Heteroptera collected in Valsesia, Northern Italy

The survey of Heteroptera carried out in 2016 along the nature path \u201cBosco dei Tigli\u201d (Lime Trees Wood) in Piode (Piedmont, 900 m a.s.l.), highlighted 74 species, belonging to 68 genera in total. The number of species of each family well represents the Italian Heteroptera composition, with the prevalence of Miridae and Pentatomidae. The Miridae Criocoris nigripes var. apicalis (Fieber, 1861), a new record in the Alps, and Dicyphus flavoviridis (Tamanini, 1949), an Italian endemic taxon, were collected. Atractotomus parvulus (Reuter, 1878) and Orthotylus viridinervis (Kirschbaum, 1856) were recorded for the first time in Piedmont. Piode is the most Northern area, with Sondrio, where the Mediterranean Lygaeidae Oxycarenus lavaterae (Fabricius, 1784) was found

The Middle Triassic lagerstätt e of Monte San Giorgio reveals the oldest lace bugs (Hemiptera: Tingidae): Archetingis ladinica gen. n. sp. n.

A new genus and species of fossil lace bugs (Hemiptera; Tingidae), Archetingis ladinica gen. n. et sp. n. is described from the lower Kalkschieferzone (Meride Limestone, Upper Ladinian) of the Swiss side of Monte San Giorgio. The new taxon clearly resembles modern Tingidae in its hemelytra and pronotum, with two rows of areole, in the presence of bucculae closed at the anterior end, not extending beyond the apex of the head, and in the presence of a labial groove on the meso-/metathoracic sternum. Distinctive features are the thick femurs of the first and second pair of legs, the exceptional size (total length of ~12 mm) if compared with both fossil and extant species. Archetingis ladinica gen. n. et sp. n. represents by far the oldest known species of this family and brings back the origin of Tingidae of approximately 140 My, well into the Middle Triassic. The discovery of A. ladinica, beside its evolutionary consequences on the origin of extant Tingidae, provides evidences for the presence of terrestrial ecosystems nearby to the depositional environment. According to the living and trophic behavior of extant Tingidae, those emerged lands had to be covered by vegetation

The species identification problem in mirids (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) highlighted by DNA barcoding and species delimitation studies

Due to the difficulties associated with detecting and correctly identifying mirids, developing an accurate species identification approach is crucial, especially for potential harmful species. Accurate identification is often hampered by inadequate morphological key characters, invalid and/or outdated systematics, and biases in the molecular data available in public databases. This study aimed to verify whether molecular characterization (i.e. DNA barcoding) is able to identify mirid species of economic relevance and if species delimitation approaches are reliable tools for species discrimination. Cytochrome c oxydase 1 (cox1) data from public genetic databases were compared with new data obtained from mirids sampled in different Italian localities, including an old specimen from private collection, showing contrasting results. Based on the DNA barcoding approach, for the genus Orthops, all sequences were unambiguously assigned to the same species, while in Adelphocoris, Lygus and Trigonotylus there were over-descriptions and/or misidentifications of species. On the other hand, in Polymerus and Deraeocoris there was an underestimation of the taxonomic diversity. The present study highlighted an important methodological problem: DNA barcoding can be a good tool for pest identification and discrimination, but the taxonomic unreliability of public DNA databases can make this method useless or even misleading

Lo scambio di invertebrati tra un relitto di bosco planiziale ed agroecosistemi contigui. L\'artropodofauna del bosco di Lison

ItNella pianura a settentrione della provincia di Venezia viene praticata un’agricoltura di tipo intensivo. I boschi cedui, una volta caratterizzanti il paesaggio, sono ora presenti solo in esigui relitti. Durante due anni di ricerca abbiamo studiato la struttura delle comunità di invertebrati presenti nel bosco di Lison e su vegetazione spontanea e coltivata (mais, vite, soia e frumento) degli agroecosistemi contigui. Un consistente contingente di specie presenti nel bosco può essere ritrovata nella vegetazione spontanea dei coltivi. Non si sono riscontrate chiare relazioni tra architettura della vegetazione e abbondanza e diversità degli invertebrati sui differenti tipi di vegetazione indagata. La flora spontanea lungo le scoline e la cotica erbosa del vigneto sostengono, se comparate con i coltivi, una consistente diversità faunistica. Le caratteristiche microclimatoche, vegetazionali e zoologiche del bosco di Lison indicano che l’area forestale costituisce un habitat favorevole alla ricolonizzazione degli agroecosistemi da parte di alcuni invertebrati, comprese alcune specie predatrici utili.EnThe lowland plain north to Venice, in Italy is extensively cultivated. The deciduous woodlands once dominant in the landscape are now present as scanty relicts. In two years research we have studied the community structure of invertebrates present in the Lison woodland and on spontaneous vegetation and crops (corn, vineyards, soybean, wheat) in the contiguous agroecosystems. A consistent amount of species present in the woodland can be found in the spontaneous vegetation on crops. No clear relationship was found between vegetational architecture and invertebrate diversity and abundance on the different mosaic vegetation types. Spontaneous vegetation along ditches and the meadow under vineyards supports, if compared with crops,a consistent animal diversity. Microclimatic, vegetational and animal characteristics of the Lison woodlands indicate to be the woodlands a realistic habitat for recolonization of agrosystems with invertebrates comprising some usefull predators

Endolysosomal degradation of Tau and its role in glucocorticoid-driven hippocampal malfunction

Emerging studies implicate Tau as an essential mediator of neuronal atrophy and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the factors that precipitate Tau dysfunction in AD are poorly understood. Chronic environmental stress and elevated glucocorticoids (GC), the major stress hormones, are associated with increased risk of AD and have been shown to trigger intracellular Tau accumulation and downstream Tau-dependent neuronal dysfunction. However, the mechanisms through which stress and GC disrupt Tau clearance and degradation in neurons remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Tau undergoes degradation via endolysosomal sorting in a pathway requiring the small GTPase Rab35 and the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery. Furthermore, we find that GC impair Tau degradation by decreasing Rab35 levels, and that AAV-mediated expression of Rab35 in the hippocampus rescues GC-induced Tau accumulation and related neurostructural deficits. These studies indicate that the Rab35/ESCRT pathway is essential for Tau clearance and part of the mechanism through which GC precipitate brain pathology.work was supported by NIH grants R01NS080967and R21MH 104803 to C.L.W., Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology (FCT) PhD fellowships to J. Vaz-Silva and T. Meira (PD/BD/105938/2014; PD/BD/113700/2015, respectively), and the following grants to I.S.: FCT Investigator grant IF/01799/2013, the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), the Project Estratégico co-funded by FCT (PEst-C/SAU/LA 0026/2013) and the European Regional Development Fund COMPETE (FCOMP-01 -0124-FEDER-037298) as well as the project NORTE- 01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tau-dependent suppression of adult neurogenesis in the stressed hippocampus

uncorrected proofStress, a well-known sculptor of brain plasticity, is shown to suppress hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain; yet, the underlying cellular mechanisms are poorly investigated. Previous studies have shown that chronic stress triggers hyperphosphorylation and accumulation of the cytoskeletal protein Tau, a process that may impair the cytoskeleton-regulating role (s) of this protein with impact on neuronal function. Here, we analyzed the role of Tau on stress-driven suppression of neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus (DG) using animals lacking Tau (Tau-knockout; Tau-KO) and wild-type (WT) littermates. Unlike WTs, Tau-KO animals exposed to chronic stress did not exhibit reduction in DG proliferating cells, neuroblasts and newborn neurons; however, newborn astrocytes were similarly decreased in both Tau-KO and WT mice. In addition, chronic stress reduced phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3 beta)/beta-catenin signaling, known to regulate cell survival and proliferation, in the DG of WT, but not Tau-KO, animals. These data establish Tau as a critical regulator of the cellular cascades underlying stress deficits on hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Investigator grants (IF/01799/2013, IF/00883/2013, IF/01079/2014, respectively). This work was funded by FCT research grants 'PTDC/SAU-NMC/113934/2009' (IS), the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), the Project Estratégico co-funded by FCT (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013) and the European Regional Development Fund COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037298) as well as the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dysregulation of autophagy and stress granule-related proteins in stress-driven Tau pathology

Imbalance of neuronal proteostasis associated with misfolding and aggregation of Tau protein is a common neurodegenerative feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other Tauopathies. Consistent with suggestions that lifetime stress may be an important AD precipitating factor, we previously reported that environmental stress and high glucocorticoid (GC) levels induce accumulation of aggregated Tau; however, the molecular mechanisms for such process remain unclear. Herein, we monitor a novel interplay between RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and autophagic machinery in the underlying mechanisms through which chronic stress and high GC levels impact on Tau proteostasis precipitating Tau aggregation. Using molecular, pharmacological and behavioral analysis, we demonstrate that chronic stress and high GC trigger mTOR-dependent inhibition of autophagy, leading to accumulation of Tau aggregates and cell death in P301L-Tau expressing mice and cells. In parallel, we found that environmental stress and GC disturb cellular homeostasis and trigger the insoluble accumulation of different RBPs, such as PABP, G3BP1, TIA-1, and FUS, shown to form stress granules (SGs) and Tau aggregation. Interestingly, an mTOR-driven pharmacological stimulation of autophagy attenuates the GC-driven accumulation of Tau and SG-related proteins as well as the related cell death, suggesting a critical interface between autophagy and the response of the SG-related protein in the neurodegenerative potential of chronic stress and GC. These studies provide novel insights into the RNA-protein intracellular signaling regulating the precipitating role of environmental stress and GC on Tau-driven brain pathology.We would like to thank Professor Juergen Gotz, (University of Queensland, Australia) for the kind offer of eGFP-P301LTau SH-SY5Y cells and Dr. Bruno Almeida for his technical assistance. J.M.S. was granted with a PhD fellowship (SRFH/BD/88932/2012) by Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology (FCT); I.S. is holder of FCT Investigator grants (IF/01799/2013), C.D. is a recipient of PhD fellowship of PHDoc program and co-tutelle PhD student of UMinho-UPMC universities. This work was funded by FCT research grants "PTDC/SAU-NMC/113934/2009" (I.S.), the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON. 2) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) as well as the Project Estrategico co-funded by FCT (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013) and the European Regional Development Fund COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037298) as well as the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). In addition, this work was partly funded by Canon Foundation in Europe. This work has been also funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145FEDER-007038. This study was also supported to BW by grants from NIH (AG050471, NS089544, and ES020395), the BrightFocus Foundation, the Alzheimer Association and the Cure Alzeimer Foundation. Human brain tissue was generously provided by the National Institute of Aging Boston University AD Center (P30AG13846).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

"Delirium Day": A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 \ub1 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys