The discovery of mutations in
significantly changed the treatment paradigm of patients with
-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a particular group of patients with different clinical ...characteristics and outcome to
-wild-type patients. In these patients, the treatment of choice as first-line therapy is first- or second-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), such as gefitinib, erlotinib, or afatinib. Inevitably, after the initial response, all patients become refractory to these drugs. The most common mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs is the development of a second mutation in exon 20 of
(
). Osimertinib is a third-generation EGFR-TKI designed for overcoming
-mediated resistance. Based on the results of efficacy and tolerability of Phase II and Phase III studies, osimertinib has been approved for treatment of advanced
mutation NSCLC following progression on a prior EGFR-TKI. Occurrence of acquired resistance to osimertinib represents an urgent need for additional strategies including combination with other agents, such as other targeted therapies or checkpoint inhibitors, or development of new and more potent compounds.
Today, the interplay between economic inequality, international migration, and urban transformation has raised awareness about segregation and its social implications on a global and European scale. ...As cities become home to diverse populations with various backgrounds including social, racial, ethnic, and cultural, the proximity of these groups becomes more pronounced. This article explores the residential segregation of four Asian immigrant groups in three major Italian cities: Milan, Rome, and Naples. Using data from the 2011 Italian General Population Census and employing an areal weighted interpolation procedure, the study measures segregation using both traditional two-group indices and multi-group indices that account for the complexities of contemporary societies. The results indicate a north–south disparity, with Naples exhibiting the highest levels of residential segregation. Among the analysed immigrant groups, Bangladeshis and Chinese tended to be more self-segregated, while Filipinos and Sri Lankans were relatively more dispersed. This research underscores the necessity for a nuanced understanding of segregation dynamics and the adoption of appropriate approaches to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the coexistence of diverse groups in urban areas. By contributing to the existing literature on residential segregation in Southern Europe, this study sheds light on the spatial patterns and social dynamics of different ethnic groups in Italian cities.
Gut microbiota imbalances have a significant role in the pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Herein, we compared gut microbial composition ...in patients diagnosed with either IBD or NAFLD or a combination of both. Seventy-four participants were stratified into four groups: IBD-NAFLD, IBD-only, NAFLD-only patients, and healthy controls (CTRLs). The 16S rRNA was sequenced by Next-Generation Sequencing. Bioinformatics and statistical analysis were performed. Bacterial α-diversity showed a significant lower value when the IBD-only group was compared to the other groups and particularly against the IBD-NAFLD group. β-diversity also showed a significant difference among groups. The higher Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio was found only when comparing IBD groups and CTRLs. Comparing the IBD-only group with the IBD-NAFLD group, a decrease in differential abundance of Subdoligranulum, Parabacteroides, and Fusicatenibacter was found. Comparing the NAFLD-only with the IBD-NAFLD groups, there was a higher abundance of Alistipes, Odoribacter, Sutterella, and Lachnospira. An inverse relationship in the comparison between the IBD-only group and the other groups was shown. For the first time, the singularity of the gut microbial composition in IBD and NAFLD patients has been shown, implying a potential microbial signature mainly influenced by gut inflammation.
is a free-living, pseudoparasitic, necromenic, and parasitic nematode, depending on the host. This species feeds mainly on bacteria present in decaying organic matter, soil, and other substrates; ...however, in its parasitic form, it can colonize some species of snails. Moreover, the presence of
has also been detected in birds and mammals, including humans.
In 2021–2023, during monitoring of the palm borer
in Central Italy,
emerged from dead larvae of this alien invasive moth and was extracted from palm fibres of
in three independent sites. The nematode was identified by morphological and morphometric analyses. Molecular analyses using SSU and LSU gene fragments were used to confirm the identification and to perform Bayesian reconstruction of the phylogeny. Each sampling site showed a unique haplotype.
Concerning the pathogenicity of this nematode against insects, the test performed on
larvae did not show any entomopathogenic effect. This is the first time that
was found associated with
and this recurrent association was discussed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Biological invasions are a global threat to biodiversity. Since the spread of invasive alien plants may have many impacts, an integrated approach, assessing effects across various ecosystem ...components, is needed for a correct understanding of the invasion process and its consequences. The nitrogen-fixing tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) is a major invasive species worldwide and is used in forestry production. While its effects on plant communities and soils are well known, there have been few studies on soil fauna and microbes.
We investigated the impacts of the tree on several ecosystem components, using a multi-trophic approach to combine evidence of soil chemical properties and soil microbial, nematode, microarthropod and plant communities. We sampled soil and vegetation in managed forests, comparing those dominated by black locust with native deciduous oak stands.
We found qualitative and quantitative changes in all components analysed, such as the well-known soil nitrification and acidification in stands invaded by black locust. Bacterial richness was the only component favoured by the invasion. On the contrary, abundance and richness of microarthropods, richness of nematodes, and richness and diversity of plant communities decreased significantly in invaded stands. The invasion process caused a compositional shift in all studied biotic communities and in relationships between the different ecosystem components.
We obtained clear insights into the effects of invasion of managed native forests by black locust. Our data confirms that the alien species transforms several ecosystem components, modifying the plant-soil community and affecting biodiversity at different levels. Correct management of this aggressive invader in temperate forests is urgently required.
Display omitted
•We analysed the impacts of Robinia pseudoacacia invasion.•We analysed impacts on soil chemical properties, plant and soil biotic communities.•We found qualitative and quantitative changes in all components analysed.•We detected soil nitrification and acidification in stands invaded by black locust.•Changes (mostly biodiversity reduction) were observed in biotic communities.
The Late Miocene giant erinaceid Deinogalerix from Scontrone and Gargano (Italy) is associated with many other vertebrates in deposits of a past island, the “Abruzzo‐Apulia Platform”. At Gargano, ...Deinogalerix is accompanied by the moderately endemized Galericini Apulogalerix. This first extensive cladistic analysis is aimed at defining the relationships of Deinogalerix with characteristic members of the tribe Galericini. The analysis was performed on a matrix of 30 characters and 19 taxa and identified some smaller clades, nested within three major ones. The latter include: (i) a pentatomy of Galerix species, (ii) a polytomy of “transitional” Galerix–Parasorex species and (iii) a large clade with Parasorex, Schizogalerix and Gargano representatives. Galerix and Parasorex proved to be paraphyletic and Schizogalerix monophyletic. Based on the results of the analysis, Deinogalerix and Apulogalerix have distinct origins, which supports an asynchronous colonization of the island. The line of Deinogalerix possibly stemmed from some eastern species transitional between Galerix and Parasorex around Mammal Neogene (MN) zone 2. Conversely, the line of Apulogalerix originated from a primitive Parasorex ibericus, or a close relative, around MN 9–10. Another important result was detecting an impressive early Miocene (MN 2?) radiation of Galericini. Moreover, Schizogalerix and Parasorex originated from eastern Galericini morphologically transitional between Galerix and Parasorex.
Sri Lankans constitute one of Italy's oldest foreign communities. A comparative geographic study of Sri Lankans’ settlement patterns in three main municipalities of South Italy (Naples, Palermo, and ...Catania) is performed in the present work. The uniqueness of the analysis relies on the fact that, to the authors’ knowledge, no other existing studies comparatively examine the spatial segregation of Sri Lankan communities in different southern European municipalities. Moreover, implementing a single geographic reference grid allowed the homogenisation of different areal unit arrangements and the comparison between urban contexts. Original results have emerged from the empirical analysis, detecting peculiar and similar residential behaviour in Sri Lankans’ settlement patterns across the three municipalities analysed, jointly influenced by work specialisation and variations in the local cost of living. In particular, the high levels of Sri Lankan concentration detected in the wealthiest neighbourhoods revealed complex dynamics underlying the urban spatial segregation, beyond the mere centre-periphery dichotomy.
In the study of closed many-body quantum systems, one is often interested in the evolution of a subset of degrees of freedom. On many occasions it is possible to approach the problem by performing an ...appropriate decomposition into a bath and a system. In the simplest case the evolution of the reduced state of the system is governed by a quantum master equation with a time-independent, i.e., Markovian, generator. Such evolution is typically emerging under the assumption of a weak coupling between the system and an infinitely large bath. Here we are interested in understanding to which extent a neural network function approximator can predict open quantum dynamics—described by time-local generators—from an underlying unitary dynamics. We investigate this question using a class of spin models, which is inspired by recent experimental setups. We find that indeed time-local generators can be learned. In certain situations they are even time independent and allow to extrapolate the dynamics to unseen times. This might be useful for situations in which experiments or numerical simulations do not allow to capture long-time dynamics and for exploring thermalization occurring in closed quantum systems.
Cognitive impairment is a core feature of bipolar disorder, with a prevalence of about 64.4% during episodes and 57.1% in euthymia. Recent evidences suggest that cognitive deficits in BD may follow ...immune dysfunction and elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines have been reported during periods of depression, mania and euthymia, suggesting the presence of a chronic, low-grade inflammatory state. The aim of the study is to investigate if immune/inflammatory markers and especially chemokines associate to cognitive performances.
Seventy-six consecutively admitted inpatients with a depressive episode in course of bipolar disorder performed a neuropsychological evaluation with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia and plasma blood levels of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors were analyzed with Luminex technology.
Higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6, CCL2, CCL4, CCL5, CXCL10, and bFGF are associated with the likelihood of having a poor cognitive performance.
Limitation include the lack of a group of healthy controls and the lack of information regarding previous psychopharmacological treatments, alcohol and tobacco use.
Our results confirm the importance of chemokines in bipolar disorder and suggest that inflammatory markers suggestive of a low-grade inflammatory state could contribute to the neurocognitive deficits observed in depressed patients.
•Circulating inflammatory markers associate with cognitive functions.•Higher levels of CXCL10, CCL2, CCL4, CCL5, bFGF associate with poor cognitive performances.•Chemokines are involved in cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder.
•We investigated the virome associated to an italian population of H. halys.•Seven new viral sequences belonging to different taxonomical groups were reported.•The potential of viruses as biocontrol ...agents has been discussed.
Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug, is an invasive pentatomid native to East-Asia, and introduced worldwide in recent times. It is a polyphagous pest with approximately 300 host plants, which, due to its plasticity, reproductive and feeding behavior, long-distance flight, and walking as well as human-mediated dispersal ability, is able to cause significant economic and ecological damage. In several cases pest control mediated by insecticide treatments leads to unsatisfactory efficacy, mostly due to insect recovery ability. Thus, the most promising method for the long-term management of this pest has been focused with growing emphasis on classical biological control strategies. In this framework, viruses have untill now been poorly investigated in H. halys with only a single virus described from the US territory. For this reason we investigated the virome associated with a small and well described population of H. halys from Piedmont (Italy) describing for the first time 7 new viral sequences belonging to different taxonomical groups. Further studies will be necessary to assess the biological and ecological effects the viruses have on their host. Due to the agricultural importance of this insect, the biological characterization of these viruses would give important information on the possibility to exploit viral entities as biological control agents. Finally, the presence of a such relevant number of viruses from a small population suggests a wide association between the brown marmorated stink bug and viral entities. Further studies to determine the possible exploitation of viral sequences to trace different populations are ongoing.
PDF
