Epidemiology of flavescence dorée in vineyards in northwestern Italy.

ABSTRACT A serious outbreak of flavescence dorée (FD) was reported in Piemonte, northwestern Italy, in 1998, and since then, the disease has compromised the economy of this traditional wine-growing area, even following the application of compulsory insecticide treatments to control Scaphoideus titanus, the vector of the causal phytoplasma. Affected vines show severe symptoms, varying according to the cultivar, and are rogued to reduce disease spread. Following winter and pruning, a previously affected vine may appear symptomless and free of phytoplasmas in its aerial as well as its root system, even by nested-polymerase chain reaction assays. Such plants are considered to be "recovered". Since 1998 homogenous data on the incidence of newly infected, healthy, or recovered plants productivity, presence of vectors, and treatment schedules have been collected in seven severely affected vineyards of southern Piemonte for 5 years (1999 to 2003). Infectivity and recovery rates were also calculated each year. From 1999 to 2003, the average number of healthy plants decreased and the numbers of recovered plants and those with symptoms increased. Productivity of recovered vines, although lower than that of healthy ones, was always higher than that of vines with symptoms and was not influenced by the time elapsed from date of recovery. The relationships between the ln-transformed number of vectors trapped in the vineyards the previous year and the infection and the recovery rates were fitted by an exponential (R(2) = 0.95) and an asymptotic (R(2) = 0.93) model, respectively.

Analysis of recurrence following curative low anterior resection and stapled anastomoses for carcinoma of the middle third and lower rectum.

In a series of 93 patients with middle and lower rectal cancer, who underwent potentially curative surgery by low anterior resection (LAR) with EEA stapled anastomosis or by abdominoperineal excision (APE) between January 1977 and December 1981, the incidence of recurrence and survival rate was compared. LAR with stapler was performed in 61 patients: 55 (90.2 percent) with tumors of the middle third and six (9.8 percent) for tumors of the lower third of the rectum. APE was performed in 32 patients: 13 (40.6 percent) with cancer of the midrectum and 19 (59.4 percent) of the lower rectum. Tumor site, Dukes' distribution, grade of malignancy, and extent of local spread were recorded. The tumor stages for LAR with stapler and for APE, respectively, were Dukes' A 7/1; Dukes' B 27/10; Dukes' C 25/18; Dukes' D 2/3. In a follow-up period of four years (range, 6 to 52 months) the overall recurrence rates were 20.4 percent in the LAR with stapled anastomosis group and 21 percent in the APE group. Local recurrence percentages were 9.8 percent after LAR and 14 percent after APE (P = N.S.). Distant recurrences were 12 percent and 14 percent, respectively. The four-year overall survival rates were 76.7 percent after LAR and 65.5 percent after APE (P = N.S.) The clinical and pathologic factors correlated with recurrence in low rectal carcinoma were reanalyzed and the controversial points of the surgical management for and against LAR with stapled anastomosis and APE were discussed. It is concluded that LAR with the EEA stapler can be carried out in the middle and lower rectum with the prospect of ultimate cure, when performed with proper technical skills in selected patients.

[Aorto-coronary by-pass. Personal experience based on 342 cases operated on between April 1971 and December 1974 (author's transl)]. / Il by-pass aorto-coronarico. Esperienza personale su 342 casi operati sino al dicembre 1974

The authors report on the casuistry of aorto-coronary by-pass operations they performed between April 1971 and December 1974, discussing the criteria which indicate the necessity of operating, the principles of the operative techniques, and the results obtained. Out of a total of 342 operated cases, there was an operative mortality (within 30 days) of 3% in isolated by-pass cases, and 4% if one includes associated operations. In 3,5% of patients, postoperative necrosis was present. Almost the same values were found in the smaller group (66 cases) which underwent urgent by-pass operations. The authors consider that the aorto-coronary by-pass operation is a very useful treatment, both for stable and unstable angina, as long as the anatomo-functional conditions exist.

[Aortic aneurysms as complication of bacterial endocarditis. Report of two cases (author's transl)]. / Gli aneurismi iuxtaorifiziali aortici di origine batterica. A proposito di due osservazioni personali.

The authors report on two cases, one of supravalvular aortic aneurysm and one of subvalvular aortic aneurysm. Both patients suffered from bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve, superimposed on previous rheumatic valvular disease. The authors believe that such aneurysms represent typical though rare complication of bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve. Subvalvular aneurysms should be the consequence of the systolic stress acting on the myocardial wall involved by endocarditis, whereas supravalvular aneurysms could result from the jet-lesion through the affected valve.