Unlocking Strategic and Critical Raw Materials: Assessment of Zinc and REEs Enrichment in Tailings and Zn-Carbonate in a Historical Mining Area (Montevecchio, SW Sardinia)

Mining wastes are often both a potential source of Strategic and Critical Raw Materials (SRMs and CRMs) and a threat to the environment. This study investigated the potential of mining wastes from the Montevecchio district of Sardinia, Italy, as a source of SRMs and CRMs. The tailings from Sanna mine processing plant were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Plasma Mass Spectometry, showing contents of 1.2 wt% of lead, 2.6 wt% of zinc, and about 600 mg/kg of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). White patinas formed in the riverbed, composed by Zn-bearing minerals (hydrozincite and zincite), also contain about 2900 mg/kg of REEs. Characterization of white patinas along the Rio Roia Cani evidenced that their precipitation from water also involves an uptake of Rare Earth Elements, enhancing their contents by an order of magnitude compared with tailings. The process of REEs concentration in Zn-bearing minerals of white patinas is a candidate as a tool for the economic recovery of these elements. These findings suggest that mining wastes from the Montevecchio district could be considered a potential resource for extracting SRMs and CRMs

Prenatal exposure to different diets influences programming of glucose and insulin metabolism in dairy ewes.

ABSTRACT Nutrition in fetal and postnatal life can influence the development of several biological systems, with permanent effects in adult life. The aim of this work was to investigate in dairy sheep whether diets rich in starch or fiber during intrauterine life (75 d before lambing) and postnatal life (from weaning to first pregnancy; growth phase) program glucose and insulin metabolism in the female offspring during their first pregnancy. Starting from intrauterine life, 20 nulliparous Sarda ewes were exposed to 4 dietary regimens (n = 5 per group) based on different dietary carbohydrates during their intrauterine life and their subsequent growth phase: (1) the fiber (FI) diet during both intrauterine and growth life, (2) the starch (ST) diet during both intrauterine and growth life, (3) the FI diet in intrauterine life followed by the ST diet in the growth phase, and (4) the ST diet in intrauterine life followed by the FI diet in the growth phase. After the end of the growth phase, all growing ewes were fed the same diet and naturally mated. When ewes were pregnant, on average at 124 ± 2 d of gestation they were challenged with an intravenous glucose tolerance test, and peripheral concentrations of glucose and insulin were determined. Basal insulin concentrations were higher in ewes exposed to the ST diet (0.97 μg/L) than in ewes exposed to the FI diet (0.52 μg/L) in intrauterine life. After glucose infusion, glucose and insulin concentrations were not affected by intrauterine diet. Insulin resistance, determined by the homeostasis model assessment, was affected by the intrauterine × growth phases interaction. Insulin sensitivity, assessed by the quantitative insulin check index, was lower in ewes exposed to the ST diet than in those exposed to the FI diet in intrauterine life (ST = 0.28; FI = 0.30). Diet in growth life had no effect on glucose and insulin metabolism. In conclusion, starchy diets offered during intrauterine life but not during postnatal life increased basal insulin level and lowered insulin sensitivity during the first pregnancy. Nutritional strategies of metabolic programming should consider that exposure to starchy diets in late fetal life might favor the programming of dietary nutrient partitioning toward organs with high requirements, such as the gravid uterus or the mammary gland

Spatial Olfactory Memory and Spatial Olfactory Navigation, Assessed with a Variant of Corsi Test, Is Modulated by Gender and Sporty Activity

Many studies have focused on navigation, spatial skills, and the olfactory system in comparative models, including those concerning the relationship between them and physical activity. Although the results are often in contrast with each other, it is assumed that physical activity can affect cognition in different ways-both indirectly and through a certain influence on some brain structures. In contrast, there is little research that focuses on the relationship between spatial abilities and olfactory abilities in humans. This research aimed to evaluate and compare the performance in working memory tasks of athletes and non-athletes who require good visual-spatial navigation, olfactory-spatial navigation, and olfactory-semantic skills. The study involved 236 participants (83 athletes) between the ages of 18 and 40. All subjects were matched by age or sex. The standard Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT) was administrated to investigate the visual-spatial memory. Olfactory-spatial navigation and olfactory-semantic skills were assessed with two modified versions of CBTT: Olfactory CBTT (OCBTT) and Semantic-Olfactory CBTT (SOCBTT) respectively. The results show differences between the CORSI conditions in direction of a poor performance for athletes. A gender effect in favor of men was also found, particularly in the classic version of the CBTT. Both groups performed better in the classic version of the CBTT than OCBTT and SOCBTT. The mean of SOCBTT results is markedly lower, perhaps due to the different information processing systems needed to perform this kind of task. It is possible to explain how sports practice can affect tasks that require spatial skills and olfactory perception differently, thus supporting new hypotheses and opening new scientific horizons

Natural attenuation can lead to environmental resilience in mine environment

Four streams flowing in the Iglesiente and Arburese mine districts (SW Sardinia, Italy), exploited for zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) extraction from sulphides and secondary non-sulphide mineralization (calamine ores), have been studied combining investigations from the macroscale (hydrologic tracer techniques) to the microscale (X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy). In the investigated area, concerns arise from release of metals to water during weathering of ore minerals and mine-waste. Specifically, Zn is observed at extremely high concentrations (10s of mg/L or more) in waters in some of the investigated catchments. The results from synoptic sampling campaigns showed marked differences of Zn loads, from 6.3 kg/day (Rio San Giorgio) to 2000 kg/day (Rio Irvi). Moreover, natural attenuation of metals was found to occur i) through precipitation of Fe compounds (Fe oxy/hydroxides and “green rust”), ii) by means of the authigenic formation of metal sulphides promoted by microbial sulphate reduction, iii) by metal intake in roots and stems of plants (Phragmites australis and Juncus acutus) and by immobilization in the rhizosphere, and iv) by cyanobacterial biomineralization processes that lead to formation of Zn-rich phases (hydrozincite and amorphous Zn-silicate). The biologically mediated natural processes that lead to significant abatement and/or reduction of metal loads, are the response of environmental systems to perturbations caused from mine activities, and can be considered part of the resilience of the system itself. The aim of this study is to understand the effect of these processes on the evolution of the studied systems towards more stable and, likely, resilient conditions, e.g. by limiting metal mobility and favouring the improvement of the overall quality of water. The understanding of how ecosystems adapt and respond to contamination, and which chemical and physical factors control these natural biogeochemical barriers, can help to plan effective remediation actions

Antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects of Inula viscosa extract on Burkitt lymphoma cell line.

Burkitt lymphoma is a very aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although remarkable progress has been made in the therapeutic scenario for patients with Burkitt lymphoma, search and development of new effective anticancer agents to improve patient outcome and minimize toxicity has become an urgent issue. In this study, the antitumoral activity of Inula viscosa, a traditional herb obtained from plants collected on the Asinara Island, Italy, was evaluated in order to explore potential antineoplastic effects of its metabolites on Burkitt lymphoma. Raji human cell line was treated with increasing Inula viscosa extract concentration for cytotoxicity screening and subsequent establishment of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, gene expression profiles were performed to identify molecular mechanisms involved in the anticancer activities of this medical plant. The Inula viscosa extract exhibited powerful antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities on Raji cell line, showing a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability, obtained by cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and an increase in cell apoptosis. The treatment with Inula viscosa caused downregulation of genes involved in cell cycle and proliferation (c-MYC, CCND1) and inhibition of cell apoptosis (BCL2, BCL2L1, BCL11A). The Inula viscosa extract causes strong anticancer effects on Burkitt lymphoma cell line. The molecular mechanisms underlying such antineoplastic activity are based on targeting and downregulation of genes involved in cell cycle and apoptosis. Our data suggest that Inula viscosa natural metabolites should be further exploited as potential antineoplastic agents against Burkitt lymphoma

La day-surgery del carcinoma della mammella senile

La possibilità di una diagnosi sempre più precoce per il tumore della mammella e il perfezionamento delle tecniche per l?individuazione e l?analisi del linfonodo sentinella permettono oggi approcci chirurgici più conservativi, grazie ai quali è possibile garantire anche alla paziente anziana un buon controllo della patologia mammaria, con il rispetto, nello stesso tempo, delle sue condizioni generali e della sua qualità di vita. Il nostro studio si basa sulla revisione di una casistica comprendente 28 pazienti di sesso femminile di età superiore a 70 anni che presentavano lesioni mammarie maligne. Tali pazienti sono state sottoposte a terapia chirurgica conservativa (tumorectomia o quadrantectomia, con o senza dissezione ascellare) in regime di day-surgery, con buoni risultati in termini di efficacia e di controllo del rischio perioperatorio. Possiamo dunque concludere che il trattamento chirurgico ambulatoriale del carcinoma della mammella senile è praticabile nella maggior parte dei casi, si associa a una bassa morbilità e presenta notevoli vantaggi sia clinici sia socio-economici. English version: Early diagnosis of breast cancer and improvement of new technologies for identification and analysis of sentinel node allow more conservative surgical approaches, which guarantee both excellent local control and a good quality of life, also in elderly patients. We have studied a series of 28 women aged 70 years or older and affected by breast cancer. They underwent breast-preserving surgery either alone or in association with axillary lymphadenectomy and all of them had early discharge from hospital. This approach demonstrated to be safe and effective, so we may conclude that day-surgery treatment of breast cancer in these patients is possible in the majority of cases, is associated with low morbidity and is profitable for clinical, social and economic issues

Microbiological assessment of raw goat milk collected from Sardinian herds

With Regulation EC 853/04, the European Parliament and the Council laid down general rules for food business operators regarding the hygiene of foodstuffs. In particular, the regulation established ≤1.500.000 cfu/mL as the maximum-tolerated value for total bacterial count in raw goat milk. Moreover, in order to enhance the hygiene of dairy farms, the Sardinia Region has funded the <em>F measure</em> programme which provides rewards for farmers showing improvements in herd management and animal welfare practices. This work aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of raw goat milk samples collected during the F measure enforcement. A total of 536 raw goat samples, collected from dairy farms in the Sardinian province of Nuoro and Ogliastra, were analised for total bacterial count at 30°C. Results showed that total bacterial count was ≤1.500.000 ufc/mL in 456 (85.1%) raw milk goat samples, most of them (80.2%) with a total bacterial contamination &lt;500.000 cfu/mL. This study confirms the hygienic good quality of raw goat milk collected from Sardinian dairy farms

Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: proposal of a supplementary scoring method

To assess categorizing ability, we propose a new scoring criterion for the MCST, the “categorizing efficiency”, taking into account the number of cards used by the subject to complete a maximum of six categories. The advantage of adding that parameter to traditional ones is evaluated in a small population of normal children and adults and those affected with pathologies

L’uso del drenaggio nel trattamento “per primam” delle cisti pilonidali recidive

Il trattamento delle fistole sacrococcigee recidive è tuttora contro - verso, in quanto tutte le metodiche più comunemente attuate deter - minano disagi non indifferenti per i pazienti (metodi “aperti”) o sono gravate da un’alta incidenza di ulteriori recidive. Sulla base di tale constatazione, gli Autori hanno proceduto ad una revisione della loro casistica comprendente 27 pazienti con fisto - le recidive, selezionati con precisi criteri e trattati con escissione “en bloc” di tutto il tessuto patologico e successiva chiusura “per primam” della ferita, previa apposizione di un drenaggio aspirativo sucessiva - mente rimosso in seconda o terza giornata. L’uso routinario del drenaggio, la copertura antibiotica sino alla sesta-settima giornata dopo l’intervento e l'accurata disinfezione della ferita e della cute circostante, condotta giornalmente sino alla rimozione dei punti, ci hanno permesso di registrare incoraggianti risultat