbreaks in protected crops of zucchini squash grown in the Province of Lecce (Apulia, southern Italy). The fully sequenced genome of ToLCNDV-Le consists of two genomic components named DNA-A and DNA-B of 2738 and 2683 nt in size, respectively. Like other ToLCNDV isolates, ToLCNDV-Le DNA-A contains the AV2 and AV1 open reading frames (ORFs) in the virion-sense orientation and five additional ORFs named AC1, AC2, AC3, AC4 and AC5 in the complementary-sense orientation. The DNA-B contains BV1 ORF in the virion-sense orientation and BC1 ORF in the complementary-sense orientation. No DNA betasatellites were found associated with ToLCNDV-Le in naturally infected samples. Phylogenetic analysis clustered ToLCNDV-Le with the ToLCNDV-ES strain of western Mediterranean Basin isolates. Consequently, the ToLCNDV-ES-[IT-Zu-Le18] name is proposed as the descriptor for ToLCNDV-Le. Using recombination detection program RDP4, one putative recombination breakpoint (Rbp) was identified close to nucleotide positions 2197–2727, covering approximately half of the AC1 region, including the AC4 ORF and the 3′ UTR. RDP4 indicated the event represents an Rbp of an isolate similar to ToLCNDV [Pk-06] (Acc. No. EF620534) found in Luffa acutangula in Pakistan and identified as putative minor parent into the background of ToLCNDV [BG-Jes-Svr-05] (Acc. No. AJ875157), found in tomato in Bangladesh, and identified as putative major parent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a ToLCNDV-ES recombinant isolate in the AC1-AC4 region in Italy.

Introduction: The study investigates the potential of Plasma Activated Water (PAW) as an innovative irrigation medium to enhance growth and defense responses in tomato seedlings. It explores PAW's utility in both healthy seedlings and those inoculated with Tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV). Methods: PAW, produced through a dielectric barrier volume discharge, serves as a chemical-free alternative to traditional fertilizers. Tomato seedlings were irrigated with PAW or control solutions. The study employs biometric measurements to assess growth and biochemical analysis to evaluate antioxidant levels and pigments. Gene expression analysis was conducted to evaluate the plant response, while the distribution of macro and micronutrients was assessed through micro X-ray fluorescence. Results and discussion: Results indicate that PAW-irrigated seedlings exhibit significant growth enhancement compared to those receiving conventional fertilization. Increased levels of antioxidant molecules and pigments suggest improved photosynthetic activity and stress tolerance. Gene expression analysis shows up-regulation of defense genes in PAW-treated plants postviral infection. The up-regulation of defense genes and the restoration of mineral nutrient distribution in PAW-treated, virus-infected plants highlight PAW's role in enhancing plant resilience against pathogens and mitigating nutrient deficiencies. These findings emphasize PAW's potential as a sustainable agricultural solution, promoting plant growth, enhancing defense mechanisms, and reducing biotic stress due to virus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monilinia species are among the most devastating fungi worldwide as they cause brown rot and blossom blight on fruit trees. To understand the molecular bases of their pathogenic lifestyles, we compared the newly assembled genomes of single strains of Monilinia fructicola, M. fructigena and M. laxa, with those of Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, as the closest species within Sclerotiniaceae. Phylogenomic analysis of orthologous proteins and syntenic investigation suggest that M. laxa is closer to M. fructigena than M. fructicola, and is closest to the other investigated Sclerotiniaceae species. This indicates that M. laxa was the earliest result of the speciation process. Distinct evolutionary profiles were observed for transposable elements (TEs). M. fructicola and M. laxa showed older bursts of TE insertions, which were affected (mainly in M. fructicola) by repeat-induced point (RIP) mutation gene silencing mechanisms. These suggested frequent occurrence of the sexual process in M. fructicola. More recent TE expansion linked with low RIP action was observed in M. fructigena, with very little in S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea. The detection of active non-syntenic TEs is indicative of horizontal gene transfer and has resulted in alterations in specific gene functions. Analysis of candidate effectors, biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites and carbohydrate-active enzymes, indicated that Monilinia genus has multiple virulence mechanisms to infect host plants, including toxins, cell-death elicitor, putative virulence factors and cell-wall-degrading enzymes. Some species-specific pathogenic factors might explain differences in terms of host plant and organ preferences between M. fructigena and the other two Monilinia species.

Monilinia laxa is the causal agent of brown rot on stone fruit, and it can cause heavy yield losses during field production and postharvest storage. This article reports the draft genome assembly of the M. laxa Mlax316 strain, obtained using a hybrid genome assembly with both Illumina short-reads and PacBio long-reads sequencing technologies. The complete draft genome consists of 49 scaffolds with total size of 42.81 Mb, and scaffold N50 of 2,449.4 kb. Annotation of the M. laxa assembly identified 11,163 genes and 12,424 proteins which were functionally annotated. This new genome draft improves current genomic resources available for M. laxa and represents a useful tool for further research into its interactions with host plants and into evolution in the Monilinia genus.

O presente artigo é vinculado a uma pesquisa recentemente concluída, destinada à análise da obra de Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994) focando nas relações harmônicas. O desenvolvimento metodológico da pesquisa foi efetivado em dois estágios: análise assistida por computador e coleta estatística dos dados analisados. O processo analítico foi estabelecido em um quadro teórico-metodológico (denominado Sistema J), cujas bases são descritas em detalhes em trabalho recente (Almada et al. 2019a). Princípios, procedimentos e conceitos originais, entre os quais qualidade-classe e relação binária, embasaram a produção de dados. O principal objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma das aplicações composicionais advindas do processamento e discussão dos dados obtidos ao longo do mapeamento estatístico. Trata-se de JobKov, um software destinado à composição algorítmica de progressões acordais originais estilisticamente jobinianas por intermédio de processos estocásticos markovianos. O artigo apresenta e descreve os algoritmos criados e a estrutura do programa, discutindo ainda como fatores estatísticos são cruciais para a determinação de estilos composicionais.

Brown rot, caused by different Monilinia species, is a most economically important disease of pome and stone fruits worldwide. In Europe and in Italy, the quarantine pathogen M. fructicola was recently introduced and rapidly spread and, by competing with the main indigenous species Monilinia fructigena and Monilinia laxa, caused relevant changes in Monilinia populations. As a result, in most areas, the pathogen almost replaced M. fructigena and now coexists with M. laxa. The availability of specific and easy-of-use quantification methods is essential to study the population dynamics, and in this work, a new method for the simultaneous quantification of M. fructicola and M. laxa based on droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technique was established. Under the optimized reaction conditions, consisting of 250/500 nM of primers/probe sets concentration, 58°C as annealing temperature and 50 PCR cycles, the duplex-ddPCR assay was 200-fold more sensitive than duplex-real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, quantifying < 1 copy μL–1 of target DNA in the PCR mixture. The results obtained with the validation assay performed on apricot and peach fruits, artificially inoculated with conidial suspensions containing different ratios of M. fructicola and M. laxa, showed a high correlation (R2 = 0.98) between the relative quantity of DNA of the two species quantified by ddPCR and qPCR and a more accurate quantification by ddPCR compared to qPCR at higher concentrations of M. fructicola. The herein described method represents a useful tool for the early detection of Monilinia spp. on stone fruits and for the improving knowledge on the epidemiology of brow rot and interactions between the two prevalent Monilinia species.

The University of Bari (Italy), in cooperation with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) (Italy), has installed the OTRIONS micro-earthquake network to better understand the active tectonics of the Gargano promontory (Southern Italy). The OTRIONS network operates since 2013 and consists of 12 short period, 3 components, seismic stations located in the Apulian territory (Southern Italy). This data article releases the waveform database collected from 2013 to 2018 and describes the characteristics of the local network in the current configuration. At the end of 2018, we implemented a cloud infrastructure to make more robust the acquisition and storage system of the network through a collaboration with the RECAS-Bari computing centre of the University of Bari (Italy) and of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (Italy). Thanks to this implementation, waveforms recorded after the beginning of 2019 and the station metadata are accessible through the European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA, https://www.orfeus-eu.org/data/eida/nodes/INGV/).

Historical seismic catalogs report that the Gargano Promontory (southern Italy) was affected in the past by earthquakes with medium to high estimated magnitude. From the instrumental seismicity, it can be identified that the most energetic Apulian sequence occurred in 1995 with a main shock of MW = 5.2 followed by about 200 aftershocks with a maximum magnitude of 3.7. The most energetic earthquakes of the past are attributed to right-lateral strike-slip faults, while there is evidence that the present-day seismicity occur on thrust or thrust-strike faults. In this article, we show a detailed study on focal mechanisms and stress field obtained by micro-seismicity recorded from April 2013 until the present time in the Gargano Promontory and surrounding regions. Seismic waveforms are collected from the OTRIONS Seismic Network (OSN), from the Italian National Seismic Network (RSN), and integrated with data from the Italian National Accelerometric Network (RAN) in order to provide a robust dataset of earthquake localizations and focal mechanisms. The effect of uncertainties of the velocity model on fault plane solutions (FPS) has been also evaluated indicating the robustness of the results. The computed stress field indicates a deep compressive faulting with maximum horizontal compressive stress, SHmax, trending NW-SE. The seismicity pattern analysis indicates that the whole crust is seismically involved up to a depth of 40 km and indicates the presence of a low-angle seismogenic surface trending SW-NE and dipping SE-NW, similar to the Gargano–Dubrovnik lineament. Shallower events, along the eastern sector of the Mattinata Fault (MF), are W-E dextral strike-slip fault. Therefore, we hypothesized that the seismicity is locally facilitated by preexisting multidirectional fractures, confirmed by the heterogeneity of focal mechanisms, and explained by the different reactivation processes in opposite directions over the time, involving the Mattinata shear zone.

The fungus Monilinia fructicola is responsible for brown rot on stone and pome fruit and causes heavy yield losses both pre- and post-harvest. Several mycoviruses are known to infect fungal plant pathogens. In this study, a metagenomic approach was applied to obtain a comprehensive characterization of the mycovirome in a worldwide collection of 58 M. fructicola strains. Deep sequencing of double-stranded (ds)RNA extracts revealed a great abundance and variety of mycoviruses. A total of 32 phylogenetically distinct positive-sense (+) single-stranded (ss)RNA viruses were identified. They included twelve mitoviruses, one in the proposed family Splipalmiviridae, and twelve botourmiaviruses (phylum Lenarviricota), eleven of which were novel viral species; two hypoviruses, three in the proposed family Fusariviridae, and one barnavirus (phylum Pisuviricota); as well as one novel beny-like virus (phylum Kitrinoviricota), the first one identified in Ascomycetes. A partial sequence of a new putative ssDNA mycovirus related to viruses within the Parvoviridae family was detected in a M. fructicola isolate from Serbia. The availability of genomic sequences of mycoviruses will serve as a solid basis for further research aimed at deepening the knowledge on virus–host and virus–virus interactions and to explore their potential as biocontrol agents against brown rot disease.

Abstract Background Brown rots are important fungal diseases of stone and pome fruits. They are caused by several Monilinia species but M. fructicola, M. laxa and M. fructigena are the most common all over the world. Although they have been intensively studied, the availability of genomic and transcriptomic data in public databases is still scant. We sequenced, assembled and annotated the transcriptomes of the three pathogens using mRNA from germinating conidia and actively growing mycelia of two isolates of opposite mating types per each species for comparative transcriptome analyses. Results Illumina sequencing was used to generate about 70 million of paired-end reads per species, that were de novo assembled in 33,861 contigs for M. fructicola, 31,103 for M. laxa and 28,890 for M. fructigena. Approximately, 50% of the assembled contigs had significant hits when blasted against the NCBI non-redundant protein database and top-hits results were represented by Botrytis cinerea, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotinia borealis proteins. More than 90% of the obtained sequences were complete, the percentage of duplications was always less than 14% and fragmented and missing transcripts less than 5%. Orthologous transcripts were identified by tBLASTn analysis using the B. cinerea proteome as reference. Comparative transcriptome analyses revealed 65 transcripts over-expressed (FC ≥ 8 and FDR ≤ 0.05) or unique in M. fructicola, 30 in M. laxa and 31 in M. fructigena. Transcripts were involved in processes affecting fungal development, diversity and host-pathogen interactions, such as plant cell wall-degrading and detoxifying enzymes, zinc finger transcription factors, MFS transporters, cell surface proteins, key enzymes in biosynthesis and metabolism of antibiotics and toxins, and transposable elements. Conclusions This is the first large-scale reconstruction and annotation of the complete transcriptomes of M. fructicola, M. laxa and M. fructigena and the first comparative transcriptome analysis among the three pathogens revealing differentially expressed genes with potential important roles in metabolic and physiological processes related to fungal morphogenesis and development, diversity and pathogenesis which need further investigations. We believe that the data obtained represent a cornerstone for research aimed at improving knowledge on the population biology, physiology and plant-pathogen interactions of these important phytopathogenic fungi.

Malaria still represents a potential public health issue in Italy, and the presence of former Anopheles vectors and cases imported annually merit continuous surveillance. In areas no longer endemic, the concurrent presence of gametocyte carriers and competent vectors makes re-emergence of local transmission possible, as recently reported in Greece. In October 2017, due to the occurrence of four suspected introduced malaria cases in the province of Taranto (Apulia region), entomological investigations were performed to verify the involvement of local anopheline species. In 2019–2020 entomological surveys were extended to other areas historically prone to malaria between the provinces of Taranto and Matera and the province of Foggia (Gargano Promontory). Resting mosquitoes were collected in animal shelters and human dwellings, larvae were sampled in natural and artificial breeding sites, and specimens were both morphologically and molecularly identified. A total of 2228 mosquitoes were collected, 54.3% of which were anophelines. In all the investigated areas, Anopheles labranchiae was the most widespread species, while Anopheles algeriensis was predominant at the Gargano sites, and Anopheles superpictus and Anopheles plumbeus were recorded in the province of Matera. Our findings showed a potentially high receptivity in the surveyed areas, where the abundance of the two former malaria vectors, An. labranchiae and An. superpictus, is related to environmental and climatic parameters and to anthropic activities.

Abstract Objectives Monilinia fructigena (phylum Ascomycota, family Sclerotiniaceae) is a plant pathogen that causes brown rot and blossom blight in pome fruit and stone fruit of the Rosaceae family, which can cause significant losses in the field and mainly postharvest. The aim of this study was to create a high-quality draft of the M. fructigena genome assembly and annotation that provides better understanding of the epidemiology of the pathogen and its interactions with the host(s) and will thus improve brown rot management. Data description We report here on the genome sequence of M. fructigena strain Mfrg269 that was collected from plum in southern Italy. This is assembled into 131 scaffolds, with a total size of 43.125 Mb, with 9960 unique protein-coding genes. The novel genomic resources allow improved genomic comparisons among the most important pathogens belonging to the Monilinia genus, with the aim being to improve the knowledge of their plant–pathogen interactions, population biology, and control.