No abstract

Obesity is common in psoriatic patients, and it has been shown to be important for many aspects of the condition. In particular, low-calorie diets can improve the symptoms and response to treatment in pustular psoriasis. The present study investigates the influence of body-weight alteration on the disease's clinical manifestations in moderate to severe psoriasis patients treated with biological drugs. Finally, the influence of a caloric restriction was assessed. This observational transversal study enrolled 33 patients attending our Severe Psoriasis Outpatient Clinic, who were treated with biological drugs. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used as a diagnostic indicator of being overweight and of obesity. Waist circumference was also measured. Body weight and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) index were measured at follow-up visits at 4 and 8 months. Nonparametric test of Mann-Whitney was used to detect the differences between patient groups. Fisher's exact test was performed to evaluate the different results depending on the therapeutic changes of BMI. There was a strong prevalence of overweight-obese individuals in the group with a mean BMI of 30.59 +/- 6.94. Waist circumference was also above normal in the majority of the patients. Obese patients had a PASI index higher than the average of the whole group (25.03 +/- 12.43), with grade III obese patients having an average PASI of 44 +/- 3.37. At the first and second follow-ups, patients who put on weight did not achieve PASI 50; patients who had a stable weight presented variable response to treatment, while patients who decreased their weight achieved PASI 90 or PASI 75 even when not responding at the first. Further studies are needed to understand if the poor response observed in heavier patients is due to biological drugs pharmacokinetics or because therapy should be BMI based rather than administered in fixed doses, posing then an ethical consideration.

No abstract

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate in the long-term (9 years), the suitability of compost as a fertilizer in commercial peach orchard. The experiment was carried out on nectarine trees (Prunus persica var. nectarina), Stark RedGold grafted on GF677 peach · almond (P. amygdalus L.) hybrid. The treatments were: (1) unfertilized control; (2) mineral fertilization including phosphorus (P at 100 kg ⁄ ha) and potassium (K at 200 kg ⁄ ha) applied at planting and nitrogen (N at 70-130 kg ⁄ ha ⁄ yr) split in two applications at 40 days after full bloom (60%) and in September (40%); (3) cow manure supplied at planting [10 t dry weight (dw) ⁄ ha] and then, from the forth year at the rate of 5 t dw ⁄ ha ⁄ yr in spring; (4) compost supplied at planting (10 t dw ⁄ ha) and then, from the forth year at the rate of 5 t dw ⁄ ha ⁄ yr in spring; (5) compost supply at a rate of 5 t dw ⁄ ha ⁄ yr, and (6) 10 t dw ⁄ ha ⁄ yr, both treatment 5 and 6 split as described for treatment 2. Nitrate-N soil concentration was usually not affected by treatments. Soil microbial carbon, organic matter, total N, P, K were increased by application of organic fertilizers. SOM and total N were positively correlated to soil microbial biomass. Aggregate stability, humic and fulvic acid concentration were not affected by fertilization treatment. Only the application of compost at 10 t dw ⁄ ha ⁄ yr (6) increased fruit production.