Tidal inlet seafloor changes induced by recently built hard structures

Tidal inlets are extremely dynamic environments that are often strongly modified by anthropogenic intervention. In this study, we describe the rapid evolution of a highly humanimpacted tidal inlet, studied through repeated high-resolution multibeam surveys and geomorphometric analysis. We document the rapid change induced by new hard coastal structures built to protect the historical city of Venice (Italy). A new breakwater erected between 2011 and 2013 induced the formation of large scour holes with the consequent erosion of about 170 x 103 ± 15.6% m3 of sediment until 2016. The construction of a new island in the middle of the inlet and the restriction of the inlet channel caused a general change of the inlet sedimentary regime from depositional to erosive with a net sediment loss of about 612 x 103 ± 42.7% m3, a reduction of the dune field area by more than 50% in about five years, and a coarsening in the sediment distribution. Our results give new insight on the tidal inlet resilience to changes, distinguishing two different phases in its recent evolution: (i) a very rapid response (from 2011 to 2013) of the seafloor morphology with scour-hole erosion at the new breakwater tips at a rate of about 45x103 m3/year and the disappearing of dune fields at a rate of 104x103 m2/year; and (ii) a general slowdown of the erosive processes from 2013 to 2016. Nevertheless, the erosion continues at the breakwater, though at a reduced rate, possibly representing a threat to the hard structure. In view of global mean sea level rise and consequent proliferation of hard structures along the coast all over the world, the combined use of very high resolution multibeam surveys and repeatable geomorphometric analysis proposed in this study will be crucial for the monitoring and future management of coastal environments

Along-Path Evolution of Biogeochemical and Carbonate System Properties in the Intermediate Water of the Western Mediterranean

A basin-scale oceanographic cruise (OCEANCERTAIN2015) was carried out in the Western Mediterranean (WMED) in summer 2015 to study the evolution of hydrological and biogeochemical properties of the most ubiquitous water mass of the Mediterranean Sea, the Intermediate Water (IW). IW is a relatively warm water mass, formed in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED) and identified by a salinity maximum all over the basin. While it flows westward, toward and across the WMED, it gradually loses its characteristics. This study describes the along-path changes of thermohaline and biogeochemical properties of the IW in the WMED, trying to discriminate changes induced by mixing and changes induced by interior biogeochemical processes. In the first part of the path (from the Sicily Channel to the Tyrrhenian Sea), respiration in the IW interior was found to have a dominant role in determining its biogeochemical evolution. Afterward, when IW crosses regions of enhanced vertical dynamics (Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Lion and Catalan Sea), mixing with surrounding water masses becomes the primary process. In the final part of the investigated IW path (the Menorca-Mallorca region), the role of respiration is further masked by the effects of a complex circulation of IW, indicating that short-term sub-regional hydrological processes are important to define IW characteristics in the westernmost part of the investigated area. A pronounced along-path acidification was detected in IW, mainly due to remineralization of organic matter. This induced a shift of the carbonate equilibrium toward more acidic species and makes this water mass increasingly less adequate for an optimal growth of calcifying organisms. The carbonate buffering capacity also decreases as IW flows through the WMED, making it more exposed to the adverse effects of a decreasing pH. The present analysis indicates that IW evolution in the sub-basins of the WMED is currently driven by complex hydrological and biogeochemical processes, which could be differently impacted by coming climate changes, in particular considering expected increases of extreme meteorological events, mainly due to the warming of the Mediterranean basin

A novel multi-drug metronomic chemotherapy significantly delays tumor growth in mice

Background: The tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment represents a major obstacle to an effective tumor-specific cellular immune response.Methods: In the present study, the counterbalance effect of a novel metronomic chemotherapy protocol on such an immunosuppressive microenvironment was evaluated in a mouse model upon sub-cutaneous ectopic implantation of B16 melanoma cells. The chemotherapy consisted of a novel multi-drug cocktail including taxanes and alkylating agents, administered in a daily metronomic fashion. The newly designed strategy was shown to be safe, well tolerated and significantly efficacious.Results: Treated animals showed a remarkable delay in tumor growth and prolonged survival as compared to control group. Such an effect was directly correlated with CD4+ T cell reduction and CD8+ T cell increase. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the percentage of both CD25+FoxP3+ and CD25+CD127low regulatory T cell population was found both in the spleens and in the tumor lesions. Finally, the metronomic chemotherapy induced an intrinsic CD8+ T cell response specific to B16 naturally expressed Trp2 TAA.Conclusion: The novel multi-drug daily metronomic chemotherapy evaluated in the present study was very effective in counterbalancing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Consequently, the intrinsic anti-tumor T cell immunity could exert its function, targeting specific TAA and significantly containing tumor growth. Overall, the results show that this represents a promising adjuvant approach to significantly enhance efficacy of intrinsic or vaccine-elicited tumor-specific cellular immunity

A Fish and Dolphin Biophony in the Boat Noise-Dominated Soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Archipelago (Croatia)

Spatio-temporal variability of marine soundscapes reflects environmental dynamics and local habitat health. This study characterizes the coastal soundscape of the Cres-Lošinj Natura 2000 Site of Community Importance, encompassing the non-tourist (11–15 March 2020) and the tourist (26–30 July 2020) season. A total of 240 h of continuous recordings was manually analyzed and the abundance of animal vocalizations and boat noise was obtained; sound pressure levels were calculated for the low (63–2000 Hz) and high (2000–20,000 Hz) frequency range. Two fish sound types were drivers of both seasonal and diel variability of the low-frequency soundscape. The first is emitted by the cryptic Roche’s snake blenny (Ophidion rochei), while the second, whose emitter remains unknown, was previously only described in canyons and coralligenous habitats of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The high-frequency bands were characterized by bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) vocalizations, indicating dolphins’ use of area for various purposes. Boat noise, however, dominated the local soundscape along the whole considered periods and higher sound pressure levels were found during the Tourist season. Human-generated noise pollution, which has been previously found 10 years ago, is still present in the area and this urges management actions

Setting the hemoglobin A1c target in type 2 diabetes: a priori, a posteriori, or neither?

Current guidelines specify hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) targets around or less than 7.0 %, with more (<6.5 %) or less (<8 %) stringent goals being appropriate for selected patients. The difficulty in setting a precise HbA1c target depends, at least in part, on the physician perception of the relative importance of the parameters to be considered when determining the target. Using the "a priori" approach, physicians set the HbA1c target first, then prescribe the appropriate antidiabetic drug in order to cover the distance from the target, i.e., the difference between the current HbA1c value of the patient and the individualized HbA1c target: calculating the distance from the target may also be useful as a predictor of therapeutic success. In the "a posteriori" approach, physicians first prescribe, then decide if the achieved HbA1c is an appropriate level for that patient. Attainment of the HbA1c target ultimately depends on which target the physician set: both approaches ("a priori" and "a posteriori") may be useful for both physicians to make appropriate therapeutic decisions and patients to adhere to the best possible treatment. All this presumably will avoid unnecessary therapeutic inertia

Is Maritime Spatial Planning a tool to mitigate the impacts of underwater noise? A review of adopted and upcoming maritime spatial plans in Europe

Sound is essential for marine life and, as anthropogenic noise in the marine environment increases, the scientific community becomes more aware of its negative impacts on marine organisms. Noise travels long distances underwater, including across national boundaries and jurisdictions and impacts a variety of mobile species. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) represents a useful methodology and policy framework to manage noise-producing human activities with an ecosystem-based approach. This paper provides a picture of the current situation regarding the role of MSP in addressing underwater noise across a sample of 11 countries in Europe. A thorough analysis of their marine plans and related materials is carried out and validated through interviews with the relevant MSP experts. A vision is proposed for the potential synergies between MSP and underwater noise, defining a two-way relationship between the noise community (e.g., scientists, engineers, consultants, operators, authorities) and marine planners. This type of analysis is timely both from an MSP and an underwater noise perspective. Most EU countries have now released their MSP plans following the 2021 deadline of the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive (2014) and a new phase of MSP is approaching, which will attempt to fill the gaps left by the current cycle and introduce substantial improvements. Moreover, thanks to the contributions from the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and its Technical Group on Underwater Noise (TG-Noise), quantitative rules to evaluate noise status and impacts are being defined, while a number of research projects continuously produces new and highly relevant knowledge

Sediment transport in a tidal inlet: the case of the Lido Inlet, Venice, Italy

Tidal inlets provide a connection between the ocean and bays, lagoons, marshes, and tidal creek systems. Two hydrodynamic factors are dominant in the long term evolution of a tidal inlet: wind waves, that are mainly responsible for re-suspending sediments, and tidal currents, that maintain the main inlet channel by advecting sediments away from the inlets. These two factors determine to a large extent the direction and magnitude of sediment transport. Tidal inlets, however, are often radically modified by human-driven intervention (for example for navigation or protection purposes). This is the case of the three inlets of the Venice Lagoon, Italy, that are now the main construction site of a mobile barrier system for the protection of the historical city of Venice from floods. In September 2014, an experiment was set up in one of the lagoon inlets aimed to quantify the bedload transport inside the inlet channel over a tidal cycle. To obtain a bedload transport estimate, we carried out repeated bathymetric surveys inside the inlet channel during a tidal cycle using a high resolution Multibeam Echosounder System. The tidal currents and water column transport were measured with ADCP calibrated by water samples. At the same time, sediment traps were deployed at the channel bottom and grab samples were collected. The preliminary results of the experiment show evidence of net transport over a tidal cycle. Comparing repeated bathymetric surveys over different years we find substantial changes in the inlet channel morphology

Unique true predicted neoantigens (TPNAs) correlates with anti-tumor immune control in HCC patients

Abstract Background A novel prediction algorithm is needed for the identification of effective tumor associated mutated neoantigens. Only those with no homology to self wild type antigens are true predicted neoantigens (TPNAs) and can elicit an antitumor T cell response, not attenuated by central tolerance. To this aim, the mutational landscape was evaluated in HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods Liver tumor biopsies and adjacent non-tumor liver tissues were obtained from 9 HCV-chronically infected subjects and subjected to RNA-Seq analysis. Mutant peptides were derived from single nucleotide variations and TPNAs were predicted using two prediction servers (e.g. NetTepi and NetMHCstabpan) by comparison with corresponding wild-type sequences, non-related self and pathogen-related antigens. Immunological confirmation was obtained in preclinical as well as clinical setting. Results The development of such an improved algorithm resulted in a handful of TPNAs despite the large number of predicted neoantigens. Furthermore, TPNAs may share homology to pathogen’s antigens and be targeted by a pre-existing T cell immunity. Cross-reactivity between such antigens was confirmed in an experimental pre-clinical setting. Finally, TPNAs homologous to pathogen’s antigens were found in the only HCC long-term survival patient, suggesting a correlation between the pre-existing T cell immunity specific for these TPNAs and the favourable clinical outcome. Conclusions The new algorithm allowed the identification of the very few TPNAs in cancer cells, and those targeted by a pre-existing immunity strongly correlated with long-term survival. Only such TPNAs represent the optimal candidates for immunotherapy strategies