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Sicilian white flesh peach fruits ecotypes are characterized by a persistent aroma and excellent flavor that is highly appreciated by consumers. Nevertheless, they reach only regional markets, because of fruit sensitivity to decay and the poor information about their postharvest physiology and shelf-life. In this trial, we studied quality changes during postharvest life of non-melting white-flesh peach ecotypes ‘Tudia’, ‘Bella di Bivona’ and the cultivar ‘Daniela’. Fruits were collected at commercial ripening: a first group was submitted to analytical evaluations and another one was stored (2°C, 90% RH) for 32 days. During this storage period, fruits were submitted to four shelf-life periods at ambient temperature (22°C) for 6 days and analyzed every 3th and 6th day. In the period of shelf-life, during storage of fruit at 2°C, we ascertained that Bella di Bivona and Daniela have a shelf-life of 12-14 days while ‘Tudia’ could reach up to 25-32 days. Flesh firmness and chilling injuries trends, during shelf-life, allowed to discover ‘Tudia’ as the variety which presents the best performance after storage at low temperatures for long periods.

According to the histological exams executed from January 1975 to June 1988, the authors assessed the frequency in the years, in the sex and in the decades and of the pathology surgery executed. For simplicity of graphic representation, the authors subdivided the pathologies in nine groups: phlogistic trial, cysts, epulis, leukoplakia and precancerous lesion, epithelial tumor, connectival tumor, vascular tumor and osseous tumor. With the voice "other" we consider some neoplasies which are not numerous and which are not differently classificable. According to the present statistics numerous operations are excluded like dysodontiasis, dental embedding, fractures, supernumerary teeth and so on. The authors ascertained on elevated frequency of cysts and of osteitis of maxillary bone caused by an inadequate and late treatment of the cavity. During the passing of the years the incidence of phlogistic trial is particularly reduced while the cysts presented a notable increase. Comparison of leukoplakia was exceptional while among the tumors predominate the epithelial tumors one. According to the presented information the Authors come to an end hoping a more preventive sensibility of people and dentistries.

The results of a blind comparison of different types of toothpaste carried out for two months are reported. It was noted that the paste based on azulene, sodium chloride and benzalkonium chloride produces a more marked regression in the gingival index, whereas that based on chlorhexidine produces a more marked reduction in the plaque index. The differences were not statistically significant, however. With an equal quantity of tooth-paste, it was shown that two initial sessions of ultrasonic detartrasis produce a statistically significant benefit as regards gingival index regression, but an only apparent one for the plaque index. Detartrasis alone, not followed by regular oral hygiene practice, leads to momentary benefits but, as the weeks go by, the difference between the indices of those submitted to detartrasis alone and those who also adopt recommended toothpastes regularly becomes increasingly significant.

Major kidney stones have traditionally been treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy. However, retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS), which until a few years ago was considered inappropriate for this purpose, is becoming a viable, attractive alternative. The aim of the current study was to assess the efficacy and safety of RIRS combined with holmium laser lithotripsy for the treatment of stones2 cm in diameter in a large series of patients, reporting complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.By retrospective analysis, we identified a total of 162 patients who were affected by stones greater than 2 cm in diameter and who had undergone RIRS. We reviewed demographic and stone characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, and complications.The mean stone size was 2.7 cm +/- 0.6 cm. The primary, secondary, and tertiary stone-free rates were 66%, 80.9%, and 87.7%, respectively. The mean number of procedures per patient was 1.48. The complication rates according to the Clavien-Dindo classification were Clavien I in 20.4% of patients, Clavien II in 0%, Clavien III in 4.9%, Clavien IV in 0.6%, and Clavien V in 0%.As an alternative to standard procedures for the treatment of renal calculi greater than 2 cm in diameter, RIRS is safe and effective, with a low complication rate.

Pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars ‘Coscia’ and ‘Butirra’, cultivated in southern Italy are characterized very excellent by aroma and texture. Visual appearance is the primary descriptor that determines the acceptance of fresh-cut pears. Softening is another important quality parameter which considerably influences the acceptance of fresh-cut pears. The aim of this work was to study the effect of genotype on shelf life and quality of fresh-cut pear fruit harvested at commercial maturity stage. After cutting, pear fruit samples were stored under passive atmosphere at 5±1°C for 3, 5, 7 and 12 days. Fruit color (L*, a*, b*, ΔE), consistence, solid soluble, titratable acidity, CO2 and O2 packaging content, visual quality score, and sensory profiles, were evaluated. The results showed that genotype had a great influence on softening and change in color and sensory properties during the shelf life. The two cultivars differ mainly in speed of deterioration of texture, which has a negative influence on the change in color from white to brown.

‘Bianca di Bivona’ is a white-flesh peach cultivar, which ripens during the last week of July and the first of August. Its fruit are known because of their distinct flavor and aroma, which make them highly accepted, particularly in the local markets. However, nothing is known about their postharvest physiology and storage conditions. In order to investigate the effect of: (a) fruit ripening stage at harvest and, (b) storage temperatures, ‘Bianca di Bivona’ peaches were picked at mature-green, (60.0±1.3 N), and ripe stage (30.7 ± 2.1 N) determined by flesh firmness, and then stored at 0°C and 5°C (90% RH). Flesh firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, weight loss and DA index, measured with a DA-Meter, were evaluated after harvest and every 7 days during a 4 weeks storage period. Mature-green peaches after 21 days of storage at 5°C showed a rapid decline in fruit titratable acidity and flesh firmness. On the other hand, fruit storage at 0°C for 28 days did not result in significant changes of fruit titratable acidity and flesh firmness. Ripe peaches (30.7±2.1 N) stored at 5°C showed a sharp decline of flesh firmness after 7 days of storage, while their storage period lasted until 14 days at 0°C.

Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common tumors; better screening policies and multidisciplinary approach allow personalized treatment. Radiotherapy (RT) plays a central role in the multimodal approach in BC, and recent evidence has shown the non-inferiority of hypofractionated treatments. The aim of this study was to describe the feasibility and validity of stereotactic RT (SBRT) in BC in a neoadjuvant and exclusive setting. Methods: A PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase systematic review was conducted to assess the role of radiomics in BC. The search strategy was “breast [All Fields] AND “stereotactic” [All Fields] AND “radiotherapy” [All Fields]” and only original articles referred to BC in humans in the English language were considered. Results: A total of 2,149 studies were obtained using the mentioned search strategy on PubMed and Embase. After the complete selection process, a total of 12 papers were considered eligible for the analysis of the results. SBRT in BC was described in 8 studies regarding neoadjuvant approach and 4 papers regarding exclusive approach. Conclusions: Relative low toxicity rates, the reduced treatment volumes in the neoadjuvant setting, and the possibility to replace surgery when not feasible in exclusive setting resulted to be main advantages for SBRT in BC. Current evidence shows that both the neoadjuvant and the definitive settings seem to be promising clinical scenarios for SBRT, especially for EBC.

The mucilage (OFI) obtained from cladodes of cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) is useful to produce natural edible coatings to improve the shelf life of fruits. Edible coatings could be used to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut for products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of (OFI) on quality of ‘Big Bang' nectarine slices. After cutting, nectarine slices were dipped in three different solutions: 1) distilled water, mucilage, glycerol (MC); 2) distilled water, mucilage, glycerol, Tween 20 (TW); 3) distilled water as control (CTR) and were stored for 3, 5, 7 and 12 days at 5°C and 90% RH, in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packages under passive modified atmosphere conditions. Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) is a non-ionic emulsifier. At each sampling time, color, weight loss, visual quality score, carotenoid contents and microbiological characteristics were assessed together with CO2 and O2 content in packages. The results show that TW treatment showed a significant higher carotenoid content and a lower weight loss than CTR and MC treatments, until the 7th day of storage. Moreover, TW treatment showed significant difference on bacterial count compared to other treatments.

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is an important crop from temperate areas and is widespread and much appreciated by the consumers when the pedicel is green. The objective of this work was to evaluate the quality of sweet cherry fruit treated with a mucilage coating, extracted from cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill (OFI). The cultivar ‘Ferrovia’ was harvested at the commercial ripeness stage from an orchard in Puglia (Italy), stored for 14 days at 2°C and RH 92% and to evaluated by the variation of color and other qualitative parameters such as physical-chemical, nutraceutical and sensory analysis. Fruits were transferred at 10°C to postharvest laboratory of University of Palermo after 15 h and immediately treated with mucilage coating (MCC) or distilled water (CTR). Our results showed that sweet cherry fruit treated with MCC had better values of the parameter L* than the control and reduced weight loss (%) during the storage. Moreover, acceptability of fruit remained “good” for up to 10 days after harvest for MCC fruit and up to 7 days for CTR. Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. mucilage was improved fruit quality and reduced pedicel browning in sweet cherry.

Aims: The aim of this study is to evaluate the qualitative characteristics of the new clones according to the Mediterranean hillside growing environment and, at the same time, to highlight the qualitative peculiarities of the old varieties in order to avoid genetic loss. Introduction: Several apple varieties are constantly selected for improved quality traits and introduced for cultivation and marketing in addition to a few traditional and affirmed varieties. On the other side, local genotype and ancient varieties are still valorised due to the request of a niche market. Methods: We have studied the physico-chemical quality and the sensory traits of the fruit obtained in this particular environment. Results: Our study reveals a qualitative response to the environment in a genotype-dependent manner. As expected, the physico-chemical characteristics favour the new clones. Conclusion: Both old varieties and new clones of apple fruit, grown in the Mediterranean area, turned out to be of high quality. Nevertheless, results revealed the better characteristics of new clones for commercialization in large-scale supply chain.

In nectarines, potential shelf life and quality at consumption are closely related to the ripeness stage of fruit at harvest. Usually, the harvest is based on color, firmness, sugar and acids content of fruit, although these determinations are carried out through destructive methods and in a limited number of samples. The technique of Vis/Nir spectroscopy is used for the development of a non-destructive index based on the difference of absorbance (IDA) between two wavelengths near the absorption peak of chlorophyll-a, and it allows monitoring of changes in ripeness processes directly in the field. The objective of this paper is to track changes in quality that occur during nectarine ripeness of ‘Big Bang’ cultivar and their relationship with nondestructive indexes obtained with the DA-Meter equipment. The research was conducted in 2016 and 2017, on ‘Big Bang’ yellow flesh nectarine harvested from 22 trees, grafted on GF 677 rootstock, grown in a commercial orchard located in Basilicata (Italy). Fruits were weekly monitored for the evolution of the IDA index from April to June, directly in the field. In this cultivar, the IDA index showed a significant linear correlation with the quality parameters, throughout the period of harvest, appearing a promising index to assess the ripeness and the quality of peaches directly in the field.

The treatment of solid malignancies includes various target drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which exert their effect alone or in combination with chemotherapy. The main part of these molecules have a target on proteins of EGFR and VEGF pathways. The particular toxicity profile and the financial impact, deriving from the application of these agents in cancer treatment, prompted a lot of researches to define predictive factors of their efficacy. Various biomarker were identified among the components of the targeted pathways. However just few studies allowed to identify specific factors to predict the toxicity of these drugs. In this review EGFR and VEGF-related pathways are described, most relevant clinical findings about target therapy applications are exposed and the clinical impact of predictive factors of efficacy and toxicity are discussed.

Background Persimmon fruits are cherished for their unique flavor and high nutrient content. In the present study, the effects of Aloe vera-based edible coatings (EC) added with 1% ascorbic acid, 1% citric acid and 5% calcium chloride in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and their impact on shelf-life quality of fresh-cut persimmon fruit, were investigated. The experimental design consisted of four treatments 1) Aloe vera edible coating + modified atmosphere packaging (EC + MAP), 2) untreated fruit packaged with MAP (CTR + MAP); 3) Aloe vera-based edible coating in passive atmosphere (EC PASSIVE); 4) untreated fruit in passive atmosphere (CTR PASSIVE). Persimmon fruit were stored at 5 °C for 3, 6 and 9 days. At each storage time, firmness, weight loss, sugar content, organic acids, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), browning index respiration rate, sensory and microbiological analysis, were investigated. Results Our results were confirmed also by the sensory analysis in which both EC-treated fruit scored the highest values for positive descriptors.EC + MAP treatment showed the most effective result in maintaining total carotenoids, ascorbic acid, glucose and CO2 inside packaging reducing the PPO activity and the flesh browning of persimmon slices. EC + MAP treatment controlled the growth of total mesophilic microorganisms, pseudomonads, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts and molds. Conclusions The obtained results confirmed the importance of coating composition in controlling post-harvest decay and maintaining fruit quality.

This study evaluates some physical and chemical characteristics and sensory descriptors of fig fruit cultivars ‘Petrelli’ and ‘Fico di Terlizzi’, belonging to the national germplasm bank of fig trees and cultivated in Southern Italy. For the sensory evaluation of external appearance, the descriptors skin color, pulp color, odor, sweetness, stickiness, bitterness, juiciness, firmness, tannic taste and presence of achenes were measured. Results showed that fresh weight, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS:TA, firmness, and sensory properties were different for the two cultivars. SSC was more correlated with sensory attributes than TA, but other factors were also important in controlling this relationship, one of these factors is firmness. Our results proved that simple analysis of TSS, TA and firmness cannot describe in a complete way fig fruit quality; however, the use of sensory analysis to complement the chemical-physical analysis provides more accurate information on the quality level of this fruit. The correlation between chemical traits and sensory descriptors, indicates that flavor, sweetness, skin color and texture best describe fruit quality, while smoothness, stickiness and bitterness are not highly relevant.