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Global pollinator declines threaten food production and natural ecosystems. The drivers of declines are complicated and driven by numerous factors such as pesticide use, loss of habitat, rising pathogens due to commercial bee keeping and climate change. Halting and reversing pollinator declines will require a multidisciplinary approach and international cooperation. Here, we summarize 20 presentations given in the symposium ‘Protecting pollinators and our food supply: Understanding and managing threats to pollinator health’ at the 19th Congress of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects in San Diego, 2022. We then synthesize the key findings and discuss future research areas such as better understanding the impact of anthropogenic stressors on wild bees.

Malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumors are uncommon pigmented tumors of Schwann cell origin, most often found along the spinal nerves. Although well-described in the literature, the tumors are quite rare, making up1% of nerve sheath tumors. Physicians are, therefore, often unfamiliar with both the appearance and the optimal treatment of such tumors. Morphologically, many imaging features overlap with schwannomas and neurofibromas. Nevertheless, the malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumors are crucial to identify. They can be extremely aggressive, and the management of these tumors is considerably different from their benign counterparts. In this radiology-pathology review, we will highlight the imaging appearance, histologic features, surgical resection, and subsequent therapeutic strategies in a patient with a lumbar malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumor.

Background Patient safety event reports provide valuable insight into systemic safety issues but deriving insights from these reports requires computational tools to efficiently parse through large volumes of qualitative data. Natural language processing (NLP) combined with predictive learning provides an automated approach to evaluating these data and supporting the work of patient safety analysts. Objectives The objective of this study was to use NLP and machine learning techniques to develop a generalizable, scalable, and reliable approach to classifying event reports for the purpose of driving improvements in the safety and quality of patient care. Methods Datasets for 14 different labels (themes) were vectorized using a bag-of-words, tf-idf, or document embeddings approach and then applied to a series of classification algorithms via a hyperparameter grid search to derive an optimized model. Reports were also analyzed for terms strongly associated with each theme using an adjusted F-score calculation. Results F1 score for each optimized model ranged from 0.951 (“Fall”) to 0.544 (“Environment”). The bag-of-words approach proved optimal for 12 of 14 labels, and the naïve Bayes algorithm performed best for nine labels. Linear support vector machine was demonstrated as optimal for three labels and XGBoost for four of the 14 labels. Labels with more distinctly associated terms performed better than less distinct themes, as shown by a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.634. Conclusions We were able to demonstrate an analytical pipeline that broadly applies NLP and predictive modeling to categorize patient safety reports from multiple facilities. This pipeline allows analysts to more rapidly identify and structure information contained in patient safety data, which can enhance the evaluation and the use of this information over time.

Background In the early post transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) discharge era, rate of readmission for permanent pacemaker implantation (PPM-I) due to delayed conduction disturbances (CDs) has significantly increased. This issue has powered post procedural ambulatory electrocardiogram (AECG) monitoring by using implantable cardiac monitors or mobile cardiac telemetry devices, despite several disadvantages as frequent electrode changes and costs. Purpose In this scenario we aimed to evaluate the incidence of post-TAVR new onset arrhythmias and delayed CDs, performing an AECG monitoring through a 30s spot digital ECG (AeECG), by using a mobile electrocardiogram 6 lead (ME6L) device in a 30 days period after a TAVR procedure. Methods Between March 2021 and February 2022 we consecutively enrolled all patients undergoing a TAVR at the University Hospital of Pisa, excepting who already had a PM. At discharge, all patients received ME6L device and were asked to record a spot eECG for 1 month: 1 eECG per day during the first week and then 1 eECG per week. Clinical and follow-up data were collected and analyzed, and eECG scheduling compliance and quality recordings were explored. Results Among 185 consecutive TAVR patients, 12 were excluded due to pre-existing pacing device and 33 due to PPM-I Conclusion Delayed CDs requiring PPM-I are the most important drawback of TAVR procedure. In our study, AeECG was seen to be safe and helpful in the identification and treatment of delayed CDs requiring PPM-I, with a very high eECG schedule level of compliance and quality. Further prospective studies are needed to better identify patient selection for outpatient monitoring, making safer and safer the early post TAVR discharge approach. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Animal pollination is an important ecosystem function and service, ensuring both the integrity of natural systems and human well-being. Although many knowledge shortfalls remain, some high-quality data sets on biological interactions are now available. The development and adoption of standards for biodiversity data and metadata has promoted great advances in biological data sharing and aggregation, supporting large-scale studies and science-based public policies. However, these standards are currently not suitable to fully support interaction data sharing. Results Here we present a vocabulary of terms and a data model for sharing plant–pollinator interactions data based on the Darwin Core standard. The vocabulary introduces 48 new terms targeting several aspects of plant–pollinator interactions and can be used to capture information from different approaches and scales. Additionally, we provide solutions for data serialization using RDF, XML, and DwC-Archives and recommendations of existing controlled vocabularies for some of the terms. Our contribution supports open access to standardized data on plant–pollinator interactions. Conclusions The adoption of the vocabulary would facilitate data sharing to support studies ranging from the spatial and temporal distribution of interactions to the taxonomic, phenological, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of plant–pollinator interactions. We expect to fill data and knowledge gaps, thus further enabling scientific research on the ecology and evolution of plant–pollinator communities, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the development of public policies. The proposed data model is flexible and can be adapted for sharing other types of interactions data by developing discipline-specific vocabularies of terms.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with a hyperinflammatory state and lymphocytopenia, a hallmark that appears as both signature and prognosis of disease severity outcome. Although cytokine storm and a sustained inflammatory state are commonly associated with immune cell depletion, it is still unclear whether direct SARS-CoV-2 infection of immune cells could also play a role in this scenario by harboring viral replication. We found that monocytes, as well as both B and T lymphocytes, were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, accumulating double-stranded RNA consistent with viral RNA replication and ultimately leading to expressive T cell apoptosis. In addition, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was frequently detected in monocytes and B lymphocytes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The rates of SARS-CoV-2-infected monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from COVID-19 patients increased over time from symptom onset, with SARS-CoV-2-positive monocytes, B cells, and CD4+ T lymphocytes also detected in postmortem lung tissue. These results indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection of blood-circulating leukocytes in COVID-19 patients might have important implications for disease pathogenesis and progression, immune dysfunction, and virus spread within the host.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background. Valvular heart disease (VHD) determines non-physiological, inefficient blood flow within the left ventricle, resulting in abnormal vortex formation and energy loss (EL). EL evaluation could provide valuable insights in addition to more common parameters of left ventricle systolic and diastolic dysfunction. Vector flow mapping (VFM) is a novel, non-invasive echocardiographic technique that measures EL through the study of intraventricular flow. Purpose. To assess EL throughout the whole cardiac cycle in patients with severe primary left-sided VHD before cardiac valve intervention. Methods. VFM is based on the continuity equation applied to colour Doppler and speckle tracking echocardiography, acquired from the apical long-axis view. VFM estimates blood flow velocity and vortex characteristics to quantify energy dissipation (i.e., EL) due to blood viscosity in a turbulent flow. EL was calculated frame by frame and averaged over three beats. Results. We enrolled 20 healthy controls (55 ± 19 years old, 65% male) and 73 patients (70 ± 17 years old, 59% male) with severe VHD before cardiac surgery: 30 with primary mitral regurgitation (MR), 8 with mitral stenosis (MS), 15 with aortic regurgitation (AR), 20 with aortic stenosis (AS). All patients had a left ventricle (LV) ejection fraction ≥50% and no wall motion abnormalities. We observed an increased number of vortexes in patients with VHD when compared to controls, especially in mid-diastole (p = 0.003). This is reflected in a significantly higher EL during the whole cardiac cycle in VHD patients than controls (p Conclusions. In addition to standard baseline echocardiography, VFM can quantitatively evaluate the energy dissipation in different subsets of VHD. EL is not uniform during the cardiac cycle, as diastole seems significantly more affected than systole. The assessment of EL after valve intervention is ongoing. VFM could provide further insights into the pathophysiology of heart valve disease and help to evaluate the efficacy of the procedure (repair/replacement) performed. Abstract Figure 1 Abstract Figure 2

The vast Amazonian biome still poses challenges for botanists seeking to know and recognize its plant diversity. Brazilian northern cities are expanding fast, without considering the regional biodiversity, and urban plantings of almost exclusively exotic species are taking place. It is paramount that the correct identity of such trees is ascertained before procurement of the seeds and young plants, as the use of popular names may lead to importation of plant material from elsewhere, with potential introduction of invasive species. The abundant local diversity also leads to the need to score the most suitable species within a given region. Following the preparation of authoritatively named floristic lists in Southeastern Pará state, we proceeded to score and rank the most suitable trees for urban planning using different characteristics such as size, ornamental value, ecologic role, resilience and known methods of propagation. From an initial 375 species list, 263 species were ranked according to their suitability for street and urban area plantings and visualized using a Venn diagram. A final list with the 49 of the highest-ranking species was further analysed regarding their pollination and phenology period and two types of dissimilarity analyses were provided to aid practitioners in matching and choosing groups of species. Different local vegetation types mean that similar floristic lists must be used to extract cohorts of suitable plants to increase the urban richness in the eight Brazilian states that are included in the Amazonian biome.

By modifying the size and shape of the molecules, we managed to tune the hole mobility of our HTMs up to three orders of magnitude. Our best HTM led to a solar cell lifetime that is tripled compared to that based on spiro-OMeTAD.

BackgroundSystemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients have a 3- fold risk of CV events compared to the general population, mainly due to accelerated atherosclerosis that is not completely explained by the presence of traditional CV risk factors. Individuals with increased Intimal medial thickness (IMT) carry a higher risk to develop carotid atherosclerosis. Accordingly, IMT acts as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. In recent studies, SLE patients showed a significant higher IMT compared to healthy subjects. On the other side, SLE retinal involvement can be detected in 7-29% of cases, it is characterized mainly by retinal vasculopathy and it can be a marker of systemic vascular involvement. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA), a new diagnostic technique that can visualize retinal blood flow and evaluate the Fovea Avascular Zone (FAZ), has been investigated as an instrument for early detection of subclinical retinal vascular impairment in SLE.ObjectivesAim of this study is to examine a possible correlation between IMT and retinal vascular impairment assessed through OCTA in SLE.MethodsWe recruited SLE patients fulfilling 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria. Patients with other rheumatic, ophthalmological diseases, diabetes or history of CV diseases were excluded. We also collected patients’ demographic and clinical data, including sex, age, smoking habit, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides. All patients underwent an ophthalmological evaluation, including OCTA estimation of superficial and deep retinal vessel density (VD), considering both the whole image and the foveal region, and FAZ area. Carotid ultrasound (US) comprising IMT assessment was also performed. Statistical analysis was accomplished using unpaired t-test or Mann Whitney U test, Pearson or Spearman rank correlation when appropriate.ResultsWe enrolled 37 SLE patients; demographic, clinical and US data are displayed in Table 1. Nine patients (24.3%) had uncontrolled arterial hypertension. According to US evaluation, carotid plaques were detected in six patients (16.2%). OCTA data were correlated with IMT values showing a negative correlation between IMT and both superficial and deep fovea VD (p=0.003, r=-0.4 and p=0.004, r=-0.4), while a positive correlation was found with FAZ area (p=0.02, r=0.4).Table 1.Demographic, clinical and US data of the study populationFemale sex n(%)28 (75.6)Age, yrs49.2±14.7Smokers n(%)12 (32.4)BMI25.1±5.2SBP, mmHg118.5±15.7DBP, mmHg73.3±11.6IMT, μM549.6±124IMT positively correlated with traditional CV risk factors, particularly age (pConclusionRetinal vascular impairment in SLE has been associated with IMT, atherosclerotic plaques and some CV risk factors as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and CRP levels. Search for new markers of preclinical CV damage in SLE is currently ongoing and OCTA might be an additional instrument to assess preclinical cardiovascular involvement in SLE.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

This work shows that inflammasomes are activated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro and in COVID-19 patients. Activation of inflammasomes in moderate and severe cases of COVID-19 contributes to the exacerbated inflammatory response, impacting disease progression and clinical outcome., Severe cases of COVID-19 are characterized by a strong inflammatory process that may ultimately lead to organ failure and patient death. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a molecular platform that promotes inflammation via cleavage and activation of key inflammatory molecules including active caspase-1 (Casp1p20), IL-1β, and IL-18. Although participation of the inflammasome in COVID-19 has been highly speculated, the inflammasome activation and participation in the outcome of the disease are unknown. Here we demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and is active in COVID-19 patients. Studying moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, we found active NLRP3 inflammasome in PBMCs and tissues of postmortem patients upon autopsy. Inflammasome-derived products such as Casp1p20 and IL-18 in the sera correlated with the markers of COVID-19 severity, including IL-6 and LDH. Moreover, higher levels of IL-18 and Casp1p20 are associated with disease severity and poor clinical outcome. Our results suggest that inflammasomes participate in the pathophysiology of the disease, indicating that these platforms might be a marker of disease severity and a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19., Graphical Abstract

The knowledge of COVID-19 pathophysiology is pivotal for the discovery of effective treatments. Here, we described that SARS-CoV-2 triggers the release of ACE2-depended neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that mediate lung pathology, supporting the use of NETs inhibitors for COVID-19 treatment., Severe COVID-19 patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome that may progress to cytokine storm syndrome, organ dysfunction, and death. Considering that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been described as important mediators of tissue damage in inflammatory diseases, we investigated whether NETs would be involved in COVID-19 pathophysiology. A cohort of 32 hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and healthy controls were enrolled. The concentration of NETs was augmented in plasma, tracheal aspirate, and lung autopsies tissues from COVID-19 patients, and their neutrophils released higher levels of NETs. Notably, we found that viable SARS-CoV-2 can directly induce the release of NETs by healthy neutrophils. Mechanistically, NETs triggered by SARS-CoV-2 depend on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, serine protease, virus replication, and PAD-4. Finally, NETs released by SARS-CoV-2–activated neutrophils promote lung epithelial cell death in vitro. These results unravel a possible detrimental role of NETs in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Therefore, the inhibition of NETs represents a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19., Graphical Abstract

IntroductionNeutrophilia and high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and other mediators of inflammation are common finds in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome due to COVID-19. By its action on leukocytes, we propose colchicine as an intervention worthy of being tested.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether the addition of colchicine to standard treatment for COVID-19 results in better outcomes.MethodsWe present the interim analysis of a single-center randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of colchicine for the treatment of moderate to severe COVID-19, with 38 patients allocated 1:1 from April 11 to July 06, 2020. Colchicine regimen was 0.5 mg thrice daily for 5 days, then 0.5 mg twice daily for 5 days. The first dose was 1.0 mg whether body weight was ≥ 80 kg.EndpointsThe primary endpoints were the need for supplemental oxygen; time of hospitalization; need for admission and length of stay in intensive care units; and death rate and causes of mortality. As secondary endpoints, we assessed: serum C-reactive protein, serum Lactate dehydrogenase and relation neutrophil to lymphocyte of peripheral blood samples from day zero to day 7; the number, type, and severity of adverse events; frequency of interruption of the study protocol due to adverse events; and frequency of QT interval above 450 ms.ResultsThirty-five patients (18 for Placebo and 17 for Colchicine) completed the study. Both groups were comparable in terms of demographic, clinical and laboratory data at baseline. Median (and interquartile range) time of need for supplemental oxygen was 3.0 (1.5-6.5) days for the Colchicine group and 7.0 (3.0-8.5) days for Placebo group (p = 0.02). Median (IQR) time of hospitalization was 6.0 (4.0-8.5) days for the Colchicine group and 8.5 (5.5-11.0) days for Placebo group (p = 0.03). At day 2, 53% vs 83% of patients maintained the need for supplemental oxygen, while at day 7 the values were 6% vs 39%, in the Colchicine and Placebo groups, respectively (log rank; p = 0.01). Hospitalization was maintained for 53% vs 78% of patients at day 5 and 6% vs 17% at day 10, for the Colchicine and Placebo groups, respectively (log rank; p = 0.01). One patient per group needed admission to ICU. No recruited patient died. At day 4, patients of Colchicine group presented significant reduction of serum C-reactive protein compared to baseline (p < 0.001). The majority of adverse events were mild and did not lead to patient withdrawal. Diarrhea was more frequent in the Colchicine group (p = 0.17). Cardiac adverse events were absent.DiscussionThe use of colchicine reduced the length of supplemental oxygen therapy and the length of hospitalization. Clinical improvement was in parallel with a reduction on serum levels of C-reactive protein. The drug was safe and well tolerated. Colchicine may be considered a beneficial and not expensive option for COVID-19 treatment. Clinical trials with larger numbers of patients should be conducted to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of colchicine as an adjunctive therapy for hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19.

Severe cases of COVID-19 are characterized by a strong inflammatory process that may ultimately lead to organ failure and patient death. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a molecular platform that promotes inflammation via cleavage and activation of key inflammatory molecules including active caspase-1 (Casp1p20), IL-1β and IL-18. Although the participation of the inflammasome in COVID-19 has been highly speculated, the inflammasome activation and participation in the outcome of the disease is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and it is active in COVID-19, influencing the clinical outcome of the disease. Studying moderate and severe COVID-19 patients, we found active NLRP3 inflammasome in PBMCs and tissues of post-mortem patients upon autopsy. Inflammasome-derived products such as Casp1p20 and IL-18 in the sera correlated with the markers of COVID-19 severity, including IL-6 and LDH. Moreover, higher levels of IL-18 and Casp1p20 are associated with disease severity and poor clinical outcome. Our results suggest that the inflammasome is key in the pathophysiology of the disease, indicating this platform as a marker of disease severity and a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19.

Although SARS-CoV-2 severe infection is associated with a hyperinflammatory state, lymphopenia is an immunological hallmark, and correlates with poor prognosis in COVID-19. However, it remains unknown if circulating human lymphocytes and monocytes are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 infection of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. We found that in vitro infection of whole PBMCs from healthy donors was productive of virus progeny. Results revealed that monocytes, as well as B and T lymphocytes, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 active infection and viral replication was indicated by detection of double-stranded RNA. Moreover, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence analysis revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was frequently detected in monocytes and B lymphocytes from COVID-19 patients, and less frequently in CD4+T lymphocytes. The rates of SARS-CoV-2-infected monocytes in PBMCs from COVID-19 patients increased over time from symptom onset. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2-positive monocytes and B and CD4+T lymphocytes were detected by immunohistochemistry in post mortem lung tissue. SARS-CoV-2 infection of blood circulating leukocytes in COVID-19 patients may have important implications for disease pathogenesis, immune dysfunction, and virus spread within the host.

Severe COVID-19 patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome that may progress to respiratory failure. These patients also develop cytokine storm syndrome, and organ dysfunctions, which is a clinical picture that resembles sepsis. Considering that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been described as an important factors of tissue damage in sepsis, we investigated whether NETs would be produced in COVID-19 patients and participate in the lung tissue damage. A cohort of 32 hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and respective healthy controls were enrolled. NETs concentration was assessed by MPO-DNA PicoGreen assay or by confocal immunofluorescence. The cytotoxic effect of SARS-CoV-2-induced NETs was analyzed in human epithelial lung cells (A549 cells). The concentration of NETs was augmented in plasma and tracheal aspirate from COVID-19 patients and their neutrophils spontaneously released higher levels of NETs. NETs were also found in the lung tissue specimens from autopsies of COVID-19 patients. Notably, viable SARS-CoV-2 can directly induce in vitro release of NETs by healthy neutrophils in a PAD-4-dependent manner. Finally, NETs released by SARS-CoV-2-activated neutrophils promote lung epithelial cell death in vitro. These results unravel a possible detrimental role of NETs in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Therefore, the inhibition of NETs represent a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19.

The Itacaiúnas River basin, an important watershed for the mining sector in Brazil, has had 51% of its native forest area deforested in the last forty years. It is in the arc of deforestation of the Amazon. It has protected areas essential to local biodiversity maintenance, in addition to owning ore reserves. Here, we present the first study to assess the mean annual, seasonal, and spatialized hydrological processes, providing results on a detailed scale in the basin, including mining sites. We used five future projections of mean monthly temperature and daily precipitation as input to the MGB hydrological model to simulate how hydrological processes, such as evapotranspiration, water availability, and high flows, may change in the next 30 years. The future decrease in precipitation (−8%) and increase in temperature (10%) may strengthen the monsoon seasonal cycle and lengthen the dry month for evapotranspiration. Furthermore, some parts of the basin expect an increase in the high flows (8.1%) and a decrease in water availability (−93.6%). These results provide subsidies to develop adaptation strategies to ensure the viability of mining operations and safeguard the surrounding environment and communities.

Objective No methodologically robust system exists for capturing consumer-generated patient safety reports. To address this challenge, we developed and pilot-tested a prototype consumer reporting system for patient safety, the Health Care Safety Hotline. Design Mixed methods evaluation. Setting The Hotline was implemented in two US healthcare systems from 1 February 2014 through 30 June 2015. Participants Patients, family members and caregivers associated with two US healthcare systems. Intervention A consumer-oriented incident reporting system for telephone or web-based administration was developed to elicit medical mistakes and care-related injuries. Main Outcomes Measures Key informant interviews, measurement of website traffic and analysis of completed reports. Results Key informants indicated that Hotline participation was motivated by senior leaders' support and alignment with existing quality and safety initiatives. During the measurement period from 1 October 2014 through 30 June 2015, the home page had 1530 visitors with a unique IP address. During its 17 months of operation, the Hotline received 37 completed reports including 20 mistakes without harm and 15 mistakes with injury. The largest category of mistake concerned problems with diagnosis or advice from a health practitioner. Hotline reports prompted quality reviews, an education intervention, and patient follow-ups. Conclusion While generating fewer reports than its capacity to manage, the Health Care Safety Hotline demonstrated the feasibility of consumer-oriented patient safety reporting. Further research is needed to understand how to increase consumers' use of these systems.

Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry (FRRf) has been increasingly used to measure marine primary productivity by oceanographers to understand how carbon (C) uptake patterns vary over space and time in the global ocean. As FRRf measures electron transport rates through photosystem II (ETRPSII ), a critical, but difficult to predict conversion factor termed the "electron requirement for carbon fixation" (Φe,C ) is needed to scale ETRPSII to C-fixation rates. Recent studies have generally focused on understanding environmental regulation of Φe,C , while taxonomic control has been explored by only a handful of laboratory studies encompassing a limited diversity of phytoplankton species. We therefore assessed Φe,C for a wide range of marine phytoplankton (n = 17 strains) spanning multiple taxonomic and size classes. Data mined from previous studies were further considered to determine whether Φe,C variability could be explained by taxonomy versus other phenotypic traits influencing growth and physiological performance (e.g., cell size). We found that Φe,C exhibited considerable variability (~4-10 mol e- · [mol C]-1 ) and was negatively correlated with growth rate (R2 = 0.7, P

People with diabetes and cardiovascular complications need to be educated about the self-management of the disease at the time of diagnosis and during the follow-up to best benefit from what they learn. Education is most effective when offered to small groups of patients led by a professional team. The aim of the study is the evaluation of diabetes and food education aimed at improving the self-awareness of the disease, the management and the quality of the lives of diabetic patients with a previous myocardial infarction.The sample group consisted of 20 subjects suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 with a previous myocardial infarction. First, subjects were administered a test to assess the degree of knowledge of diabetes and quality of life; they also performed a walking test and a food interview. Anthropometric assessments and serum chemistry parameters were taken into consideration. Subsequently, they attended 7 lessons on nutrition, diabetes and cardiovascular complications; post intervention, the sample group demonstrated statistically significant improvement in the knowledge of the disease, in anthropometric measurements and walking test.Although we have not found an improvement of biochemical parameters, informing diabetic subjects of their health conditions and complications is essential in order to achieve patient empowerment and the compliance.