Screening of Triticum turgidum genotypes for tolerance to drought stress.

Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses leading to reduced yields and economic losses. Effective germplasm screening for drought tolerance particularly under managed water-deficit conditions is an effective way of selecting materials for advanced breeding programs. Here, 37 Triticum turgidum genotypes, including landraces, ancient and modern genotypes, along with 2 tritordeum cultivars, were subjected to water-deficit stress through the application of 10% (w/v) PEG 6000 and to re-watering treatment in controlled environment, and at the end of each treatment, several physiological and morphological traits were investigated. Our results revealed large variation in shoot and root fresh weight, proline, chlorophyll, and MDA concentration, and also in root morphological traits across the 37 genotypes. The hierarchical clustering of the physiological and morphological traits led to the identification of tolerant and sensitive genotypes to water-deficit stress and also reveals those genotypes characterized by deep-rooting and shallow-rooting systems. By integrating both datasets, three outstanding genotypes, namely Karim, Svems 20, and Svems 18 were identified as the most tolerant genotypes with deep-rooting system. On the other hand, Iride and Bulel tritordeum, were introduced as the most sensitive genotypes with shallow-rooting system.

Characterization of SBEIIa homoeologous genes in bread wheat.

To elucidate some of the molecular mechanisms involved in genome differentiation and evolution of cultivated wheats, we compared orthologous genes encoding starch branching enzyme IIa (SBEIIa). Bread wheat is an allohexaploid species comprising the three genomes A, B and D, each of which contributes a copy of the SBEIIa gene, involved in starch biosynthesis and known to control important quality traits related to technological and nutritional value of wheat-based food products. Alignment of the nucleotide sequences of these three genes revealed variation, both at the level of single nucleotides and indels. Multiple transposon elements were identified in the intragenic regions, some of which appear to have inserted before the divergence of the wheat diploid genomes. The B genome homoeologue was the most divergent of the three genes. Two MITE transposon insertions were detected within the intronic sequence of SBEIIa-B and two other transposons within SBEIIa-D. The presence/absence of these transposons in a panel of diploid and polyploid Triticum and Aegilops species provided some insights into the phylogeny of wheat.

[Spontaneous esophageal rupture or Boerhaave's syndrome. Presentation of a case]. / La sindrome da rottura spontanea dell'esofago o di Boerhaave. Presentazione di un caso.

A case of spontaneous oesophageal rupture or Boerhaave syndrome is described. The absence of the typical initial vomiting together with a clinical picture that successively indicated repeated myocardial infarction, pancreatitis and pulmonary abscess delayed diagnosis by 4 days, after which emergency thoracotomy, performed on the identification of extravisceral overflow by contrast radiography using a water-soluble medium, revealed necrotic inflammation of the oesophagus, mediastinum and left lung that was so severe that only thoracic drainage was possible. After an initial improvement the patient died of septic shock on the 16th postoperative day.

[Gastric leiomyoblastoma. Description of a clinical case]. / Il leiomioblastoma gastrico. Descrizione di un caso clinico.

The paper describes a case of gastric myoblastoma, a rare tumour of the smooth musculature most commonly found in the stomach but also encountered outside the digestive tract. The tumour is potentially malignant and the occasional malignant forms feature histologically a large number of clearly atypical mitoses and clinically an aggressive pattern often involving even widespread metastasis. The case presented is that of a 73 year old woman given a Billroth I gastric resection who was in perfect health 7 months later despite the findings of a myoblastoma with some signs of enhanced mitosis.

[Adenocarcinoma of the cecal appendix. Presentation of 2 cases and a review of the literature]. / L'adenocarcinoma dell'appendice ciecale. Presentazione di due casi e revisione della letteratura.

Two cases of adenocarcinoma of the vermiform appendix are described. The literature on these rare cancers which are almost always diagnosed at routine histology and whose prognosis is related to Duke grading and staging, is reviewed. The stable cure observed in one patient after 13 years after straightforward caecal resection for cancer of the appendix extending beyond the base of the implant (which today would be handled with hemicolectomy) and then treated for multiple polyps, two of them in a stage of malignant degeneration, suggests a difference of biological behaviour compared to tumours of the other colon districts. In the second case, stress is laid on the unusual extension of the tumour-related inflammation to the skin of the gluteal region.