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Soil salinity is among the major abiotic stresses that plants must face, mainly in arid and semiarid re-gions, and high salinity tolerance is an important agronomic trait to sustain food production. Agricul-tural soils are unstable and subject to changes in salinity level, and monitoring them at both the local and the regional scale is a relevant activity to adopt soil and water management strategies to decrease salt concentration in the root zone, thus minimizing impacts on plant growth and productivity. Addi-tionally, beneficial soil microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant-growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), particularly when sourced in saline environments, can alleviate plant salinity stress by multiple mechanisms. In this review, some interventions aimed at reducing soil salinity will be discussed, as well as interventions aimed at reducing the vulnerability of crops to sa-line stress to obtain more tolerant plants. Highlights - Fast and reliable monitoring of soil status can help to promptly adopt strategies to decrease soil salin-ity and/or reduce crops vulnerability to salt. - Leaching, alternating fresh- and saline water for irrigation purpose and the use of efficient irrigation systems can be effective water management strategies against soil salinity. - Mulching and the use of amendments can improve soil status by decreasing its NaCl levels. - The rotation of halophyte and glycophyte plant species can allow NaCl sequestration while maintain-ing profitable yields. - Saline environments and plants adapted to such environments can be a valuable source of PGPB and AMF which can improve plant tolerance to salinity through multiple mechanisms.

There is a new and growing interest in using hemp as a raw material for a wide portfolio of food and non-food products. This study provides a synthesis of such information on the basis of literature and experimental data. For comparison, similar information on maize is provided. To document multiple uses of both crops, a list of products was compiled and the fraction of the total dry biomass of each plant part used for each product was estimated. A field experiment was carried out on the response of hemp and maize to irrigation scheduling and to the quality of irrigation water. Both literature and our experiment show that water and salinity stress reduce the total dry biomass, but do not modify substantially the relative availability for the intended marketable products. The field experiment did show that total biomass declined as salinity increased for both crops, but the partition in different fractions did not change significantly with the increase in salinity for all plant fractions and both crops. The market value of the observed, reduced, yield of maize and hemp was estimated. The experimental findings suggest that widespread use of hemp would lead to a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system, although regulatory and medium enterprise policies should be adapted to bring about this development.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are common, complex, costly complications, associated with frequent recurrences and increased morbidity and mortality. DFUs can be prevented and their healing can be mostly influenced by appropriately and aggressively managing any infection, but the role of antiseptic therapies in reducing healing time lacks sufficient evidence. Several therapeutic interventions have been developed based on the principles of photomedicine to overcome the issue of poor drug circulation in infected areas, with the aim of killing microbial agents while leaving the surrounding host cells unharmed. Such techniques use absorption of photons by specific chromophores. Among these, RLP068 is a tetracationic Zn(II) phthalocyanine derivative activated by exposure to red light, used as a topical treatment for superficial bacterial and fungal infections. The photoactivation of RLP068 results in the production of singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species, able to affect a range of cellular targets, including cell membrane and/or wall, cytoplasm, and cellular components, resulting in a rapid, broad range, bactericidal and fungicidal effect. The phase IIa study showed that photoactivated RPL068 is capable of inducing a dose-dependent reduction in total and pathogen microbial load in infected diabetic foot ulcers. In this article, a case series of 22 DFU treated with photoactivated RLP068 at 5 different centers in Italy is presented. Considering microbial agents reduction, ulcer healing facilitation, healing rate (9 DFUs out of 22), and amputation rate (only 1 case over 22), the decrease in the cost of DFU seems to be a point in favor of RLP068 and its cost-effectiveness.

My dissertation investigates inconsistencies in the ways Amazonia has been presented to the public and within archaeology as a discipline. It does so by bringing methods from the earth sciences to bear on sites that resist interpretation under widely accepted models for habitation of pre-Columbian Amazonia. Terra Preta de Índio, a type of Amazonian Dark Earth, is a dark soil produced by deliberate human action that functions as key evidence for intensive environmental and landscape remodeling in pre-Columbian Amazonia. Terra preta sites have been recognized in recent decades as likely resulting from large, permanently settled populations previously believed to be absent from Amazonia. My dissertation reconstructs patterns of daily life and village organization at a terra preta site, Antônio Galo, as a means of constructing an alternative narrative about Amazonia's past.Prevalent narratives about Amazonia cast the region as homogenous and static, exotic, yet culturally decadent. These deeply embedded images of Amazonia have roots in early narratives of `discovery' and `exploration,' which are tightly interwoven with colonialist projects. Historically, archaeological contributions to knowledge about Amazonia, which make use of notions of social complexity that emerge from colonialist notions about `civilization,' also cast Amazonia as empty and its people as passive in its development. Through an exploration of place, I examine the construction of these narratives, and then employ data that speak to Native Amazonians' active role in constructing the landscape to propose alternative narratives for Amazonia and its people.In order to detect material traces of past acts of remodeling embedded in the archaeological soil and sediment matrix, I developed a geoarchaeological approach to investigating the household scale at Antônio Galo. I approach the matrix as a particulate body that mediates the relationship between people and their environments and also serves as the stage upon which lives are enacted. Moving away from indices of social complexity, which do not adequately address the scale of daily life in Amazonia, I examine macroscopically visible and invisible traces of the past to reconstruct places created and inhabited by people in the past. Field observations of landscape and environmental remodeling are supplemented by chemical, sedimentological, and microartifactual signatures that help to identify and characterize ancient habitation surfaces and features. Through this nuanced understanding of the various iterations of activity areas, houses, and villages that existed at Antônio Galo, I consider village organization, spatial parsing of activities, and the movement of bodies, in an attempt to recapitulate the lives of people that created and inhabited these places in the past.

Plant-based products comprise the vast majority of human and animal nutrition, and metal concentration and accumulation inside food can affect human health. Recently, agricultural soils are often located in close proximity of urban fabrics and factories, so that risk of contamination is high. A field study, carried out in summer 2014, aimed to: i) evaluate the chemical, biological and ecotoxicological characteristics of an agricultural soil in the neighbourhood of the city of Naples (Southern Italy); ii) detect Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb concentrations and accumulations in roots of sunflower and sorghum; iii) distinguish the potential main pathway (by roots or leaves) of metal uptake in the two crop species. Metal concentrations were measured in soil, roots, stems, leaves and seeds. Besides, the metal bioaccumulation and translocation factors were also calculated. Soils resulted slightly contaminated by Cu and Pb, deriving by both agricultural practices and urban inputs, but did not differ in biological and ecotoxicological characteristics. Cu was the most abundant metal and roots appeared the main path of metal uptake for both the crop species. In sunflower, roots apparently limit the absorption of Pb as well Cu and Cd uptake by leaves from the atmosphere cannot be excluded. Sunflower, likely for the higher biomass and faster growth rate as compared to sorghum, showed an overall higher metal accumulation, particularly high for Cd and Cu in the seeds. Capsule Sorghum and sunflower, grown in an agricultural field inside an urban fabric, showed a different metal compartmentalization and accumulation in biomass portions used in human dietary

To provide data on hospitalization and incidence rates of Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) and its relation to lower limbs' amputations/revascularizations in population with diabetes of Italy as well as of one of its regions (Tuscany).Hospitalizations with CN diagnosis (codes ICD-9-CM: 7130, 7135, 7138) have been recorded in people with diabetes over years 2003-2013 in Italy and 2008-2015 in Tuscany. Amputations, peripheral vascular disease, revascularizations and infections were likewise evaluated.Between 2003 and 2013 CN hospitalizations were very infrequent in Italy ranging between 14×100,000 and 11×100,000 patients with diabetes. In Tuscany they declined to a minimum of 7×100,000 patients in 2015, after a previous increase to a maximum of 22×100,000 (p=NS for both). Yearly CN incidence remained constant in Italy, declining in Tuscany to a minimum of 3.4×100,000 diabetic patients in 2015 (p=0.047). CN patients were younger and with longer length of hospital stay than those with non-Charcot diabetic foot (p0.05 for both). Amputation and infection rates were manifold higher in CN patients than in those with non-Charcot diabetic foot, while the revascularization rate was similar in both.Over last decade, in Italy and Tuscany yearly CN incidence and hospitalization rates concerned only a small percentage of patients, remaining constant over years and declining in Tuscany in the last couple of years. CN was significantly associated to younger age, longer hospital stay and greater risk of amputations and infections while the need of revascularization was similar to that of non-Charcot diabetic foot.

The objective of the work is to evaluate the role of identified and selected bacteria, collected in the Minqin desert in the Northwest of China, in the adaptation to water deficit and soil salinity of 2 Lycium spcies. Soil rhizosphere samples were taken from Lycium chinense (LC) in 2016, and cultivable bacteria were grown on rich medium and bacteria genomic DNA was extracted. The 16S rDNA were sequenced (MiSeq Illumina) and, using a bioinformatic analysis, the composition of cultivated bacteria was obtained . The alignment in the bacteria ribosomal DNA database gives, in descending order, Serratia (33.7%), Arthtrobacter (19.9%), Staphylococcus (17.7%), Pseudomonas (8%) and Bacillus (6%). This bacteria mixture was used to inoculate (I) 6 times, during the growth cycle, the LC and Lycium barbarum (LB) plants cultivated under salt and water stress conditions. Two irrigation treatments were applied: Tc (non saline water); Ts (saline water ECw= 6 dS m-1). Irrigation was applied when the control treatment reached the wilting point (?1.6MPa) to restore all treatments to 0.03 MPa. A control treatment without bacteria inoculation (NI) was applied for both plants, i.e. the treatments were: ILCTs; NILCTs; ILCTc; NILCTc; ILBTs; NILBTs; ILBTc; NILBTc. The bacteria had a modest significant effect on: leaf area, biomass, water use efficiency and on stem biomass. The significant effects of bacteria are more evident on LB than on LC. Future steps is to test such bacteria on other crops and investigate the possible gene expressions switched on by the bacteria.

Si riporta un nuovomodello di sviluppo nel settore agricolo delle aree interne della Regione campania dopo che dal 2010 è stato abolito il contributo alla coltivazione di tabacco che ha ridotto notevolmente i redditi agricoli. Sono proposti nuovi ordinamenti colturali a basso impatto ambientale con l'introduzione di nuove colture come la canapa per uso alimentare, il sorgo bianco, i legumi ed i grani antichi. Sono state proposte anche nuove colture per la prima volta in Italia come al quinoa. Il modello di sviluppo prevede che oltre al settore alimentare con la canapa si possa avviare anche quello della bioedilizia dall'utilizzazione del canapulo per abbassare notevolmente le emissioni nel settore dell'edilizia civile. Nell'ambito dei borghi in rete si può sostenere il reddito anche con l'introduzione del bioartigianato derivante dall'utilizzo di scarti agricoli. La possibilità di avviare nuove attività economiche è necessaria evitare lo spopolamento di queste aree che hanno perso negli ultimi 10 anni il 30% della popolazione per lo piu giovanile. L'introduzione di queste nuove colture dovrebbe garantire un reddito più elevato rispetto a quelle classiche dell' area basate soprattutto sui cereali.

The efficient use of water in agriculture is one of the most significant agricultural challenges that modern technologies are helping to cope with through Irrigation Advisory Services (IAS) and Decision Support Systems (DSS). These last are considered powerful management instruments able to help farmers achieve the best efficiency in irrigation water use and to increase their incomes through obtaining the highest possible crop yield. In this context, within the project "An advanced low cost system for farm irrigation support - LCIS" (a joint Italian-Israeli R&D project), a fully transferable DSS for irrigation support, based on three different methodologies representative of the state of the art in irrigation management tools (W-Tens, in situ soil sensor; IRRISAT®, remote sensing; W-Mod, simulation modelling of water balance in the soil-plant and atmosphere system), has been developed. These three LCIS-DSS tools have been evaluated, in terms of their ability to support the farmer in irrigation management, in a real applicative case study on maize grown on Andosols in a private farm in southern Italy in the 2018 season. The evaluation considered the predictive performance of the tools and also the pros and cons of their application, due their different spatial scale applicability, costs and complexity of use. The results have shown that all three approaches are able to realise the maximum obtainable maize production. However, the method based on in situ soil sensor (W-Tens) supplied 40% more water compared to the other two methods, whereas the IRRISAT® and W-Mod approaches represent the best solution in terms of irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE). Moreover, IRRISAT® has the advantage of being able to work without soil spatial information, although unlike W-Tens both the latter methods need a high level of user expertise and consequently support of external service providers. Integration between different tools represents an opportunity for improved water use efficiency in agriculture (e.g., field sensors and remote sensing).

Considering that the knowledge and control of the daily physical activity performed (PAP) is an important element in the management of patients with history of foot ulcers, peripheral neuropathy and/or peripheral vascular disease (at risk), the analysis of the social network map (SNM) perceived by themselves directly could also provide useful information to manage their diabetes. This study aimed to verify the possibility to evaluate the presence of a relationship between the characteristic of the SNM perceived and the PAP in addition to the metabolic control maintained in patients with longstanding diabetes mellitus at risk of foot ulcer. Interviews were conducted in 27 people: 10 patients: (males/females:6/4), mean age 56,2±16,7 years, duration of diabetes 18,3±10,3 years, mean HbA1c 8,0±1,1%, body mass index (BMI) 27,0±4,1 kg/m2, and in 17 age, sex and BMI matched nondiabetic controls. Participants were asked to fill in an egocentric SNM, which was divided into 5 areas: leisure and PAP, family, job, health care, and other. It was assigned a value ranging from 0 (none) to 5 (maximum) to define the importance and frequency of the relationships reported. The PAP was evaluated by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ). In the patient group the duration of the disease was directly correlated with the health area (r = 0.83, p Disclosure P. Francia: None. A. Tedeschi: None. M. Gulisano: None. G. Iannone: None. A. Vittori: None. U. Santosuosso: None. F. Paternostro: None. R. Anichini: Advisory Panel; Self; Abbott. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Advisory Panel; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, AstraZeneca. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Merck & Co., Inc., Takeda Development Centre Europe Ltd.. Advisory Panel; Self; Sanofi, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.. Research Support; Self; Grünenthal Group.

A field trial conducted on the melon cultivar Huanghemi irrigated with saline water was carried out in Minqin County in the 2-year period, 2007 and 2008. In three irrigation treatments, different saline water concentrations were applied, that is 0.8 g l−1 (Control C), 2 g l−1 (Treatment S1) and 5 g l−1 (Treatment S2), reproducing the natural groundwater concentration in the county. The electrical conductivity of the saline water was as follows: 1.00, 2.66 and 7.03 dS m−1, respectively. The aims of the study were (i) to monitor water consumption and water potential, (ii) assess, during the whole crop cycle, some growth parameters and their relations for estimating the morpho-functional plant response irrigated with saline water and (iii) determine the ion concentration in different plant tissues to evaluate which mechanism the plant activates in the presence of high salt concentrations. Under salinity stress, the plants sustained the concentration of Ca, Mg and K, but at a level not sufficient to limit the Na adsorption. Therefore, the melon yield decreased and it was determined by a displacement of the ratio K/Na and by a lower (total potential MPa). Consequently with increasing salinity, a significant reduction was observed in: water consumption (ETc, mm), leaf area duration (LAD, m2 d), on shoot dry weight aboveground (W, g plant−1), on specific leaf area (SLA, cm2 g−1) and on leaf area ratio (LAR, cm2 g−1). In treatment S2, in addition to these changes which mainly affected the plant morphology with effects on the biomass produced, a moderate reduction was also observed in net assimilation rate (NAR, g m−2 d−1), water use efficiency (WUE), a significant reduction in the energy conversion efficiency (ECE, %) and, in short, in a reduction in the relative growth rate (RGR, g g−1 d−1).

Evaluation of how ankle joint mobility (AJM) can be useful in the identification of patients with diabetes at risk of foot ulcer (FU).Plantar and dorsal flexion of foot were evaluated using an inclinometer in 87 patients (54 type 2 and 33 type 1), and 35 healthy sex- and age-matched control subjects. Patients with diabetes were followed up for diagnosis of FU over the next 8 years and subsequently, patients were subdivided into: those without a history of FU (18 type 1 and 33 type 2), those who had a history of FU detected before baseline evaluation (14 type 2) and those who had history of first ulceration detected by the 8th year of the evaluation period (7 type 2).Aging and diabetes caused a significant reduction in mobility of each of the movements investigated (p0.001), whereas after adjusting for the confounding effect of age, diabetes specifically reduced plantar flexion (p0.0001). AJM was significantly lower in those with history of previous FU compared to all the other groups (p0.001). The first ulceration was detected in the same foot presenting lower AJM in 17 of the 22 subjects with diabetes with history of ulcer (77.27%).Diabetes and aging reduce AJM although diabetes seems to reduce plantar flexion to a more specific extent. Reduced AJM is mostly associated with a previous history of FU. The evaluation of AJM is a valid and reliable ulcer risk scale that indicates which foot is at higher ulcer risk.

Introduction of the meaning of biostimulant and description of the several types available and applied in agricultural sector.

Melon plants (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Huanghemi were grown in an open field trial in 2007 and 2008 in the Minqin Oasis in northwest China to investigate the effect of increased saline water concentration on yield, crop tolerance and fruit quality. Three saline water concentrations were evaluated: 0.8, 2 and 5 g L−1 (C; S1 and S2) with an electrical conductivity of 1, 2.66 and 7.03 dS m−1 respectively. The saline concentrations of irrigation water were intended to reproduce the saline concentration in groundwater present throughout the Minqin Oasis. The melon was irrigated by furrow irrigation. The soil electrical conductivity in saturated paste (ECe) increased in treatment S2 during both the first and second year. Treatment S1 shows the same trend, although less pronounced and only in the first year. At the same time no significant increase was observed for the control, C. Total ETc decreased with increasing salinity of the irrigation water. The 0.0–0.3 m layer contributed most to meeting crop water requirements (63% on average) while the 0.3–0.6 and 0.6–1.0 m layers contributed 19% and 18% respectively. The reduction in ETc was significant from 49 DAT onwards and increased over time with continuous saline irrigation. Increased salinity significantly reduced the leaf area index (LAI) and leaf area duration (LAD). A reduction in marketable fruit yield resulted from the lower mean weight of fruits, while the small decrease in the number of fruits per plant was not significant. The harvest index (HI) significantly increased with increasing salinity of the irrigation water. The maximum mean seasonal electrical conductivity of the saturated soil paste E C e d without yield reduction (i.e., the salt tolerance threshold) was 2.7 dS m−1 for the marketable yield. Above the salt tolerance threshold, the total yield was reduced by 12.7% per unit increase of soil salinity. Total soluble solids (TSS), i.e. the pulp fraction, increased significantly with increasing salinity of the irrigation water while no significant difference was observed in flesh hardness, despite the increasing trend with increasing salinity. As the irrigation water salinity rose, the number of seeds per fruit increased significantly while the unit weight decreased but not significantly. The inverse relationship, r = −0.971**, found for the two traits proves their association. The fruit shape index (FSI) increased significantly with increasing salinity of the irrigation water, with the fruits tending to become spherical.

Revegetation was one of most successful measures to restore desert sand dunes and to improve regional eco-environments in the Tengger Desert, Northwest China. The potential for soil moisture replenishment by precipitation in the revegetation restored desert ecosystems is influenced strongly by the hydraulic properties of the surface soils. Steady-state infiltration rates from tension disc infiltrometer were measured at revegetation restored desert soils (VS) and unvegetated sand dunes (SD), respectively. Results indicated that the site specific VS and SD hydraulic properties differed significantly. Compared with SD, the long term VS has the effect of decreasing the hydraulic conductivity of the surface soil, while increasing the capillary effect on the infiltration rate. Averagely, the hydraulic conductivity of VS was 0 center dot 43 times of SD at the near saturation conditions. At VS, tension infiltration were dominated by capillarity effect more than that of SD, which were ascribed to the differences in soil properties where the former has a higher amount of finer particles, organic matters content and lower bulk densities. Accordingly, the hydraulically functioning mean pore sizes were larger at SD, where the gravity effect dominated the tension infiltration process. Therefore, in the study area under the pulse precipitation events in the growing seasons, VS contains more soil water by capillarity effect than SD does, which would contribute to shallow rooted herbage and cryptogam water consumption. Nevertheless, looking at the whole soil profile, for the actual rainfall water regimes, VS has insignificant effects on the soil profile water regime, with unchanged deep fluxes. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biological soil crusts are important microbiotic communities which are considered a key factor in combating desertification in terms of sand dune remobilitation. Because of their greater concentration of clay, silt and hydrophobic organic matter, they create a physical discontinuity in surface profile which potentially contribute to variability in soil hydrology of arid and semiarid land and should be considered in the development of hydrological and erosion models. However, until recently limited inconclusive research has been conducted to determine the functional relationship between soil and microbiotic crusts. We investigated the influence of microbiotic crust on hydrological behaviour of crusted sand dunes in NW China. The infiltration data on a crusted and crust-removed sand dune were obtained with dish permeameter which was not moved during the measurement at a sequence of nominal pressure head values, h , of −1, −4, −7, −10, −18 cm. Hydraulic conductivity K ( h ) was measured by steady-state infiltration experiments and piece-wise application of the exponential relation between K and h , according to Wooding's analytical solution of a three-dimensional flow field. The transient experimental infiltration data, along with initial and final water contents were used for numerical analysis within sand profiles without and with microbiotic crust. Specifically, we provided evidences that the main physical and hydrological consequences occurring locally, always cause lower unsaturated fluxes in the sand beneath the crusted layer. Nevertheless, due to the effective rainfalls regime, it has insignificant effects on the local soil water regimes with unchanged storage and deep fluxes.

Water flow and solute transport numerical modeling is strongly limited due to the lack and difficulty in obtaining hydraulic property data in saline soils. A comparison of different techniques for physical characterization of soil structure is carried out in this study aiming to emphasize the complementarities and the synergy of the different approaches and their suitability for soils affected by salinization. In situ measurements of hydraulic conductivity (HC) by tension disc infiltrometer, water retention (WR) characteristics and pore size distribution by image analysis on undisturbed soil samples and aggregates stability have been measured in lab on a light clay soil of an experimental field undergone to two extreme irrigation treatments, NS (not-saline water, ECw = 0.9 dS m-1) and S (saline water with 1% of NaCl; ECw = 15 dS m-1). Following, the replicates have been denoted with the under script 1 and 2. The results show: a strong reduction of the index of aggregate stability in water, equals to 37 and 34% for NS1 and NS2, respectively, against the values of 18.9% for S1 and 18.5% for S2, respectively. The water retention curves of the S soils, for all the pressure heads investigated, are above those measured on not-saline soils. The image analysis has showed a larger quantity of pores ([36 lm) on the not-saline soils with respect to the saline ones. The total porosity ([36 lm) was 21.8% for NS2 and 11.9% for S1. This porosity reduction (9.9%) was spread over the entire ranges of pores with the greatest reduction in pore classes lying in the size range between 700 and 2,000 lm. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the not-salines samples shows higher values respect to those of the saline samples. All the techniques applied showed converging results and provided a specific contribution towards the demonstration of a process of clogging of macropores under saline condition. Furthermore, the direct measurement of the pore changes provided by soil image analysis allowed a detailed interpretation of the mechanisms behind soil pore-structure worsening due to salinity. Combined use of the tension disc infiltrometer and image analysis methods showed the highest potential to overcome difficulties in hydraulic characterization close to saturation in salinized horizons.

Samples from 1295 patients with diabetic foot infection were evaluated; 4332 samples were collected with an average of 3.3 samples per patient. Fifty-seven percent of patients had a 2B ulcer and 23% had a 3B ulcer according to Texas University Classification. In 64.2% of samples collected at first visit an etiologic agent was identified. About 40% of the positive samples were polymicrobial. Gram positive bacteria were more frequently isolated (52.6%), Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated single agent (29.9%) and MRSA was 22% of S. aureus. Enterococcus spp., mainly Enterococcus faecalis, were 9.9%, all vancomycin susceptible except 2 isolates. Streptococci were 4.6%, more than 60% Streptococcus agalactiae. Gram negative rods were 40.6%, with enterobacteria 23.5% and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 10.3%. Anaerobes were only 0.3%, probably due to culture methods applied in our laboratory. Cotrimoxazole, rifampin and doxycycline were still active against S. aureus. ESBL producers, among enterobacteria, were 10%, mainly Escherichia coli and Proteus spp. Only colistin had a rate of susceptibility against P. aeruginosa above 90%. Levofloxacin had the best clinical activity with respect to the other quinolones, but when it failed, selected more resistant strains with respect to moxifloxacin among S. aureus and with respect to ciprofloxacin among P. aeruginosa.

1)Identification of the species present in the oasis; 2)Sampling soil samples in the rhizosphere for the identification and isolation of useful arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which may help plants to survive in the area; 3)Sampling soil samples, separated from the roots, to identify possible PGPBs useful to augment plant survival in the study area. In 2015 a mission carried out in the oasis targeted by this study confirmed the previous classifications / identifications of halophyte species; a Table is attached with scientific name and photo. In addition, the rhizosphere soil of the halophyte plant species was sampling to detect the presence of AMF potentially useful. Simultaneously we also recovered the seeds of each plant to proceed, to the isolation, in Italy, of the AMF species present in the sampled soils through trapping plants (details in section 7). The material led to successfully: 1) isolate and amplified AMF DNAs directly from the 11 rhizosphere soils sampled, 2) detect AMF spores from the soil sampled under Lycium ruthenicum, Lycium chinense, Peganum nigellastrum, Suaeda salsa, Reaumuria songarica and Nitraria sibirica, 3) isolate and amplified DNA from some trap-plant roots (Lycium ruthenicum, Lycium chinense, Peganum nigellastrum, Trifolium sp.). At the time of writing this report PCR products obtained from the amplification of soils and root DNAs, using AMF specific primers, are under sequencing in order to phylogenetically identify AMF present in the study area. Additionally, trap-plant roots were stained with cotton blue and the slides for the morphological observations (in progress) have been prepared. Moreover we have identified, among all shrubs and herbaceous plants recovered from the area, those species more suitable for the next greenhouse experiment with soils sampled in 2016. With regard to objective 3) in the summer of 2016 we took soil samples, always from the plants reported in the list above, the soil was scratched from the roots. These samples showed bacterial populations that will be isolated and characterized for their capacity as PGPB as well as by DNA sequencing in order to obtain a phylogenetic relationship. Other results were the publication of a manuscript concerning the data collected in the previous joint project and a submission to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of a project proposal in which Dr. Tedeschi is involved as supervisor of the task on modeling crop response to climate. The MOST project was approved, and it supported the Chinese experimental station located in the oasis of study.

The safety and efficacy of a novel superoxidized solution (Dermacyn™ Wound Care [DWC], Oculus Innovative Sciences, Petaluma, Calif) was evaluated for the treatment of wide postsurgical infected ulcers of the diabetic foot. A group (group A,n = 18) of patients with diabetes mellitus who had postsurgical lesions>5 cm2 without ischemia or infection were recruited consecutively and treated with DWC-saturated dressings. These dressings were renewed once daily and were compared with a group of patients that had been previously treated with diluted povidone iodine (group B,n = 15) using a quasi-experimental study design. Both sets of patients also received standard systemic antibiotic therapy, as per the practice in this center, and local surgical debridement. Patients had weekly assessments until wounds had re-epithelialized completely. Patients in group A had statistically significant shorter healing time and duration of antibiotic therapy and a higher healing rate at 6 months compared with those in group B (p < .01). Recurrence of infection, requirement for debridement procedures, and requirement for minor amputations were significantly less frequent during follow-up in group A patients (p < .05) when compared with those in group B. These preliminary data suggest that DWC used as a wound dressing together with other local and systemic therapies may have a role in reducing healing time as well as complications in patients with diabetes who have postsurgical lesions of the diabetic foot. These data propose the need for a robust controlled study of DWC-saturated dressings to explore its full potential.

OBJECTIVE—This study was designed to test the safety, effectiveness, and costs of off-loading with a novel, off-the-shelf irremovable device in the management of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We prospectively evaluated off-loading of neuropathic plantar ulcers in 40 diabetic outpatients attending our diabetic foot clinic and compared healing rates at the 12-week follow-up, number and severity of adverse events, healing time, costs and applicability of the device, and patients’ satisfaction between those randomly assigned to total contact casting (TCC; group A) or to the Optima Diab walker (group B). Deep or infected ulcers were excluded. RESULTS—No difference between groups A and B was observed in healing rates at 12 weeks (95 vs. 85%), healing time (6.5 ± 4.4 vs. 6.7 ± 3.4 weeks), and number of adverse events (six versus four). Treatment was significantly less expensive in group B, which showed a mean reduction of costs of 78% compared with group A (P < 0.001). Practicability was more favorable in group B, with a reduction of 77 and 58% of the time required for application and removal of the devices, respectively (P < 0.001). Patients’ satisfaction with the treatment was higher in group B (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS—The Optima Diab walker is as safe and effective as TCC in the management of DFU, but its lower costs and better applicability may be of help in spreading the practice of off-loading among the centers that manage the diabetic foot.

An irrigation experiment with saline water at different concentrations was carried out over a 7-year period on the same clay–silty soil in the Volturno Valley at Vitulazio to evaluate long-term effects of irrigation with saline water on crops and soil. The spatial distribution of the experimental treatments remained the same throughout the 7-year period in order to assess the effects of salt accumulation. Three saline concentrations of irrigation water (0.25–0.5 and 1% of NaCl) and two irrigation levels (100% and 40% restitution of evapotranspiration) were applied. The electrolytic concentration (ECe) was measured every year in spring before the irrigation season. Autumn–spring rainfall caused leaching of salts from 0 to 0.4 m layer and an accumulation of salt in the deeper layers. Accumulation was directly correlated to the quantity of NaCl applied with irrigation. This allowed us to calculate, for the 0.4–1.1 m layer, the mean annual increase in ECe in (dS m −1 per t ha −1 year −1 of NaCl given). At the end of the experiment, it was observed that there was an increase in ECe at a depth of 3 m for the saltiest treatments. The percentage of exchangeable sodium (ESP), however, increased with the saline concentration of the irrigation water (quantity of NaCl) above all in the 0–0.4 m layer, and gradually decreased with depth. Irrigation with saline water led to an increase in ESP and a degradation of the soil physical properties that were estimated indirectly by measuring aggregate stability in water (IASW). The index of aggregate stability in water for the top layer (0–0.15 m) was inversely correlated to the ESP values, even after the leaching due to the autumn–spring rainfall.

Il progetto SEGIS ha dimostrato che molto può essere ancora fatto nella gestione irrigua per ottimizzare l'uso dell'acqua ed il momento in cui intervenire. I risultati ottenuti indicano la possibilità di programmare, per le tipologie di suolo allo studio, l'avvio e l'arresto dell'irrigazione rispettivamente al 20% e al 28% di contenuto idrico volumetrico del suolo corrispondenti rispettivamente ad un potenziale idrico di -1000 e -400 cm di acqua rispettivamente . La verifica eseguita a valle di tutti i monitoraggi fatti tra la gestione usuale dell'azienda e la gestione a mezzo di SEGIS ha mostrato una riduzione di consumo idrico del 22% applicando SEGIS rispetto alla gestione aziendale. A fronte di questa riduzione la perdita di prodotto è stata sdi circa l'8%. Questa riduzione ha portato ad un prodotto con una migliore shelf-life che per la IV gamma è una caratteristica essenziale, oltre che ad una migliore efficienza dell'uso dell'acqua applicata.

In the Mediterranean environment characterized by hot, dry summers, a hydrologically oriented field experiment on vegetable crops was carried out between 1988 and 1993 at a site near Naples, Italy. The objective of the experiment was to study the impact of saline water on crop yield and soil properties. The research was carried out on a clay loam soil classified as Haplustolls. Irrigation water was applied at concentrations: 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 g 1-1 of NaCl and at three irrigation intervals of 2, 5 and 10 days. The increasing concentrations were obtained by adding NaCl to fresh water. The irrigation treatments (i.e. solute concentration and irrigation intervals) were repeated consistently over the same plots throughout the experiment. Irrigation schedules alternating sodic and fresh water were evaluated using a numerical simulation model (SWAP) and taking into account the impact of sodic water on soil physical properties. Measurements done during the field trials were used to calibrate and validate the numerical simulation model and to illustrate the consequences on salt and water balance of the irrigation schedules considered in the study. The electrical conductivity of the saturated extracted of soil paste (ECe), the structure stability index and the infiltration rate indicated observable changes in soil physical properties between the irrigation treatments 0 and 1% over the duration of the experiment. Over the years there is clear evidence that no significant change in ECe was observed in the plots irrigated with fresh water (0% T2 and T10). On the other hand, ECe increased linearly with time for the treatments irrigated with saline water (1% T2 and T10). Degradation of soil structure was evident in the observed infiltration rate: 10 mm h-1 in the treatment 0%. Changes in soil hydrological properties were evaluated by determining the h(θ) and K(h) relationships of undisturbed soil cores for four irrigation treatments and using the van Genuchten parametric model of these relationships. For the 2- and 10-day irrigation frequencies, the h(θ) curve of the 1% treatment had lower values of θ than the 0% treatment at the same pressure head in the range 2.0-3.0 pF. Significant differences were observed between the mean values (for each treatment) of most of van Genuchten's parameters, particularly between the (0% 2 day) and (1% 2 day) treatments. Prior to the evaluation of irrigation schedules the SWAP model was calibrated and validated against the data available in the 1993 (eggplant crop). Irrigation schedules were compared on the basis of a performance indicator (Sc), which measures the relative change in the amount of adsorbed and dissolved salt over an entire irrigation season.

This article describes the evaluation of indicators computed with a numerical simulation model of soil water and solute flow against field measurements of the amount of adsorbed and dissolved salts. In the Mediterranean environment,characterised by hot, dry summers, a field experiment on irrigation of vegetable crops with saline and tubewell water was carried out between 1988 and 1996 at a site near Naples, Italy. The investigation was carried out on a clay-loam soil classified as Argiustolls. Irrigation treatments were: tubewell water (no addition of NaCl), addition of 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 gNaCl L-1. Three irrigation intervals were applied until 1995: 2, 5 and 10 days. In 1995 all plots were irrigated on pre-selected days of the year, but the amount of water was equal to 100%, respectively 75 and 50% for the three irrigation treatments. Except 1996, all plots received consistently the same irrigation and salinity treatment, although different crops were grown on the same plot during the 8 yr experiment. In 1996, the indicator of soil salinity was used to evaluate the salt accumulation in the soil after a long time of saline irrigation. The indicator applied was the total amount of dissolved and adsorbed salts measured and simulated, in this way observation and model calculations are truly comparable. The aims were to evaluate the accuracy and relevance of salinity indicator computed by means of a numerical deterministic model describing water and solute transport SWAP. Total amount of salts were determined on soil samples, collected through the irrigation season on the treatments 0 and 5 gNaCl L-1. The samples were taken at three depths. The CEC and soluble salt were measured, beside the initial (prior to saturation in the laboratory) composition of the soil samples. Total dissolved and adsorbed salts were calculated throughout the irrigation season with the model SWAP. Calculated salt concentration was compared with observed soil composition to assess the accuracy of model calculations.

The analysis of irrigation and drainage management and their effects on the loading of salts is important for the control of on-site and off-site salinity effects of irrigated agriculture in semi-arid areas. We evaluated the irrigation management and performed the hydrosalinity balance in the D-XI hydrological basin of the Monegros Il system(Aragòn, Spain)by measuring or estimating the volume, salt concentration and salt mass in the water inputs(irrigation, precipitation and Canal scepage) and outputs(evapotranspiration and drainage)during the period June 1997—September 1998. This area is irrigated by solid-set sprinklers and center pivots, and corn and alfalfa account for 90% of the 470 ha irrigated land. The soils are low in salts(only 10% of the irrigated land is salt affected),but shallow (

Nell'ambito degli accordi Internazionali il DISBA è stato invitato a promuovere attività scientifiche di collaborazione con Israele previste dall'Accordo bilaterale sulla ricerca e sviluppo industriale, scientifico e tecnologico. Pertanto il Direttore del DISBA Dr. Loreto ha selezionato una delegazione (di cui facevo parte) di ricercatori DISBA per promuovere le attività del dipartimento DISBA presso centri di ricerca e, privati a Israele.

L'obiettivo iniziale della proposta di progetto era valutare come migliorare, controllare e ridurre al minimo gli impatti negativi delle acque saline sulla resa delle colture e la struttura del suolo, migliorando nel contempo la qualità e il valore di mercato dei prodotti. Obiettivi specifici erano: 1)valutazione della gestione irrigua differenziata in termini di restituzione dell'acqua, risposta della resa, effetti sulla pianta e sulla qualità del suolo. 2)Valutazione delle potenzialità della pacciamatura a spruzzo come potenziale sostituzione dell'attale sistema tradizionale non degradabile. Gli obiettivi di cui sopra durante il corso del progetto sono stati cambiati per cause dipendenti da vincoli strutturali e logistici che il partner cinese si è trovato a fronteggiare dopo l'approvazione del progetto che hanno determinato forti ritardi e successivamente l'impossibilità di mantenere lo schema di programma prefissato. I forti vincoli erano particolarmente causati dalla localizzazione della stazione sperimentale e da altre difficoltà. Inoltre a queste problematiche elencate due annate climatiche particolarmente siccitose hanno reso impossibile il buon esito del progetto. In abbinamento a tale attività abbiamo concluso nel corso del 2012 e del 2013 due pubblicazioni sulla campagna di rilievo del triennio precedente che sono citati nei prodotti. Visti i notevoli problemi di due anni (2011-2012) consecutivi, si è concordato con i colleghi di cambiare il tipo di approccio, valutando un discorso di "Biorimediation" e "phytodepuration ". Al momento sono state selezionate 22 specie appartenenti alle famiglie delle Poaceae, Tamaricaceae, Chenopodiaceae per le quali si sono iniziate delle prove di germinabilità nell'ambiente di studio

The evaluation of the effect of agricultural management practices on non-point source pollution (NPS) pollution on local, regional, and global scale has become a key component of strategies for achieving sustainable agriculture and mitigating harmful environmental impacts. Decision makers want and need to know in advance the fate and behavior of agrochemicals applied to the soil surface and whether they pose a threat to soil and groundwater resources. This is a challenging requirement. Assessment of NPS pollutants is a complex, multidisciplinary environmental problem that encompasses coupled physical and chemical processes that occur across disparate spatial and temporal scales. The detrimental environmental and health effects of NPS pollutants, even at low concentration, are chronic rather than acute. The NPS pollution are of greater environmental concern than point source pollutants because they are ubiquitous and the task of cleanup is costly and nearly impossible to accomplish. Less expensive pollution prevention strategies are preferred that advantageously anticipate and prevent NPS pollution before it occurs and avoid the future need for costly remediation efforts. Therefore, Best Management Practices (BMP) - policies and strategies, are needed to help reducing NPS pollution and thereby ensuring sustainability in food production. For all the reasons above described, the International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage considered important to encourage the scientific community to give attention to the NPS issue and to bring to the fore the environmental problems involved in the different countries and the BMP.

Objective. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a structured follow-up program on the incidence of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) in high-risk diabetic patients. Research Design and Methods. A total of 1874 diabetic patients referred to the Diabetic Foot Unit of the University of Pisa were ranked based on the ulcerative risk score proposed by the International Consensus on Diabetic Foot. Out of 334 patients (17.8%) with a score ≥2, 298 accepted to participate in this prospective trial and were randomized into 2 groups: group A, which received standard treatment, and group B, in which the patients received, as a part of a structured prevention program, custom-made orthesis and shoes. Incidence of new DFUs was observed for no less than 1 year and in a subset of patients after 3 and 5 years, respectively. Incidence of new DFUs and recurrences were considered as primary endpoints to establish the effectiveness of the program; costs were also compared. Results. Among the patients enrolled in this follow-up analysis, 46% had neuropathy and deformities, 20% had previous ulceration, 25% had previous minor amputation, and 9% had neuro-osteoarthropathy. During the first 12-month follow-up, 11.5% of patients in group B developed a DFU compared with 38.6% in group A ( P < .0001). In the extended follow-up, the cumulative incidence of ulcer in group B compared with group A was 17.6% versus 61% ( P < .0001) after 3 years and 23.5% versus 72% ( P < .0001) after 5 years, respectively. The net balance at the end of the follow-up was highly in favor of the prevention program, with a saving of more than €100 000 per year. Conclusions. The implementation of a structured follow-up with the use of orthesis and shoes can reduce the incidence of DFU in diabetic patients who are at high ulcerative risk and its related costs.

Using irrigation water with a salinity level of 0.8, 2, and 5 g L -1 , the impact of saline water irrigation on the yield and quality of 2 Chinese Cucurbit species, melon (Cucumis melo cv. Huanghe) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus. convar megulaspemus) were studied in Minqin Oasis, northwestern China. Our results show that melon yields decreased as water salinity increased, just as concentrations of glutamic acid content rose, although the concentration of most amino acids did not diff er signifi cantly. In contrast, watermelon yields decreased signifi cantly as water salinity rose, and fruit number, fruit fi rmness, fruit crude protein, and essential amino acid (EAA) levels of the watermelon showed a signifi cant increase as water salinity rose. Salt stress on both Cucurbit species resulted in an increase in total soluble solids (TSS) and Na + concentrations, while Ca 2+ and Cl - concentrations were not aff ected signifi cantly. In conclusion, our results showed that, although melon and watermelon yields were restrained by saline water irrigation, fruit quality was not infl uenced, such as for the fruit's amino acids. Th e fact that saline water irrigation is feasible for melon and watermelon species shows that saline water is a potential irrigation water resource in arid areas of northwest China.