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Zymoseptoria tritici is the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch. The pathogen causes every year heavy yield losses in North Central Europe1 while in Italy only during the last few years, the incidence of the disease has been increased. The application of fungicides is the most widespread strategy to control this disease in particular the application of DMIs, SDHIs and multisites. Since resistance to QoIs is widespread in Europe2,3 this family has not been more recommended for control the disease4 in many regions, while in Italy QoIs can still contibute into a spray program. The aim of this study was to test the sensitivity of Z. tritici strains to QoIs in order to obtain the first information about the Italian scenario. Italian Z. tritici populations were collected during 2016-2017 from commercial, experimental and abandoned fields. Monoconidial isolates were tested for the sensitivity to azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin and were then analyzed by Sanger sequencing for the presence of G143A substitution. By droplets digital PCR, the allele frequency in the populations were established. Results highlighted the widespread presence of G143A substitution in experimental fields. These results showed the emergence of resistance to QoI in Italian Z. tritici populations, mainly in experimental fields where less stringent anti-resistance strategies were applied. This highlight the importance of sound anti-resistance strategies listed at FRAC web page http://www.frac.info/working-group/qol-fungicides/general-use-recommendations, in commercial fields.

Cinque diversi tipi di confettura extra e quattro di marmellata per uso artigianale sono stati esaminati usando la tecnica del filth-test secondo il metodo stabilito dall’AOAC. I risultati hanno mostrato che solo due dei 18 campioni di analisi sono stati completamente puliti da diverse impurità solide. Le impurità sono principalmente fibre tessili e frammenti di insetti. Sono stati trovati inoltre peli di roditori, uova di insetti e un acaro. La significatività dei risultati è stata discussa.

The sandstone of the Macigno Formation quarried along the Fontanella stream near Montereggio (Lunigiana - NW Italy) has been used in XVI-XVII century for the construction of important architectural elements such as ashlar portals in the fortified palace of the Malaspina and in Montereggio village. It is a fine-to coarse- grained feldspathic-lithic sandstone with scarce carbonatic cement and sporadic clay minerals consisting of illite. When exposed to the ravages of time, these artifacts undergo a physical degradation mainly consisting of a superficial exfoliation due either to direct causes i.e. thermoclastic and cryoclastic process or to physical indirect causes related to the presence of ashlar workmanships which leads to an increase of surface microfissuring and water absorption. Phenomena of disgregation with intergranular decohesion are not observed; electron microscopy analysis reveals only superficial corrosion of the mineral phases that acquire rounded morphology and become covered by neck-shaped, thread-like and rose-cut patinas of exclusively Si-Al composition. These latter, together with hollow micrometric spheres of analogous composition, represent the product of firewood combustion. This produces also carbonaceous matter, but not in such quantity to induce the formation of black crusts; conversely, the products of combustion of coal and mineral oils, are very scarce or almost totally absent. Although we do not observe significant effects of weathering, the increase of sandstone microporosity can be chiefly attributed to biotic-related agents such as lichens and musks. The sandstones of the ancient quarry located along the Fontanella stream have been submitted to physical-mechanical tests in order to compare them with known litotypes and to choice the most appropriate products for consolidation and protection in view of possible preservative restoration. These tests show that the sandstones of Montereggio are characterized by low porosity and low water absorption coefficient, excellent values of compressive strength, both under dry conditions and after cycles of freezing, and excellent resistence to flexural strength under concentrated load. All these characteristics make these rocks suitable in load-bearing structures such as the studied portals. Our study led us to conclude that the most important physical parameter is the thermal dilatation coefficient, because it qualifies the choice of reinforcing and waterproofing products used to prevent further alteration of the stone surface. We recommend that this coefficient is kept constant, otherwise the detatchment of the superficially consolidated layer from the substratum would be unavoidable.

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptors were evaluated in the tumor tissue (T) and in the mammary gland far from malignancy (D) in 36 breast cancers. Results were correlated with the pathological grading of the tumor and the axillary nodal status. It is suggested that a lower cancer malignancy with negative nodes and lower values of pathological grading (G1-G2) may be associated with a high level of ER in the mammary parenchyma far from the tumor (D).

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm is currently highly demanded in multiple scenarios and in particular plays an important role in solving medical-related challenges. RF and microwave technologies, coupled with wireless energy transfer, are interesting candidates because of their inherent contactless spectrometric capabilities and for the wireless transmission of sensing data. This article reviews some recent achievements in the field of wearable sensors, highlighting the benefits that these solutions introduce in operative contexts, such as indoor localization and microwave sensing. Wireless power transfer is an essential requirement to be fulfilled to allow these sensors to be not only wearable but also compact and lightweight while avoiding bulky batteries. Flexible materials and 3D printing polymers, as well as daily garments, are widely exploited within the presented solutions, allowing comfort and wearability without renouncing the robustness and reliability of the built-in wearable sensor.

Powdery mildew is a widespread disease that causes important losses to cucurbit production. The main agents of the disease are Podosphaera xanthii and Golovinomyces orontii. To determine the occurrence of chasmothecia as overwintering forms of both fungal species in northern Italy, powdery mildew-infected samples from cultivated cucurbits were collected in different locations of the provinces of Bologna and Mantova during 2010, 2011 and 2012. Only the sexual stage of P. xanthii was found, indicating that in northern Italy, contrary to what reported from other areas of the Mediterranean basin, the pathogen overwinters as chasmothecia. In parallel, to determine the frequency and distribution of both MAT 1-1-1 and MAT 1-2-1 P. xanthii idiomorphs, a multiplex-PCR with MAT idiomorph-specific primers was carried out on 147 monoconidial isolates obtained from infected leaf samples. The obtained frequencies were tested for random mating. Results showed a MAT ratio that tended to 1:1, supporting the finding of the sexual stage thus suggesting the occurrence of actively mating populations and that sexual reproduction plays a significant role in the life cycle of P. xanthii in this area. The lack of G. orontii chasmothecia suggests that this species might have alternative overwintering strategies. ascospore viability, multiplex-PCR, powdery mildew, sexual recombination.

Introduction Commercial mixtures of difenoconazole, fenpropidin, tetraconazole, trifloxystrobin and azoxystrobin are the most frequent fungicides used in Italy to control cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola. The resistance development risk to these fungicides is moderate for triazoles and piperidines, whereas the risk is high for QoIs (Brent and Holloman, 2007). Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of C. beticola isolates collected from Northern Italy to difenoconazole and strobilurin fungicides. Material and methods Total 228 isolates were collected from trial plots, commercial fields and one garden in September 2012 and 2013 for fungicide sensitivity studies. Conidial germination tests were examined using trifloxystrobin as technical grade (Sigma) to achieve 0.01, 0.1, 1, 2 mg/L and commercial formulation of 100 mg/L (Flint, 50%, Bayer). Technical grade of difenoconazole (Sigma) (0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 mg/L) was tested for mycelial growth inhibition. Mean EC50 ..........

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the agent of the bacterial canker of green and yellow-fleshed kiwifruit (respectively Actinidia deliciosa and A. chinensis). It is the cause of severe economic losses in Japan (Takikawa et al., 1989), South Korea (Koh et al., 1994) and Iran (Mazarei and Mostofipour, 1994). This pathogen was reported on A. deliciosa in Italy for the first time in 1994 (Scortichini, 1994) without yield losses up to 2008 when the disease infected most part of orchards located in Latium region. Psa is currently a worldwide pandemic disease, threatening the kiwifruit producing countries, particularly Italy, France, New Zealand and Chile. The current chemical control of Psa in the field is reliant on spraying of copper-based compounds (Koh et al., 1996; Nakajima et al., 2002; Vanneste et al., 2011). Unfortunately, copper may lead many bacteria to develop different strategies to overcome its toxicity (Nies, 1999). This study was undertaken to establish the copper sensitivity of many strains of Psa coming from North of Italy isolated during 2009-2013 years...............................

Powdery mildew, caused by Golovinomyces orontii and Podosphaera xanthii, is a widespread disease that causes important losses in cucurbit production. To determine the aetiology and the epidemiology of cucurbit powdery mildew disease in the North of Italy, observations on the occurrence of the main disease-causing fungal species were conducted during the 2010, 2011 and 2012 growing seasons. Samples of infected leaves of zucchini, melon and pumpkin plants, either from field or greenhouse crops, were collected every 15-18 days from May to September/October. To identify the fungal species, both morphological observations based on the asexual stage and molecular identifications by a Multiplex-PCR reaction with species-specific primers were performed. Climatic parameters of temperature and relative humidity were also monitored. Pearson's correlation coefficient and Principal Component Analysis showed a negative significant correlation between the two species, and a peculiar epidemiological behaviour was also observed: the earlier infections were caused by G. orontii, which was the predominant species till the end of June-middle of July. At this time, this species progressively decreased in frequency and was replaced by P. xanthii that became the main species infecting cucurbits till the end of the growing season. As the two species have different ecological requirements, these seasonal variations in the cucurbit powdery mildew species composition could possibly be explained by the influence of temperature and relative humidity on the pathogen epidemiology during the growing season but also by the different overwintering strategies adopted by the two species.

Strobilurins have been used in Turkey since 1998 and unfortunately, in the late 2000’s control failures were observed in apple orchards due to intensive treatment. The G143A substitution in the inhibitor binding site of cytochrome b of Venturia inaequalis confers a high level of resistance to strobilurins. This study was undertaken to evaluate strobilurin resistance by in vitro assays and through molecular assay for detecting the A143 allele position in Turkish V. inaequalis field populations. ....................................