Phenotyping Key Fruit Quality Traits in Olive Using RGB Images and Back Propagation Neural Networks.

To predict oil and phenol concentrations in olive fruit, the combination of back propagation neural networks (BPNNs) and contact-less plant phenotyping techniques was employed to retrieve RGB image-based digital proxies of oil and phenol concentrations. Fruits of cultivars (×3) differing in ripening time were sampled (~10-day interval, ×2 years), pictured and analyzed for phenol and oil concentrations. Prior to this, fruit samples were pictured and images were segmented to extract the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) mean pixel values that were rearranged in 35 RGB-based colorimetric indexes. Three BPNNs were designed using as input variables (a) the original 35 RGB indexes, (b) the scores of principal components after a principal component analysis (PCA) pre-processing of those indexes, and (c) a reduced number (28) of the RGB indexes achieved after a sparse PCA. The results show that the predictions reached the highest mean R2 values ranging from 0.87 to 0.95 (oil) and from 0.81 to 0.90 (phenols) across the BPNNs. In addition to the R2, other performance metrics were calculated (root mean squared error and mean absolute error) and combined into a general performance indicator (GPI). The resulting rank of the GPI suggests that a BPNN with a specific topology might be designed for cultivars grouped according to their ripening period. The present study documented that an RGB-based image phenotyping can effectively predict key quality traits in olive fruit supporting the developing olive sector within a digital agriculture domain.

Susceptibility to Xylella fastidiosa and functional xylem anatomy in Olea europaea: revisiting a tale of plant-pathogen interaction.

Xylella fastidiosa is a xylem-limited bacterium causing the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome, which is currently devastating the agricultural landscape of Southern Italy. The bacterium is injected into the xylem vessels of leaf petioles after the penetration of the insect vector's stylet. From here, it is supposed to colonize the xylem vasculature moving against water flow inside conductive vessels. Widespread vessel clogging following the bacterial infection and causing the failure of water transport seemed not to fully supported by the recent empirical xylem anatomical observations in infected olive trees. We tested the hypothesis that the higher susceptibility to the X. fastidiosa's infection in Cellina di Nardò compared with Leccino is associated to the higher vulnerability to air embolism of its larger vessels. Such hypothesis is motivated by the recognized ability of X. fastidiosa in degrading pit membranes and also because air embolism would possibly provide microenvironmental conditions more favourable to its more efficient aerobic metabolism. We revised the relevant literature on bacterium growth and xylem physiology, and carried out empirical field, mid-summer measurements of xylem anatomy and native embolism in olive cultivars with high (Cellina di Nardò) and low susceptibility (Leccino) to the infection by X. fastidiosa. Both cultivars had similar shoot mass traits and vessel length (~80 cm), but the highly susceptible one had larger vessels and a lower number of vessels supplying a given leaf mass. Native air embolism reduced mean xylem hydraulic conductance by ~58 % (Cellina di Nardò) and ~38 % (Leccino). The higher air-embolism vulnerability of the larger vessels in Cellina di Nardò possibly facilitates the X. fastidiosa's infection compared to Leccino. Some important characteristics of the vector-pathogen-plant interactions still require deep investigations acknowledging both the pathogen metabolic pathways and the biophysical principles of xylem hydraulics.

Image-Based Assessment of Drought Response in Grapevines.

Many plants can modify their leaf profile rapidly in response to environmental stress. Image-based data are increasingly used to retrieve reliable information on plant water status in a non-contact manner that has the potential to be scaled to high-throughput and repeated through time. This paper examined the variation of leaf angle as measured by both 3D images and goniometer in progressively drought stressed grapevine. Grapevines, grown in pots, were subjected to a 21-day period of drought stress receiving 100% (CTRL), 60% (IRR 60%) and 30% (IRR 30%) of maximum soil available water capacity. Leaf angle was (i) measured manually (goniometer) and (ii) computed by a 3D reconstruction method (multi-view stereo and structure from motion). Stomatal conductance, leaf water potential, fluorescence (F v /F m ), leaf area and 2D RGB data were simultaneously collected during drought imposition. Throughout the experiment, values of leaf water potential ranged from -0.4 (CTRL) to -1.1 MPa (IRR 30%) and it linearly influenced the leaf angle when measured manually (R 2 = 0.86) and with 3D image (R 2 = 0.73). Drought was negatively related to stomatal conductance and leaf area growth particularly in IRR 30% while photosynthetic parameters (i.e., F v /F m ) were not impaired by water restriction. A model for leaf area estimation based on the number of pixels of 2D RGB images developed at a different phenotyping robotized platform in a closely related experiment was successfully employed (R 2 = 0.78). At the end of the experiment, top view 2D RGB images showed a ∼50% reduction of greener fraction (GGF) in CTRL and IRR 60% vines compared to initial values, while GGF in IRR 30% increased by approximately 20%.

[Acute kidney injury and rhabdomyolysis after cocaine overdose: case report and literature review].

Cocaine, a natural alkaloid derived from the coca plant, is one of the most commonly used illicit drugs. Cocaine abuse causes systemic adverse effects like stroke, myocardic infarction, arterial dissection, vascular thrombosis and rhabdomyolysis. Cocaine use is, also, associated with renal complications such as acute kidney injury, vasculitis, acute interstitial nephritis, chronic kidney disease, malignant hypertension with thrombotic microangiopathy. Acute kidney injury may or may be not associated to rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis caused by cocaine abuse is multifactorial, involving tissue ischemia secondary to vasoconstriction and cellular damage caused by the drug. We report a 50-year-old man with history of chronic hepatitis C and substance abuse admitted to our unit with severe rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure after nasal insufflation of cocaine overdose. Renal function recovered after several treatments of dialysis. We conclude that cocaine adversely impacts kidney function ; in addition cocaine and rhabdomyolysis are the double danger for acute kidney injury. Medical management of cocaine toxicity requires a multisystem approach, with close monitoring cardiac, neurological and renal function.

Crossed fused renal ectopia: case report and review of the literature.

Crossed fused renal ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly, and is mostly detected incidentally. A 45-year-old man, during investigation for recurrent abdominal pain, was found to have an empty left renal fossa and right crossed renal ectopia with fusion on ultrasonography. In the present case, there were no abnormalities and/or alteration of the renal function. Abdominal tomography scan with contrast medium confirmed the diagnosis. Ectopic kidney is often associated with other abnormal situations such as agenesis, vascular malformation, incontinence, a palpable abdominal mass, urinary tract infection, high incidence of stone formation, and genital anomalies. Through this case report, we emphasize the importance of adequate imaging.

Echo color Doppler ultrasound: a valuable diagnostic tool in the assessment of arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients.

A functioning vascular access is a critical requirement to improve the quality of life in hemodialysis patients, so monitoring and surveillance of vascular access play key roles in identifying all dysfunctions and reducing the huge economic cost as well as adequacy of dialysis.In our five-year experience, a study protocol has been used and improved with the help of ultrasonography.Doppler ultrasound is an excellent and sensitive modality for hemodialysis access evaluation, one of techniques employed for arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) study, not only as a preoperative tool, but also in post-operative monitoring of AVF maturation. In addition, the current guidelines recommend AVF surveillance by access blood flow measurement and the correction of hemodynamic stenosis in order to prolong access survival. Doppler ultrasound is readily available, directly used by nephrologists, non-invasive, safe, inexpensive, reproducible, although it requires more clinical skill and time to perform and proper equipment. Ultrasonography imaging can substantially reduce the number of subsequent invasive angiographic procedures. In our opinion, Doppler ultrasound should have a crucial place in the interdisciplinary cooperation in AVF monitoring and it should be included as part of an integrated vascular access management program.

[Takotsubo cardiomyopathy recurrence in patient with chronic kidney disease: case report and literature review]. / Recidiva di cardiomiopatia Takotsubo in paziente con insufficienza renale cronica: analisi di un caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (CT) is a syndrome characterized by an acute and transient left ventricular dysfunction, electrocardiographic abnormalities suggestive of acute coronary syndrome, chest pain and/or dyspnea, left ventricular mid-apical segments akinesia and normal coronary angiography. It is mainly observed in postmenopausal women after an intense physical or mental stress. The course is usually favourable but sometimes severe complications occur. The recurrence rate is 2-10%. We present the case of a recurrence of CT in a female, 79 years old, with hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 who was admitted to the emergency room for dyspnea and vomiting. The electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a sinusal rhythm and T wave inversion in the pre-cordial leads and the echocardiogram a typical feature of CT with depressed left ventricular systolic function (FE). The ECG ranged quickly with atrial fibrillation rhythm, followed by a major hypokinetic arrhythmia with advanced atrio-ventricular block which indicated the need for a temporary pacemaker placement. The patient was oligouric, with severe renal failure, hyponatremia, hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis. A continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was started. On the seventh day improvement in urine output, electrolyte and acid base imbalance and FE normalization occurred. The renal function improved gradually, but after 36 months, persisted CKD stage 4. The case report describes the development of a cardiorenal syndrome type 1 induced by CT recurrence and effectiveness of CRRT in the management of acute heart failure. It also suggests a potential role played by CKD as a risk factor in the onset and recurrence of CT.

[Lactic acidosis, acute renal failure and heart failure during treatment with metformin: what do we know?]. / Acidosi lattica, insufficienza renale acuta e insufficienza cardiaca in corso di terapia con metformina: cosa sappiamo?

Metformin is a common medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, especially in obese subjects. Clinical studies show that, in addition to the lowering effect of blood glucose, metformin reduces cardiovascular risk, does not induce weight gain and additionally, provides a unique safety strategy and efficacy in patients with diabetes and heart disease. However, this treatment is not without risks. The most feared metabolic complication is lactic acidosis that often occurs with complex and severe clinical symptoms and is associated with a high mortality risk. We detail our experience, during one year, regarding four patients with diabetes treated with metformin who developed such acute renal failure and lactic acidosis as to require hemodialysis treatment. The patients selected had previous normal renal function but a history of serious cardiovascular disease (hypertensive cardiomiopathy, ischemic revascularized and/or dilated, chronic obstructive arterial disease). We observed in all four of our patients an onset of non-related symptoms (fever, fatigue, vomiting and gastrointestinal disorders), a rapid deterioration in renal function, anuria and very high levels of lactic acid. In two patients we found acute pancreatitis. In addition to rehydration therapy, hemodialysis was started instantly with progressive rebalancing of the biohumoral status, effective recovery of spontaneous diuresis and improvement of the clinical status in three patients. Unfortunately, we had a failure during the initial hours of ward admittance, with an important clinical situation complicated by acute cardiac ischemia, abnormal heart rhythm, ending in death. Our experience provides us with elements to reflect on. Lactic acidosis is a serious metabolic disorder because it is associated with a high mortality risk. So a rapid diagnosis and a complete recognition of all the fundamental elements are important for its management. Starting hemodialysis early and prolonged treatment can solve complicated clinical status, correct acidosis and restore kidney function in patients with serious comorbidity.

[Horseshoe kidney: not a simple fusion anomaly]. / Rene a ferro di cavallo: non è una semplice anomalia di fusione. Analisi di due casi clinici e revisione della letteratura.

The horseshoe kidney is a congenital anatomical defect of the kidney that occurs in 0,25% of the population and is generally characterized by the fusion of the lower poles of the two kidneys through an isthmus and to which may be associated with urogenital and renal vascular anomalies. Asymptomatic in 1/3 of the cases and, most of time, accidentally discovered during a radiological examination, promotes nephrolithiasis, ureteropelvic junction obstruction, hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux and pyelonephritis. We report two cases of patients with kidney horseshoe, characterized by the abrupt onset of a septic state with oligo-anuric acute renal failure, electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities, rapid decay of the general conditions, with detection of nephrolithiasis, hydronephrosis and acute pyelonephritis and whose clinical management resulted in a significant and synergistic nefro-urology involvment. The kidney horseshoe not represent so only a simple fusion anomaly but rather an important anatomical condition that, once diagnosed, it would be worthy of a careful clinical, radiological and laboratory surveillance, in order to prevent the potential complications that may be also particularly severe.

Bladder neck disease and kidney damage.

Primary bladder neck obstruction (PBNO) was first described in men by Marion in 1933. The precise cause of PBNO has not been clearly elucidated. This paper review the theories on etiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation and treatments for PBNO. Also this paper focuses on management of patients with complications like acute urine retention, hydroureteronephrosis and severe renal failure. The treatment options for men and women with PBNO include careful clinical evaluation, pharmacotherapy with alpha-blockers and surgical intervention.

Berry morphology and composition in irrigated and non-irrigated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.).

The present study was carried out in a 5-year-old vineyard (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Aglianico) located in Southern Italy. Half of the plants (IRR) were fully irrigated, whereas the other half were not irrigated (NIRR). In both of the treatments, plant water status, gas exchange, photosynthetic efficiency and productive performance were determined. The arid conditions resulted in significant decreases in stem water potential in NIRR (minimum values of -1.34 and -1.52 MPa in IRR and NIRR, respectively). The values of yield per plant, cluster weight and total berry weight were significantly higher in IRR. Grape berries were separated into four weight classes, and morphometric and microscopic analyses were carried out to measure and calculate berry skin characteristics. Irrigation determined a marked shift toward heavier (+23% in the class ≥ 1.25 g) and bigger (336.35 mm³ vs 299.15 mm³) berries, and induced significant changes in other morphometric berry parameters. No differences among berry weight classes and irrigation treatments were observed for berry skin thickness. In all of the berry weight classes, total anthocyanins extracted from berry skins were significantly higher in NIRR than in IRR (12301.53 and 9585.52 mg kg⁻¹ fresh berry skin, respectively), and appeared to be positively related to berry weight, whereas total flavonols were not significantly different between the two treatments. Qualitative changes in the levels of single anthocyanin and flavonol compounds were detected between IRR and NIRR. In addition, iron, copper and zinc, whose high concentration can negatively affect wine quality, were significantly higher in the IRR treatment. The results highlighted that the absence of irrigation did not determine decreases in grape quality. Such data can be of primary importance in environments where water availability is by far the most important limiting factor for plant growth.

Role of ultrasound in management of long-term complications after to radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder construction: case report.

Radical cystectomy with urinary diversion is considered the gold standard treatment for bladder cancer. We report a case of 66-years-old male with long term complications, after radical cystectomy and an ileal neobladder according to Hautmann. He developed uroseptic episodes, stones, post-void residual, stenosis of the uretero-neobladder anastomosis, metabolic acidosis and progressive deterioration of renal function. Renal ultrasound helped us to identify the dilation of the urinary tract, the grade of hydronephrosis and the presence of stones. During the follow-up, it is very important the collaboration between urologist and nephrologist and the role of ultrasound for an early correction of the hydronephrosis and the elective replacement of the stents in order to preserve the renal function.

Anthocyanin composition and extractability in berry skin and wine of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Aglianico.

BACKGROUND: The present article reports the anthocyanin content in the berry skin and wine of the Italian red grape cultivar Aglianico (clone VCR11 grafted onto 1103 Paulsen), one of the most ancient vines and famous for its deep-red colour. Anthocyanins were extracted from frozen berry skin in an acidified methanol solution. The extraction mixtures, monitored for 120 h, were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The extraction from berry skin of delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin appeared to be a time-independent process, whereas the concentration of peonidin increased linearly with time. Peonidin-O-acetyl-glucoside was transferred from skin more slowly than petunidin-O-acetyl-glucoside and malvidin-O-acetyl-glucoside. The anthocyanin composition of the resulting wine showed that the total anthocyanin content was about one-tenth of the corresponding berry skin content. The ratio acetyl/coumaroyl anthocyanins in the wine was sharply higher than the value in berry skin (0.85 and 0.10, respectively), indicating an enrichment of acetyl derivatives in the wine. CONCLUSION: Levels of single anthocyanins in wine were not always correlated with those detected in grapes, as they were affected by winemaking. The high values of some anthocyanins in Aglianico wine could ameliorate its quality, increasing the chromatic properties, aging stability and product acceptance.

[A case of arteriovenous fistula stenosis treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty]. / Un caso di stenosi serrata post-anastomotica di fistola arterovenosa trattata con angioplastica percutanea trans-luminale.

Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is considered the gold standard for vascular access in hemodialysis, even in elderly patients. Malfunction of AVF is the first cause of hospitalization in the HD population, with a correlated increase in costs. For the monitoring and surveillance of fistulas, the 2006 K/DOQI workgroup recommends physical examination, direct flow measurement, Doppler ultrasonography and recirculation (by a non-urea-based dilutional method). We report the case of a 67-year-old woman affected by AVF stenosis. Combined AVF surveillance with recirculation and Doppler ultrasonography permitted early diagnosis and treatment with percutaneous angioplasty.

Biosynthesis, metabolism, molecular engineering, and biological functions of stilbene phytoalexins in plants.

Stilbenic compounds recently have become the focus of a number of studies in medicine and plant physiology as well as have emerged as promising molecules that potentially affect human health. Stilbenes are relatively simple compounds synthesized by plants and deriving from the phenyalanine/polymalonate route, the last and key enzyme of this pathway being stilbene synthase. Here, we review the biological significance of stilbenes in plants together with their biosynthesis pathway and their metabolism both by fungi and in planta. Special attention will be paid to the role of stilbenic molecules as phytoalexins.

Prevention of dialysis hypotension episodes using fuzzy logic control system.

BACKGROUND: Automatic systems for stabilizing blood pressure (BP) during dialysis are few and only control those variables indirectly related to BP. Due to complex BP regulation under dynamic dialysis conditions, BP itself appears to be the most consistent input parameter for a device addressed to preventing dialysis hypotension (DH). METHODS: An automatic system (ABPS, automatic blood pressure stabilization) for BP control by fluid removal feedback regulation is implemented on a dialysis machine (Dialog Advanced, Braun). A fuzzy logic (FL) control runs in the system, using instantaneous BP as the input variable governing the ultrafiltration rate (UFR) according to the BP trend. The system is user-friendly and just requires the input of two data: critical BP (individually defined as the possible level of DH risk) and the highest UFR applicable (percentage of the mean UFR). We evaluated this system's capacity to prevent DH in 55 RDT hypotension-prone patients. Sessions with (treatment A) and without (treatment B) ABPS were alternated one-by-one for 30 dialysis sessions per patient (674 with ABPS vs 698 without). RESULTS: Despite comparable treatment times and UF volumes, severe DH appeared in 8.3% of sessions in treatment A vs 13.8% in treatment B (-39%, P=0.01). Mild DH fell non-significantly (-12.3%). There was a similar percentage of sessions in which the planned body weight loss was not achieved and dialysis time was prolonged. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, FL may be suited to interpreting and controlling the trend of a determined multi-variable parameter like BP. The medical knowledge of the patient and the consequent updating of input parameters depending on the patient's clinical conditions seem to be the main factors for obtaining optimal results.