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Montenegro, as candidate Country for the accession in the European Union, in the framework of the procedure for alignment and together with the harmonization of national legislation with CMO Wine, decided to conduct a new viticultural zoning study at national level. Within the overall objective of further strengthen the viticulture and wine sectors through the harmonization with EU standards, the IPA project "Technical Support to Renewal of viticulture zoning of Montenegro" (Europe Aid/136071/DH/SER/ME) had several other specific objectives including: a) the establish a new Viticulture Zoning as precondition to set up a system of designations for wine with Geographical Indications (PDO/PGI system); b) the official classification of the viticultural areas of Montenegro in climatic zone as required by EU regulation i.e. for the adoption of the oenological practices and defining the restrictions in their application. The two years project started in April 2015, leaded by CRSFA "Basile Caramia", was carried out by a multidisciplinary team of Italian and Serbian experts with the collaboration of experts from Montenegro. Starting from an old viticultural zoning of former Yugoslavia carried out in 1976, a huge amount of different existing data, provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other Institutions and wineries of Montenegro, was collected, processed and analysed. For the climate analysis, data from 12 meteorological stations and for three periods, one 44-years long (1971-2014) and two 20-years long (1971-1990 and 1995-2014), were used to calculate 11 bioclimatic indexes. Scientific literature, soil maps of Montenegro, the official vineyard and winery registers, the chemical analysis of all wines on the market in the last 5 years, different type of digital maps and DEM were the main source of data used. Additional primary data, used to confirm the existing ones, was collected in 19 vineyards/locations, selected as representatives of the candidate homogeneous subregions, by opening soil profiles, sampling, analyzing and comparing soils, grapes (2015 and 1016) and wines (2015) of the main cultivars. From the analysis of the vineyard parcels the main characteristics and statistics for each homogeneous area, including their borders were described in detail and represented, using contemporary advanced GIS methods (GIS software / ESRI ArcGIS etc.), in thematic maps. The results of the study confirm that Montenegro has, in a relatively small territory, very different terroirs particularly due to a complex orography and the Mediterranean climate strongly influenced by Adriatic Sea and the big Skadar lake as well as, locally, high mountains and rivers. The zoning study identified three main homogeneous viticultural areas or regions and eleven sub-regions that, classified among II (B), IV (C2) and V (C3) zones, have been formally recognized published on National Gazette: Crnogorski basen Skadrskog jezera (sub-regions Bjelopavli?i, Crmnica, Katuni, Podgorica, Rijeka, Piperi), Crnogorsko Primorje (sub-regions Boka kotorska, Budva-Bar, Ulcinj, Jadransko zale?e) and Nudo. Additionally, based just on climate analysis and perspections, five small new potential viticultural areas where identified within the area Sjever: Bijelo Polje, Dragaljsko Polje, Nik?i? and ??epan Polje. Those places, in the past too cold for viticulture, due to the ongoing and observed climate change, seem to be suitable for grape growing and should be tested experimentally. The zoning represent at the same time an instrument of deep knowledge about viticulture and territory available for the Montenegrin producers and the technical framework for the establishment of a new quality wine system based on the certification of the geographical origin. The final technical elaborate of the study, consisting in around 1.200 pages full of data, information and 22 different thematic maps for each area, will help the producers and their organizations/consortia in preparing the technical dossier than accelerating the procedures for the official recognition and registration of new PDO/PGI wines.

BACKGROUND Oxidative stress pathways are activated in diabetes, particularly when dialysis is required (DD). NF-kB is activated in this clinical condition. Since N-Acetyl-cysteine (NAC) is an anti-oxidant, we aimed at investigating its effect in modulating NF-kB activation in lymphomonocytes (PBMC) of DD patients. METHODS Twenty-five DD patients were enrolled in a cross-over designed study. Tests were performed at T0 and after one month (T1) of treatment with NAC and three months after NAC withdrawal. We assessed NF-kB activation by EMSA, levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) by spectral analysis, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by colorimetry, and apoptosis by FACS. RESULTS At T0 a statistically significant increased activation of the subunits of NF-kB, p50/p65, was detected in PBMC of DD patients in comparison to controls (both P

Lo studio di nuove cultivar da vino può rivelarsi interessante allo scopo di diversificare le produzioni locali senza ricorrere a vitigni internazionali. A tal fine alcuni incroci intraspecifici di Vitis vinifera, realizzati dal Prof. Dalmasso negli anni ‘30 e iscritti nel Registro Nazionale dal 1977, sono stati oggetto di nuovi studi negli ultimi anni. Tra gli incroci a bacca colorata, l’‘Albarossa’ (‘Chatus’ x ‘Barbera’) ha suscitato il maggior interesse tra gli operatori, tuttavia anche il ‘Passau’ (‘Dolcetto’ x ‘Chatus’) è risultato di potenziale interesse commerciale dopo un lungo periodo di valutazione (1997-2002 e 2006-08) delle sue caratteristiche vitivinicole e sensoriali. Si tratta di un vitigno vigoroso, dotato di un grappolo medio-piccolo ma di elevata fertilità che ne determina l’ottima produttività. Da un punto di vista fenologico il ‘Passau’ è caratterizzato da un germogliamento precoce e da una maturazione tardiva, che in ambienti settentrionali ne consiglia l’impianto su versanti collinari con buone esposizioni. A livello sensoriale si tratta di un vino da consumare giovane con un tenore alcolico contenuto, ma ricco di profumi freschi e fruttati

Background. Infectious diseases are a major source of morbidity and mortality for immunosuppressed transplant recipients and the antimicrobial chemotherapy can be often less effective in these individuals, because the contribution of underlying host defenses is absent. Methods. The influence of co-amoxiclav on the functions of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) from renal transplant recipients were investigated. Results. PMNs from renal transplant recipients showed a diminished phagocytic activity with reduced phagocytosis and bactericidal activity against intracellular Klebsiella pneumoniae, compared to that seen with PMNs from healthy subjects. Co-amoxiclav significantly elicited the functions of PMNs from uremic patients, resulting in an increased percentage of ingested klebsiellae and in a higher bactericidal effect (98-99%), compared with the drug-free control system. When PMNs were collected from renal transplant recipients treated with co-amoxiclav a significant high increase in both phagocytosis and killing activity were detected, showing the co-amoxiclav capability of restoring even in vivo the depressed primary functions of PMNs. Conclusions. The interesting beneficial properties of co-amoxiclav, which result in restoring the phagocyte-dependent response in renal transplant patients both in vitro and in vivo, may make this drug more suitable for the treatment of infections in patients with defects of phagocyte functions.

Antimicrobial agents and polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) have the potential to interact in such a way that improve the therapy for infectious diseases. In immunocompromised patients highly susceptible to microbial infections with high morbidity and mortality, several metabolic and functional alterations in PMNs, mostly related to microbicidal activity, are observed. Therefore, the antibiotic of choice should have a good antimicrobial effect without impairing host defences. The aim of this study is to evaluate in vitro effects of sub-inhibiting fosfomycin tromethamine (FT) concentrations on the primary functions of PMNs from healthy subjects and immunocompromised patients (haemodialysed and renal transplant recipients), against an ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, the most common aetiological agent in urinary tract infections (UTIs). FT is considered a first line drug in the eradication of UTIs due to its appropriate antimicrobial spectrum, oral bioavailability and minimal risk of microbial resistance. Our results provide evidence that FT is able to induce enhancement of the depressed phagocytic response of PMNs from patients on chronic haemodialysis and from renal transplant recipients, restoring their primary functions in vitro against ESBL-producing E. coll All these data permit the conclusion that uremic-infected patients might additionally benefit from the immunomodulating properties of FT.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), ranging from lymphoid hyperplasia to clonal malignancy, are severe complications arising in solid organ transplant patients; their reported incidence ranges from 1 to 20%, according to factors such as type of transplanted organ and age of recipients. A strong correlation between Epstein-Barrvirus (EBV) infection, the grade and type of immunosuppression and the development of PTLD has been recognized. The detection and quantification of EBV-DNA load in peripheral blood have been utilized as prognostic markers for the development of PTLD, showing a correlation between high levels of EBV-DNA in the blood and the development of PTLD. In this study, we monthly monitored EBV viral load in 15 renal transplant recipients for six months. The number of EBV-DNA copies was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum samples by a quantitative PCR protocol developed in our laboratory.Our EBV-DNA quantification protocol employs a previous screening of samples containing a significant number of viral DNA copies (=1000 copies/105 PBMC or 100 mL serum) by semi-quantitative PCR followed by a precise quantification of the only significant samples by quantitative-competitive (QC)-PCR.Our 15 renal transplant patients neither developed PTLD nor had recurrent acute illnesses or acute graft rejections during the study. The results obtained in the monthly follow up of EB viral load in PBMC samples confirmed its fluctuation in asymptomatic patients reported in the literature. In particular, 5/14 (35.7%) of EBV seropositive patients had an EBV-DNA load equal to 1000 EBV copies /105 PBMC, and 1/14 (7.1%) reached 5000 EBV copies /105 PBMC at least once in our study. In the EBV seronegative patient, EBV-DNA in PBMC samples was always undetectable (less than 100 DNA copies/105 PBMC). EBV-DNA load in all serum samples was less than threshold value of our quantification protocol (100 DNA copies/100 mL serum). With regard to the immunosuppressive treatment, it should be noted that 66.7% of the six patients in whom EBV load reached values equal to or higher than 1000 DNA copies/105 PBMC, were on FK506 whereas only 33.3% of them were on CyA.Since the high positive predictive value of EB viral load in peripheral blood for diagnosis of PTLD reported by several Authors, and the described absence of correlation between the serological evidence of EBV reactivation and EB viral load, EBV viral load measurement in PBMC and serum samples using quantitative PCR techniques is a powerful diagnostic tool to monitor transplanted patients at risk of developing PTLD.

Infectious diseases are a major source of morbidity and mortality for immunosuppressed transplant recipients and the antimicrobial chemotherapy can be often less effective in these individuals, because the contribution of underlying host defenses is absent.The influence of co-amoxiclav on the functions of polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) from renal transplant recipients were investigated.PMNs from renal transplant recipients showed a diminished phagocytic activity with reduced phagocytosis and bactericidal activity against intracellular Klebsiella pneumoniae, compared to that seen with PMNs from healthy subjects. Co-amoxiclav significantly elicited the functions of PMNs from uremic patients, resulting in an increased percentage of ingested klebsiellae and in a higher bactericidal effect (98-99%), compared with the drug-free control system. When PMNs were collected from renal transplant recipients treated with co-amoxiclav a significant high increase in both phagocytosis and killing activity were detected, showing the co-amoxiclav capability of "restoring" even in vivo the depressed primary functions of PMNs.The interesting beneficial properties of co-amoxiclav, which result in restoring the phagocyte-dependent response in renal transplant patients both in vitro and in vivo, may make this drug more suitable for the treatment of infections in patients with defects of phagocyte functions.

Prevalence of diabetic patients on dialysis is often considered a marker of overall acceptance rate for dialysis; however, even when acceptance policy is open, incidence of diabetic patients varies widely. Epidemiological differences of diabetes incidence all over the world partly explain the discrepancies. Incidence of diabetic patients accepted for dialysis (1981 to 82: 6 p.m.p.; 1989 to 90: 11.5 p.m.p.) differs according to age and sex in the setting analyzed (Piedmont, Northern Italian region, about 4,400,000 inhabitants, 20 dialysis centers, open acceptance since the mid-70s, yearly information on 100% of patients, gathered by a Dialysis and Transplantation Registry). Patterns changed remarkably during the 10 years considered (1981 to 90). Incidence was higher in males (10.4 p.m.p. in the period 1981 to 90), with a peak at ages 60 to 69. Incidence remained relatively stable in the younger patients, but increased in the elderly, mainly in males, rising from 6.23 in 1981 to 82 to 12.88 p.m.p. in 1989 to 90 (males, all ages). In conclusion, the demographic characteristics of diabetic patients with ESRD accepted for dialysis is changing. The stability of incidence of younger patients reassures about the open acceptance policy, at least in these ages. The increase in the elderly probably reflects the longer lifespan of diabetic patients in the overall population. The possibility of a hidden preselection must be further assessed. Future provisions of dialysis needs must take into account the trend towards an increase of this high risk, elderly population.

The W.H.C. calculated that in 1991, one hundred million people worldwide would be infected with the AIDS virus. It has been shown that since the first reported case of AIDS in 1981, the numbers have been increasing steadily over the past years. It also warns that failure to report cases, or under-reporting may make the problem look smaller than it actually is., N/A

Renal failure due to diabetic nephropathy accounts for approximately 28% of all new hemodialysis patients in the United States (1), where an acceptance rate of about 130 per million population (p.m.p.) has been reported.

The distribution of different diseases, considered as mortality and morbidity causes, is a crucial clue to the knowledge of the epidemiological charachteristics of a population. Aim of the present study was to assess the distribution of different causes of death in two cohorts of dialysis patients, affected by diabetic nephropathy or by all other forms of renal diseases and to compare the incidence of the different causes of death in dialysis patients and overall population.