Anthropic pressures on Nature 2000 Sites: recommendations and monitoring criteria for the pollution emergency response activities within the Orbetello lagoon

L’elevato valore naturalistico e socioeconomico di un Sito Natura 2000 richiede che tutte le attività antropiche che si svolgono al suo interno (es. pesca, turismo, trasporti, attività industriali, etc.) siano gestite in maniera tale da non pregiudicare le specie e gli habitat per i quali l’area è stata designata. Molti di questi Siti sono ambienti di transizione, ovvero zone che costituiscono il passaggio naturale tra terra e mare. La loro posizione di interfaccia tra questi due ambienti li rende ecosistemi unici e biologicamente molto produttivi, sede di meccanismi di regolazione dei processi interattivi della biosfera nelle due fasi, terrestre e marina. In alcuni Siti la presenza di attività antropiche diffuse e prolungate nel tempo ha portato al riscontro di stati di contaminazione elevata, fino all’inclusione di queste zone, o parti di esse, tra i Siti di bonifica di Interesse Nazionale (SIN). Il presente lavoro descrive le linee di indirizzo e le attività di monitoraggio da attuare per la salvaguardia della salute pubblica e dell’ambiente nel corso degli interventi di messa in sicurezza di emergenza predisposti nell’area lagunare antistante l’area industriale Ex Sitoco, all’interno della perimetrazione del SIN di Orbetello, incluso in un Sito di Importanza Comunitaria. Le matrici ambientali potenzialmente a rischio a causa dell’esecuzione di tali interventi sono: acqua, sedimento, biocenosi acquatiche, avifauna, uomo. È altresì importante valutare gli effetti che le ipotetiche modifiche su microscala, apportate a livello di ogni matrice, potrebbero causare nel lungo periodo su macroscala.The high naturalistic and socio-economic value of Natura 2000 sites requires that all human activities performed within their borders (e.g. fishing, tourism, transports, industrial activities) are regulated. Indeed, the site management should assure the effective safeguard of all species and habitats of European interest included in the protected area. A lot of such sites are located in transitional environments, that are areas characterised by a natural progression from the terrestrial to the water environments. Such environments include unique and very productive habitats, and they represent the regulation mechanisms of the interactive processes of the terrestrial and marine biosphere. In some sites, the presence of human activities that are distributed both in space and time has led to high levels of contamination, that in some cases even required their inclusion in Reclamation Sites of National Interest (SIN). The present study describes the planning and monitoring activities to be performed in order to safeguard human and environment health during the actions of MISE in the lagoonal area in front of the industrial area Ex Sitoco, within the borders of the Orbetello SIN, included in a SCI. The environmental parameters that are potentially at risk due to such activities are: water, sediment, water biocenosis, birds, humans. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the effects that potential variations at the microscale level may cause at the macroscale level

Transposable element activation promotes neurodegeneration in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder with progressive motor dysfunction and cognitive decline. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the IT15 gene, which elongates a polyglutamine stretch of the HD protein, Huntingtin. No therapeutic treatments are available, and new pharmacological targets are needed. Retrotransposons are transposable elements (TEs) that represent 40% and 30% of the human and Drosophila genomes and replicate through an RNA intermediate. Mounting evidence suggests that mammalian TEs are active during neurogenesis and may be involved in diseases of the nervous system. Here we show that TE expression and mobilization are increased in a Drosophila melanogaster HD model. By inhibiting TE mobilization with Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors, polyQ-dependent eye neurodegeneration and genome instability in larval brains are rescued and fly lifespan is increased. These results suggest that TE activation may be involved in polyQ-induced neurotoxicity and a potential pharmacological target

Diets supplemented with condensed and hydrolysable tannins affected rumen fatty acid profile and plasmalogen lipids, ammonia and methane production in an in vitro study

The livestock sector constitutes 14.5% of global green-house gas (GHG) emissions and soil and water pollution due to nitrogen excretion. Methane and nitrogen excretions in ruminants can be mitigated by specific feeding strategies, and tannins reduce methanogenesis and ammonia syntheses. In our study, two kinds of condensed tannins (Mimosa and Gambier) and two kinds of hydrolysable tannins (Chestnut and Tara) were added (4 g/100 g DM) to a basal feed (barley: 48 g/100 g DM, wheat bran: 23 g/100 g DM, dehydrated alfalfa hay:15 g/100 g DM, soybean meal: 10 g/100 g DM and molasses: 2 g/100 g DM), inoculated with rumen fluid and fermented for 24 h. The methane, ammonia, fatty acid and plasmalogen lipid profile were determined. The results confirmed that tannins are an important family of heterogeneous compounds whose effect on rumen metabolism is strongly linked to their different characteristics. Chestnut tannin extract was shown to be a good compromise. It improved the sustainability of ruminant rearing by decreasing methanogenesis (control feed 0.159 vs chestnut feed 0.137 mmol/L rumen fluid; p =.0326), ammonia production (control feed 248 vs chestnut feed 179 mg/L rumen fluid; p <.0001) and enhancing acetate synthesis (production rate: chestnut 68.68% vs 49.64% of control).HIGHLIGHTS Tannin extracts from trees and shrubs can be used to modulate rumen fermentation. The positive effect of chestnut tannin extract was demonstrated on methane and ammonia production. Tannins showed no protective action on C18:2 trans 11

Obstetric outcomes in pregnant COVID-19 women: the imbalance of von Willebrand factor and ADAMTS13 axis

Background: Thrombotic microangiopathy has been invoked as one of the most important mechanisms of damage in COVID-19 patients. Protease ADAMTS13 is a marker of microangiopathy responsible for controlling von Willebrand multimers size. Von Willebrand factor/ADAMTS13 ratio has been found impaired in COVID-19 patients outside pregnancy. Methods: We prospectively investigated 90 pregnant women admitted to two tertiary academic hospitals in Italy with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Demographic, clinical information and routine laboratory data were collected at the hospital admission and until discharge. We investigated whether vonWillebrand /ADAMTS13 axis imbalance is a predictor of adverse outcomes. Logistic regression analysis, which controlled for potential confounders, was performed to evaluate the association between laboratory parameters and clinical outcomes. Results: Most women (55.6%) were parae, with median gestational age at admission of 39 weeks. At hospital admission, 63.3% were asymptomatic for COVID-19 and 24.4% showed more than one sign or symptom of infection. Nulliparae with group O showed Willebrand / ADA MTS-13 ratios significantly lower than non-O, whereas in multiparae this difference was not observed. Logistic regression showed that ratio von Willebrand to ADAMTS13 was significantly and independently associated with preterm delivery (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.1–3.5). Conclusion: This study shows an imbalance of vonWillebrand /ADAMTS13 axis in pregnant women with COVID-19, leading to a significantly higher and independent risk of preterm delivery. Monitoring these biomarkers might support decision making process to manage and follow-up pregnancies in this setting

Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms with Self-Expandable Braided Stents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International audience; BACKGROUND:The safety and efficacy of treatment with self-expandable braided stents (LEO and LVIS) required further investigation.PURPOSE:Our aim was to analyze the outcomes after treatment with braided stents.DATA SOURCES:A systematic search of 3 databases was performed for studies published from 2006 to 2017.STUDY SELECTION:According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we included studies reporting patients treated with LEO or LVIS stents.DATA ANALYSIS:Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the following: aneurysm occlusion rate, complications, and neurologic outcomes.DATA SYNTHESIS:Thirty-five studies evaluating 1426 patients treated with braided stents were included in this meta-analysis. Successful stent delivery and complete aneurysm occlusion were 97% (1041/1095; 95% CI, 95%-98%) (I2 = 44%) and 88.3% (1097/1256; 95% CI, 85%-91%) (I2 = 72%), respectively. Overall, treatment-related complications were 7.4% (107/1317; 95% CI, 5%-9%) (I2 = 44%). Ischemic/thromboembolic events (48/1324 = 2.4%; 95% CI, 1.5%-3.4%) (I2 = 27%) and in-stent thrombosis (35/1324 = 1.5%; 95% CI, 0.6%-1.7%) (I2 = 0%) were the most common complications. Treatment-related morbidity was 1.5% (30/1324; 95% CI, 0.9%-2%) and was comparable between the LEO and LVIS groups. Complication rates between the anterior (29/322 = 8.8%; 95% CI, 3.4%-12%) (I2 = 41%) versus posterior circulation (10/84 = 10.5%; 95% CI, 4%-16%) (I2 = 0%) and distal (30/303 = 8%; 95% CI, 4.5%-12%) (I2 = 48%) versus proximal aneurysms (14/153 = 9%; 95% CI, 3%-13%) (I2 = 46%) were comparable (P > .05).LIMITATIONS:Limitations were selection and publication biases.CONCLUSIONS:In this analysis, treatment with the LEO and LVIS stents was relatively safe and effective. The most common complications were periprocedural thromboembolisms and in-stent thrombosis. The rate of complications was comparable among anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms, as well as for proximal and distally located lesions

Evaluation of Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B ocean land colour instrument green instantaneous fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation

This article presents the evaluation of the Copernicus Sentinel-3 Ocean Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) operational terrestrial products corresponding to the green instantaneous Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) and its associated rectified channels. These products are estimated using OLCI spectral measurements acquired at the top of the atmosphere by a physically-based approach and are available operationally at full (300 m) and reduced (1.2 km) spatial resolution daily. The evaluation of the quality of the FAPAR OLCI values was based on the availability of data acquired over several years by Sentinel-3A (S3A) and Sentinel-3B (S3B). The evaluation exercise consisted of several stages: first, an overall comparison of the two S3 platform products was carried out during the tandem phase; second, comparison with an FAPAR climatology derived from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) provided information on the seasonality of various types of land cover. Then, direct comparisons were made with the same type of FAPAR products retrieved from two sensors, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Sentinel-2 (S2) Multispectral Instrument (MSI), and with several ground-based estimates. In addition, an analysis of the efficiency of the retrieval algorithm with 3D radiative transfer simulations was performed. The results indicated that the consistency between daily and monthly S3A and S3B on a global scale was very good during the tandem phase (RMSD = 0.01 and a correlation R2 of 0.99 with a bias of 0.003); we found an agreement with a correlation of 0.95 and 0.93 (RMSD = 0.07 and 0.09) with JRC FAPAR S2 and JRC FAPAR MODIS, respectively. Compatibility with the ground-based data was between 0.056 and 0.24 in term of RMSD depending on the type of vegetation with an overall R2 of 0.89. Immler diagrams demonstrate that their variances were lower than the total uncertainties. The quality assurance using 3D radiative transfer model has shown that the apparent performance of the algorithm depends strongly on the type of in-situ measurement and canopy type

First tests for an online treatment monitoring system with in-beam PET for proton therapy

PET imaging is a non-invasive technique for particle range verification in proton therapy. It is based on measuring the beta+ annihilations caused by nuclear interactions of the protons in the patient. In this work we present measurements for proton range verification in phantoms, performed at the CNAO particle therapy treatment center in Pavia, Italy, with our 10 x 10 cm^2 planar PET prototype DoPET. PMMA phantoms were irradiated with mono-energetic proton beams and clinical treatment plans, and PET data were acquired during and shortly after proton irradiation. We created 1-D profiles of the beta+ activity along the proton beam-axis, and evaluated the difference between the proximal rise and the distal fall-off position of the activity distribution. A good agreement with FLUKA Monte Carlo predictions was obtained. We also assessed the system response when the PMMA phantom contained an air cavity. The system was able to detect these cavities quickly after irradiation.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, Proceedings for International Workshop on Radiation Imaging Detectors, 201

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in patients with malignant haematological diseases: 10 years' experience of infection in GIMEMA centres.

A retrospective survey was conducted over a 10-year period (1990-99) among 52 haematology divisions in order to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcome of patients with proven Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) complicating haematological diseases. The study included 55 patients (18 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 10 with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, eight with acute myeloid leukaemia, five with chronic myeloid leukaemia, four with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, four with multiple myeloma, three with myelodys-plastic syndrome, two with myelofibrosis and one with thalassemia) who developed PCP. Among these, 18 (33%) underwent stem cell transplantation; only two received an oral prophylaxis with trimethroprim/sulphamethoxazole. Twelve patients (22%) developed PCP despite protective isolation in a laminar airflow room. The most frequent symptoms were: fever (86%), dyspnoea (78%), non-productive cough (71%), thoracic pain (14%) and chills (5%); a severe hypoxaemia was present in 39 patients (71%). Chest radiography or computerized tomography showed interstitial infiltrates in 34 patients (62%), alveolar infiltrates in 12 patients (22%), and alveolar-interstitial infiltrates in nine patients (16%). Bronchoalveolar lavage was diagnostic in 47/48 patients, induced sputum in 9/18 patients and lung biopsy in 3/8 patients. The diagnosis was made in two patients at autopsy. All patients except one started a specific treatment (52 patients trimethroprim/sulphamethoxazole, one pentamidine and one dapsone). Sixteen patients (29%) died of PCP within 30 d of diagnosis. Multivariate analysis showed that prolonged steroid treatment (P < 0.006) and a radiological picture of diffuse lung involvement (P < 0.003) were negative diagnostic factors

Emergence and Genetic Variation of Neuraminidase Stalk Deletions in Avian Influenza Viruses

When avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are transmitted from their reservoir hosts (wild waterfowl and shorebirds) to domestic bird species, they undergo genetic changes that have been linked to higher virulence and broader host range. Common genetic AIV modifications in viral proteins of poultry isolates are deletions in the stalk region of the neuraminidase (NA) and additions of glycosylation sites on the hemagglutinin (HA). Even though these NA deletion mutations occur in several AIV subtypes, they have not been analyzed comprehensively. In this study, 4,920 NA nucleotide sequences, 5,596 HA nucleotide and 4,702 HA amino acid sequences were analyzed to elucidate the widespread emergence of NA stalk deletions in gallinaceous hosts, the genetic polymorphism of the deletion patterns and association between the stalk deletions in NA and amino acid variants in HA. Forty-seven different NA stalk deletion patterns were identified in six NA subtypes, N1–N3 and N5–N7. An analysis that controlled for phylogenetic dependence due to shared ancestry showed that NA stalk deletions are statistically correlated with gallinaceous hosts and certain amino acid features on the HA protein. Those HA features included five glycosylation sites, one insertion and one deletion. The correlations between NA stalk deletions and HA features are HA-NA-subtype-specific. Our results demonstrate that stalk deletions in the NA proteins of AIV are relatively common. Understanding the NA stalk deletion and related HA features may be important for vaccine and drug development and could be useful in establishing effective early detection and warning systems for the poultry industry