Angitola lake sediments: preliminary data and biotic indices

The Angitola lake is an artificial basin located in Calabria Region, in South Italy, part of the “Natural Regional Park of Serre”. Its surface area is 1.96 km2 and it is approximately 3 km away from Sant’Eufemia gulf. The basin was created in 1966 by damming the homonymous river. Four major rivers enter the lake: three in the far southeast, the fourth, smaller and active only during the winter period, in the southwest area. The international Ramsar Convention includes the basin and surroundings; in light of the Rio Convention, its directives have been transposed in the “Birds Directive” (BD) and “Habitats Directive” (HD). The Angitola lake, entrusted to the WWF Calabria, is one of the 2299 Italian SIC (code IT9340086): this area significantly contributes in maintaining and restoring the endangered freshwater habitat listed in HD, in protecting biodiversity of the region and it is part of the Natura 2000 network. The present study is part of the Angitola FISH2O project (European Fisheries Fund/FEP code 02/BA/12) and it aimed to examine the benthic macro-invertebrates community of the southeast part of Angitola lake. The first 15 cm in depths of sediments have a very variable composition, from fine sand to mud (rich in organic matter). This variability can be explained by the different characteristic of the chosen sampling transepts. Fauna sampling, carried out by core drills and plankton nets, shows presence of Diptera and Tricoptera larvae and some Nematoda, Polichaeta and Mollusca. Preliminary conclusion is that the Angitola lake is a diversified environment in which areas with different anthropic interference are present. The benthic macro-invertebrates community might be involved by possible disturbances induced by chemicals (e.g. water pollution) and/or physical variations (e.g. high sedimentation). Medium and long-term investigations are imperative to protect and promote the lake biodiversity, to verify the effects of seasonal fluctuations and how these are related to human activities such as tourism, demographic increase and industrial activities

First serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 natural infection in small ruminants : Brief report

: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late December 2019 and spread worldwide, quickly becoming a pandemic. This zoonotic coronavirus shows a broad host range, including wildlife and domestic animals. Small ruminants are shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 but, to date, no natural infection has been reported. Herein, we performed a survey for SARS-CoV-2 among sheep and goats in the Campania region of Italy using an indirect multispecies ELISA. Next, positive sera were submitted to virus serum neutralization for the quantification of specific neutralizing antibodies. Out of 612 sheep and goats, 23 were found ELISA positive (3.75%) and 1 of them showed 1:20 neutralizing antibodies titer. No significant difference was found between the two species, as well as between male and female, geographical location and age. Our findings demonstrate that natural infection can occur in flocks in a field situation. Moreover, low susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 is reported for sheep and goats, nevertheless, the continuous mutations of this virus open new scenarios on viral host range and tropism, highlighting the importance of investigating animal species that could represent ongoing or future possible hosts

Modulation of apoptosis by caprine herpesvirus 1 infection in a neuronal cell line

Caprine herpesvirus type 1 (CpHV-1), like other members of the alpha subfamily of herpesviruses, establishes latent infections in trigeminal ganglion neurons. Our groups previously demonstrated that CpHV-1 induces apoptosis in goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in an epithelial bovine cell line, but the ability of CpHV-1 to induce apoptosis in neuronal cells remains unexplored. In this report, the susceptibility of Neuro 2A cells to infection by CpHV-1 was examined. Following infection of cultured cells with CpHV-1, expression of cell death genes was evaluated using real-time PCR and Western blot assays. Analysis of virus-infected cells revealed activation of caspase-8, a marker for the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis, and caspase-9, a marker for the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis at 12 and 24 h post-infection. Significant increase in the levels of cleaved caspase-3 was also observed at the acme of cytopathic effect at 24 h post-infection. In particular, at 3 and 6 h post-infection, several proapototic genes were under-expressed. At 12 h post-infection several proapototic genes such as caspases, TNF, Cd70, and Traf1 were over expressed while Bcl2a1a, Fadd, and TNF genes were underexpressed. In conclusion, the simultaneous activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 suggests that CpHV-1 can trigger the death-receptor pathway and the mitochondrial pathway separately and in parallel. Our findings are significant because this is the first published study showing the effect of CpHV-1 infection in neuronal cells in terms of gene expression and apoptosis modulation

West Nile Virus lineage 1 in Italy: newly introduced or a re-occurrence of a previously circulating strain?

In Italy, West Nile virus (WNV) appeared for the first time in the Tuscany region in 1998. After 10 years of absence, it re-appeared in the areas surrounding the Po River delta, affecting eight provinces in three regions. Thereafter, WNV epidemics caused by genetically divergent isolates have been documented every year in the country. Since 2018, only WNV Lineage 2 has been reported in the Italian territory. In October 2020, WNV Lineage 1 (WNV-L1) re-emerged in Italy, in the Campania region. This is the first occurrence of WNV-L1 detection in the Italian territory since 2017. WNV was detected in the internal organs of a goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). The RNA extracted in the goshawk tissue samples was sequenced, and a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was performed by a maximum-likelihood tree. Genome analysis, conducted on the goshawk WNV complete genome sequence, indicates that the strain belongs to the WNV-L1 Western-Mediterranean (WMed) cluster. Moreover, a close phylogenetic similarity is observed between the goshawk strain, the 2008–2011 group of Italian sequences, and European strains belonging to the Wmed cluster. Our results evidence the possibility of both a new re-introduction or unnoticed silent circulation in Italy, and the strong importance of keeping the WNV surveillance system in the Italian territory activ

Nutrition, diet and immunosenescence

Ageing is characterized by immunosenescence and the progressive decline in immunity in association with an increased frequency of infections and chronic disease. This complex process affects both the innate and adaptive immune systems with a progressive decline in most immune cell populations and defects in activation resulting in loss of function. Although host genetics and environmental factors, such as stress, exercise and diet can impact on the onset or course of immunosenescence, the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. This review focusses on identifying the most significant aspects of immunosenescence and on the evidence that nutritional intervention might delay this process, and consequently improve the quality of life of the elderly

Observations of the F-region ionospheric irregularities in the South American sector during the October 2003 "Halloween Storms"

The response of the ionospheric F-region in the South American sector during the super geomagnetic storms on 29 and 30 October 2003 is studied in the present investigation. In this paper, we present ionospheric sounding observations during the period 29-31 October 2003 obtained at Palmas (a near equatorial location) and Sao Jose dos Campos (a location under the southern crest of the equatorial ionospheric anomaly), Brazil, along with observations during the period 27-31 October 2003 from a chain of GPS stations covering the South American sector from Imperatriz, Brazil, to Rio Grande, Argentina. Also, complementary observations that include sequences of all-sky images of the OI 777.4 and 630.0 nm emissions observed at El Leoncito, Argentina, on the nights of 28-29 (geomagnetically quiet night) and 29-30 (geomagnetically disturbed night) October 2003, and ion densities observed in the South American sector by the DMSP F13, F14 and F15 satellites orbiting at about 800 km on 29 and 30 October 2003 are presented. In addition, global TEC maps derived from GPS observations collected from the global GPS network of International GPS Service (IGS) are presented, showing widespread and drastic TEC changes during the different phases of the geomagnetic disturbances. The observations indicate that the equatorial ionospheric irregularities or plasma bubbles extend to the Argentinean station Rawson (geom. Lat. 33.1° S) and map at the magnetic equator at an altitude of about 2500 km.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísica

Charting the NF-κB Pathway Interactome Map

Inflammation is part of a complex physiological response to harmful stimuli and pathogenic stress. The five components of the Nuclear Factor κB (NF-κB) family are prominent mediators of inflammation, acting as key transcriptional regulators of hundreds of genes. Several signaling pathways activated by diverse stimuli converge on NF-κB activation, resulting in a regulatory system characterized by high complexity. It is increasingly recognized that the number of components that impinges upon phenotypic outcomes of signal transduction pathways may be higher than those taken into consideration from canonical pathway representations. Scope of the present analysis is to provide a wider, systemic picture of the NF-κB signaling system. Data from different sources such as literature, functional enrichment web resources, protein-protein interaction and pathway databases have been gathered, curated, integrated and analyzed in order to reconstruct a single, comprehensive picture of the proteins that interact with, and participate to the NF-κB activation system. Such a reconstruction shows that the NF-κB interactome is substantially different in quantity and quality of components with respect to canonical representations. The analysis highlights that several neglected but topologically central proteins may play a role in the activation of NF-κB mediated responses. Moreover the interactome structure fits with the characteristics of a bow tie architecture. This interactome is intended as an open network resource available for further development, refinement and analysis

Health relevance of the modification of low grade inflammation in ageing (inflammageing) and the role of nutrition

Ageing of the global population has become a public health concern with an important socio-economic dimension. Ageing is characterized by an increase in the concentration of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream, a phenomenon that has been termed "inflammageing". The inflammatory response is beneficial as an acute, transient reaction to harmful conditions, facilitating the defense, repair, turnover and adaptation of many tissues. However, chronic and low grade inflammation is likely to be detrimental for many tissues and for normal functions. We provide an overview of low grade inflammation (LGI) and determine the potential drivers and the effects of the "inflamed" phenotype observed in the elderly. We discuss the role of gut microbiota and immune system crosstalk and the gut-brain axis. Then, we focus on major health complications associated with LGI in the elderly, including mental health and wellbeing, metabolic abnormalities and infections. Finally, we discuss the possibility of manipulating LGI in the elderly by nutritional interventions. We provide an overview of the evidence that exists in the elderly for omega-3 fatty acid, probiotic, prebiotic, antioxidant and polyphenol interventions as a means to influence LGI. We conclude that slowing, controlling or reversing LGI is likely to be an important way to prevent, or reduce the severity of, age-related functional decline and the onset of conditions affecting health and well-being; that there is evidence to support specific dietary interventions as a strategy to control LGI; and that a continued research focus on this field is warranted

Modulazione dell'apoptosi indotta dall'infezione da Caprine Herpesvirus 1 in una linea cellulare neuronale

Come gli altri membri della sottofamiglia degli Alfaherpesvirus, il Caprine Herpesvirus tipo 1 (CpHV-1) è responsabile di infezioni latenti nelle celleule nervose del ganglio del trigemino. CpHV-1 induce apoptosi in cellule mononucleate di sangue di capra e in linee cellulari bovine, ma la capacità del virus di indurre apoptosi in cellule nervose rimane sconosciuta. In questo lavoro, è stata esaminata la suscettibilità di cellule della linea Neuro2A all'infezione da CpHV-1. In seguito all'infezione di cellule in coltura con il virus, è stata valutata l'espressione dei geni responsabili della morte cellulare utilizzando la Real-Time PCR. L'analisi delle cellule infette mediante Western Blot ha messo in evidenza l'attivazione della caspase-8, un marker della via estrinseca dell'apoptosi, e della caspase-9, un marker della via intrinseca dell'apoptosi a 12 e 24 ore dopo l'infezione. Un significativo aumento dei livelli della caspasi-3 cleavata è stata anche osservato all'apice dell'effetto citopatico a 24 ore dopo l'infezione. In particolare, a 3 e 6 ore dopo l'infezione, diversi geni proapototici erano sotto-espressi. A 12 ore dopo l'infezione diversi geni proapototici quali caspasi, TNF, CD70 e TRAF1 erano over-espressi mentre Bcl2a1a, Fadd e TNF geni erano sotto-espressi. In conclusione, l'attivazione simultanea di caspasi-8 e caspasi-9 suggerisce che CpHV-1 può attivare il pathway di morte-recettore ed il pathway mitocondriale separatamente ed in parallelo