Mediterranean Crossbills <em>Loxia curvirostra</em> sensu lato (Aves, Passeriformes): new data and directions for future research

Mediterranean Crossbills are as much differentiated as L. scotica and L. pytyopsittacus. They are sedentary, linked to pine trees and have evolved a thicker bill to extract the seeds from Pine cones. Their decolorization could be due to dietary causes. The authors studied biometrics, breeding phenology, and primary food of Italian populations living in Calabria and Etna (Sicily) and compared them with the other Mediterranean populations. A coevolutive radiation between the different populations of Mediterranean Crossbills presently living in the three main peninsulas, adiacent islands and North Africa occurred separately and this may be demonstrated by their morphometrics, their sedentariness, as well as by songs and some genetic results recently published. They conclude that the same criteria followed to raise L. curvirostra scotica to the species rank as scotica occur also for the different Mediterranean populations

Rapporto Finale del Progetto di alta formazione: “Esperti di Idroacustica, Analisi Dati, ICT e Tutela della Biodiversità Marina” (BLU-DATA-BIO)

Questo rapporto di fine progetto presenta i dati relativi al corso di formazione riportato nel titolo e rivolto a giovani laureati in scienze MM.FF.NN., chimiche, biologiche, ma anche ambientali, ingegneristiche e socio-economiche. Il corso è stato concepito come una prima di tappa di chi volesse intraprendere una carriera di ricerca presso Enti di Ricerca, oppure una carriera imprenditoriale nel settore della RS&I applicata alle scienze marine ed in particolare al concetto di “Crescita Blu”. L’ambiente marino con le sue risorse ha costituito il minimo comun denominatore di un’articolata offerta formativa finalizzata a creare nuove professionalità ad alta specializzazione all’interno di 2 macro-ambiti che costituiscono il “core business” del soggetto attuatore e che rappresentato i 2 Profili (A e B) del Progetto: 1. L’acustica marina attiva e passiva, connessa all’analisi dati e alle soluzioni ICT; 2. La tutela della biodiversità marina, connessa alla diffusione della cultura scientifica (Science Communication), collegata all’Osservatorio Regionale delle Biodiversità Siciliana Marina e Terrestre (D.D.G. del Dipartimento Ambiente della Regione Siciliana n. 342 del 10 giugno 2011)

Occurrence, distribution and bibliography of the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 (Hirudinea, Hirudinidae) in Sicily (Italy)

The occurrence of the medicinal leech Hirudo verbana in the inland waters of Sicily has been lately overlooked. In the present note, the occurrence and distribution of this species is reviewed based both on the review of the available literature data and field collecting. Although a noteworthy reduction in the distribution range of the species seems to have taken place in Sicily in the course of the XX century, Hirudo verbana was confirmed to be still present in several sites located both within and out of Natura2000 sites. The Sicilian populations of the species should be included in the frame of the monitoring activities established by the Article 17 of the EU Council Directive 92/43/EEC (“Habitats Directive”).

First successful eradication of invasive Norway rats Rattus norvegicus from a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Femmine, Italy)

Invasive alien species, once introduced, may affect local biodiversity, both directly (e.g. by predation) and indirectly (e.g. by reducing the vegetation cover). Among those, rats (Rodentia, Muridae) are listed among the most invasive species, exerting strong impacts particularly when introduced to island ecosystems. Accordingly, black rats Ranus rattus have been eradicated from a number of islands in the Mediterranean basin to protect breeding seabirds. Where the larger Norway rat Rattus norvegicus is present, extent of damage may be even higher. In our work, we present the results of the first eradication program dealing with Norway rats in a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Feminine, Sicily, Southern Italy). The eradication took place in 2007-2008 and, since then, no rat has been observed on the island, thus proving the success of the management action. Vegetal cover increased on the island after rat eradication. Furthermore, the Sardinian warbler and the blackbird started to breed on the island

The SGLT-2 inhibitor empagliflozin improves myocardial strain, reduces cardiac fibrosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines in non-diabetic mice treated with doxorubicin

Empagliflozin (EMPA), a selective inhibitor of the sodium glucose co-transporter 2, reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death in type 2 diabetic patients in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial. Recent trials evidenced several cardio-renal benefits of EMPA in non-diabetic patients through the involvement of biochemical pathways that are still to be deeply analysed. We aimed to evaluate the effects of EMPA on myocardial strain of non-diabetic mice treated with doxorubicin (DOXO) through the analysis of NLRP3 inflammasome and MyD88-related pathways resulting in anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic effects

Tracking the invasion of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Decapoda Cambaridae) in Sicily: a “citizen science” approach

The first record of the red swamp crayfish in Sicily dates back to 2003 and, since then, the species seemed to be confined to a few localities in western Sicily. A small “citizen science” project carried out from November 2016 onwards led to the creation of the “Sicilian Procambarus working group” (SPwg), which aims at monitoring the distribution and impact of the species in Sicily. To date, the SPwg found the red swamp crayfish in five new sites on the island, thus doubling the number of local sites of occurrence. The new Procambarus clarkii sites lie in different river basins, some of them located several hundred kilometres from the invaded areas known to date, suggesting the existence of multiple independent releases of the species in the wild. The need of better informing the local population on the risks exerted by invasive species on biological diversity, and of carefully monitoring the impact of P. clarkii on the Sicilian inland water biota is briefly stressed