Parasitism and host behavior in the context of a changing environment: The Holocene record of the commercially important bivalve Chamelea gallina, northern Italy

Rapid warming and sea-level rise are predicted to be major driving forces in shaping coastal ecosystems and their services in the next century. Though forecasts of the multiple and complex effects of temperature and sea-level rise on ecological interactions suggest negative impacts on parasite diversity, the effect of long term climate change on parasite dynamics is complex and unresolved. Digenean trematodes are complex life cycle parasites that can induce characteristic traces on their bivalve hosts and hold potential to infer parasite host-dynamics through time and space. Previous work has demonstrated a consistent association between sea level rise and increasing prevalence of trematode traces, but a number of fundamental questions remain unanswered about this paleoecological proxy. Here we examine the relationships of host size, shape, and functional morphology with parasite prevalence and abundance, how parasites are distributed across hosts, and how all of these relationships vary through time, using the bivalve Chamelea gallina from a Holocene shallow marine succession in the Po coastal plain. Trematode prevalence increased and decreased in association with the transition from a wave-influenced estuarine system to a wave-dominated deltaic setting. Prevalence and abundance of trematode pits are associated with large host body size, reflecting ontogenetic accumulation of parasites, but temporal trends in median host size do not explain prevalence trends. Ongoing work will test the roles of temperature, salinity, and nutrient availability on trematode parasitism. Parasitized bivalves in one sample were shallower burrowers than their non-parasitized counterparts, suggesting that hosts of trematodes can be more susceptible to their predators, though the effect is ephemeral. Like in living parasite-host systems, trematode-induced malformations are strongly aggregated among hosts, wherein most host individuals harbor very few parasites while a few hosts have many. We interpret trace aggregation to support the assumption that traces are a reliable proxy for trematode parasitism in the fossil record

Mid-Late Pleistocene Neanderthal landscapes in southern Italy: Paleoecological contributions of the avian assemblage from Grotta del Cavallo, Apulia, southern Italy

We present a detailed paleoecologic analysis of avian assemblages from the Mousterian layers of the Middle Paleolithic Grotta del Cavallo site in southern Italy. Findings improve knowledge of the landscape that was exploited by Neanderthals. During the MIS 7, 6 and 3, the cave was surrounded by extensive grasslands and shrublands, locally interspersed by open woodland and rocky outcrops, whereas the coastal plain (currently underwater) hosted wetlands. Water bird taxa show an increase in population size during the cool-temperate climatic interval attributed to MIS 3, possibly linked to more humid conditions or a shorter distance between the wetland settings and the cave, compared to the previous glacial phase (MIS 6). In addition, coverage-based rarefied richness suggests higher avian diversity during MIS 3, which may reflect greater landscape heterogeneity due to the presence of wetland habitats. The tentative discovery of Branta leucopsis, together with several bird species currently found at higher altitudes, reinforces geochemically-derived palaeoclimate inferences of cooler than the present conditions. These assemblages also include the first fossil occurrence of Larus genei worldwide, the first Italian occurrence of Emberiza calandra, the oldest Italian occurrence of Podiceps nigricollis, and the occurrence of the rarely reported Sylvia cf. communis. Taphonomic analyses indicate that bone modifications are mainly due to physical syn- and post-depositional processes, and that the assemblage mainly accumulated through short-range physical transport and the feeding activities of nocturnal raptors

Anaerobic co-digestion effluent as substrate for chlorella vulgaris and scenedesmus obliquus cultivation

Anaerobic digestate supernatant can be used as a nutrient source for microalgae cultivation, thus integrating phytoremediation processes with high value products storage in microalgae biomass. Microalgae are able to use nitrogen and phosphorous from digestate, but high nutrient concentration can cause growth inhibition. In this study, two microalgae strains (C. vulgaris and S. obliquus) were cultivated on the anaerobic co-digestion supernatant (obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and waste activated sludge (WAS)) in a preliminary Petri plate screening at different dilutions (1:10 and 1:5) using a synthetic medium (ISO) and tap water (TW). Direct Nile red screening was applied on colonies to preliminarily identify hydrophobic compound storage and then a batch test was performed (without air insufflation). Results show that C. vulgaris was able to grow on digestate supernatant 1:5 diluted, while Nile red screening allowed the preliminary detection of hydrophobic compound storage in colonies. The analysis carried out at the end of the test on ammonia, phosphate, nitrate and sulphate showed a removal percentage of 47.5 ± 0.8%, 65.0 ± 6.0%, 95.0 ± 3.0% and 99.5 ± 0.1%, respectively

On the origin of the λ\lambda-transition in liquid Sulphur

Developing a novel experimental technique, we applied photon correlation spectroscopy using infrared radiation in liquid Sulphur around $T_\lambda$, i.e. in the temperature range where an abrupt increase in viscosity by four orders of magnitude is observed upon heating within few degrees. This allowed us - overcoming photo-induced and absorption effects at visible wavelengths - to reveal a chain relaxation process with characteristic time in the ms range. These results do rehabilitate the validity of the Maxwell relation in Sulphur from an apparent failure, allowing rationalizing the mechanical and thermodynamic behavior of this system within a viscoelastic scenario.Comment: 5 pages, 4 eps figures, accepted in Phys. Rev. Let

Environmental infuence on calcifcation of the bivalve Chamelea gallina along a latitudinal gradient in the Adriatic Sea

Environmental factors are encoded in shells of marine bivalves in the form of geochemical properties, shell microstructure and shell growth rate. Few studies have investigated how shell growth is affected by habitat conditions in natural populations of the commercial clam Chamelea gallina. Here, skeletal parameters (micro-density and apparent porosity) and growth parameters (bulk density, linear extension and net calcification rates) were investigated in relation to shell sizes and environmental parameters along a latitudinal gradient in the Adriatic Sea (400 km). Net calcification rates increased with increasing solar radiation, sea surface temperature and salinity and decreasing Chlorophyll concentration in immature and mature shells. In immature shells, which are generally more porous than mature shells, enhanced calcification was due to an increase in bulk density, while in mature shells was due to an increase in linear extension rates. The presence of the Po river in the Northern Adriatic Sea was likely the main driver of the fluctuations observed in environmental parameters, especially salinity and Chlorophyll concentration, and seemed to negatively affect the growth of C. gallina

Phanerozoic parasitism and marine metazoan diversity: Dilution versus amplification

Growing evidence suggests that biodiversity mediates parasite prevalence. We have compiled the first global database on occurrences and prevalence of marine parasitism throughout the Phanerozoic and assess the relationship with biodiversity to test if there is support for amplification or dilution of parasitism at the macroevolutionary scale. Median prevalence values by era are 5% for the Paleozoic, 4% for the Mesozoic, and a significant increase to 10% for the Cenozoic. We calculated period-level shareholder quorum sub-sampled (SQS) estimates of mean sampled diversity, three-timer (3T) origination rates, and 3T extinction rates for the most abundant host clades in the Paleobiology Database to compare to both occurrences of parasitism and the more informative parasite prevalence values. Generalized linear models (GLMs) of parasite occurrences and SQS diversity measures support both the amplification (all taxa pooled, crinoids and blastoids, and molluscs) and dilution hypotheses (arthropods, cnidarians, and bivalves). GLMs of prevalence and SQS diversity measures support the amplification hypothesis (all taxa pooled and molluscs). Though likely scale-dependent, parasitism has increased through the Phanerozoic and clear patterns primarily support the amplification of parasitism with biodiversity in the history of life. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe'

Palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Lower Pleistocene Arda River succession

The Arda River marine succession, cropping out in western Emilia (northern Italy) represents an excellent site to study past ecosystems dynamics in the frame of Early Pleistocene climate change and tectonic activity. This one-day excursion leads the participants to discover the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Lower Pleistocene Arda River marine section, unraveled through an integrated use of sedimentological, palaeoecological (molluscs and trace fossils) and geochemical tools. Upsection, the succession was deposited in progressively shallower water and colder climate during phases of advance of fan deltas affected by hyperpycnal flows. It culminates at the top with clast supported alluvial conglomerates and freshwater/terrestrial biota indicating a sea level drop and the establishment of a continental environment. It is very rich in fossils: in the marine part molluscs, brachiopods, corals and echinoderms, besides well preserved trace fossils, are abundant; whereas in the continental part a mammal fauna and freshwater/terrestrial molluscs are occasionally found. Sclerochemical analyses undertaken on bivalve shells indicate that seawater temperature seasonality was the main variable of climate change within the study area during the Early Pleistocene. In particular, strong seasonality and low winter palaeotemperatures were assumed to be the main drivers for the widespread establishment of Arctica islandica populations in the palaeo-Adriatic Sea around 1.80 Ma. During the excursion not only fossils are shown, but also interesting biocalcarenitic bodies with a complex geometry cropping out in the town of Castell\u2019Arquato. The excursion is complemented by the visit to the Giuseppe Cortesi geological and palaeontological museum, housing vertebrate and invertebrate fossil collections

Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Health Consequences in Caregivers of Children with Cancer: A Network Analysis Differentiation in Mothers’ and Fathers’ Reactivity

Background: Pediatric cancer presents mental and physical challenges for patients and their caregivers. However, parental distress has been understudied despite its negative impact on quality of life, disability, and somatic disorders. Parents of oncopediatric patients experience high levels of suffering with their resilience tested throughout their children’s illness. Identifying at-risk parents and offering specific treatments is crucial and urgent to prevent or alleviate negative outcomes. Methods: This study used statistical and network analyses to examine symptom patterns assessed by the Kellner Symptom Questionnaire in 16 fathers and 23 mothers at different time points: diagnosis, treatment, and discharge. Results: The results indicated significantly higher distress levels in parents of oncopediatric children compared to the control reference population. Gender-specific differences in symptom profiles were observed at each time point, and symptoms showed a gradual but non-significant decrease over time. Conclusions: The network analysis yielded valuable insights that, when applied in clinical practice, can guide the implementation of timely treatments to prevent and manage parental distress, thus addressing long-term, stress-related issues in primary caregivers of children diagnosed and treated for cancer

Triosephosphate Isomerases in Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) : Characterization and Susceptibility to Herbicides

The effect of treatments with four herbicides and a safener on the activity of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) extracted from shoots of Italian ryegrass was investigated. It was found that atrazine and fluorodifen, herbicides which interfere with photosynthesis, caused a decrease in measured enzyme activity. In addition, the in vitro effect of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), a compound produced in situations of oxidative stress, on TPI activity was investigated. It was shown that GSSG was a strong inhibitor of enzyme activity, at low concentrations in a dose-timedependent manner. The enzyme extracts were submitted to chromatographic purifications and to two-dimensional electrophoresis. Some spots had molecular masses ranging between 20 and 30 kDa and were characterized and identified by LC-ESI-MS/MS as TPIs. The mass spectrometry also made it possible to identify the presence of cysteine residues that could be subjected to S-glutathionylation, which regulate the enzyme activity

Multidisciplinarity in Transition Pathways for Patients With Kidney Disease: The Current State of Play

In the field of medical care, successful transition from pediatric-centered to adult-oriented healthcare can provide a sense of continuity in the development of youth, and prepare them to accept responsibility for and manage their own chronic kidney condition in complete autonomy. The so-called transition process requires the presence of some basic aspects: a multidisciplinary team, which acts as a bridge between child and adult services; a comprehensive clinical, cognitive, psychological, and social change for the young people; the involvement of family and caregivers. Within the framework of transition and chronicity during the developmental age, we selected international papers explaining models which agreed on some important steps in the transition process, although many differences can be observed between different countries. In fact, in Europe, the situation appears to be heterogeneous as regards certain aspects: the written transition plan, the educational programmes, the timing of transfer to adult services, the presence of a transition coordinator, a dedicated off-site transition clinic. We then analyzed some studies focusing on patients with renal diseases, including the first to contain a standardized protocol for transition which was launched recently in the USA, and which seems to have already achieved important positive, although limited, results. In Italy, the issue of transition is still in its infancy, however important efforts in the management of chronic kidney disease have already been initiated in some regions, including Emila Romagna, which gives us hope for the future of many young people