Adaptive strategies of clonal plants in two different coastal habitats: responses of Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson and Sporobolus virginicus Kunth to experimental sand burial

La fanerogama marina Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Aschers. e la specie dunale Sporobolus pungens (Schreber) Kunth sono piante clonali rizomatose e perenni, presentano architettura e modalità riproduttive simili, e rivestono un ruolo ecologico molto importante, in quanto specie pioniere in grado di colonizzare rapidamente aree non vegetate. Entrambe le specie appartengono ad ambienti della fascia costiera caratterizzati da una elevata instabilità e sottoposti ad eventi di disturbo di varia natura. Tra i disturbi ricorrenti, un ruolo di notevole rilevanza è svolto dalla sepoltura parziale o totale degli organismi sotto uno strato di sedimento, definito “burial”. La deposizione di sabbia influisce su crescita e produzione di alcune specie, ha una funzione importante nella germinazione dei semi e nell’insediamento delle plantule e dei propagali vegetativi, e può determinare l’esclusione delle specie incapaci di tollerare tale disturbo. La conoscenza degli effetti del “burial” sulle piante riveste quindi una grande importanza ecologica, e può risultare essenziale anche ai fini della conservazione. Informazioni relative a risposte fisiologiche e soglia di tolleranza delle varie specie ad un disturbo di tale genere agevolerebbero infatti la pianificazione di interventi efficaci di restaurazione ecologica in aree naturali degradate, e sarebbero utili al fine di ipotizzare l’impatto delle numerose attività antropiche che alterano il tasso di deposizione dei sedimenti lungo la fascia costiera. Inoltre, la comprensione delle possibili conseguenze del “burial” potrebbe agevolare la creazione di modelli per la predizione di scenari futuri, in particolare in relazione al cambiamento climatico globale. Nonostante la rilevanza dell’argomento, attualmente molti aspetti in questo ambito necessitano di essere chiariti o approfonditi. È stato evidenziato che la sopravvivenza e la crescita di piante sottoposte ad accumulo di sedimenti potrebbe essere notevolmente influenzata dalla disponibilità di nutrienti e dalla possibilità di integrazione clonale, ovvero dal trasferimento di risorse tra ramet interconnessi lungo il rizoma; tuttavia, solo una minoranza degli studi che hanno indagato gli effetti del burial ha preso in considerazione questi fattori. Allo scopo di ampliare le conoscenze attuali in materia, il presente lavoro si pone lo scopo di: i) comparare la risposta a diversi livelli di “burial” di Cymodocea nodosa e Sporobolus pungens utilizzando una adeguata replicazione spaziale; ii) determinare la presenza di una eventuale interazione tra burial e disponibilità di nutrienti; iii) analizzare il ruolo dell’integrazione clonale nella risposta al burial

Approximating the 2-dimensional matching distance

Some new approximation results about the 2-dimensional matching distance are presented, leading to the formulation of an algorithm for its computation (up to an arbitrary input error)

Approximating the 2-dimensional matching distance

Some new approximation results about the 2-dimensional matching distance are presented, leading to the formulation of an algorithm for its computation (up to an arbitrary input error)

Magnolia officinalis L. bark extract and respiratory diseases: From traditional Chinese medicine to western medicine via network target

The understanding of the use of Magnolia officinalis L. (Magnoliaceae) as a possible dietary supplement for supporting the treatment of airway pathologies might be of clinical interest. Two commercially available bark extracts (M. officinalis extract [MOE]) were characterized by quantitation in honokiol and magnolol content by means of high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. MOE effects, as well as those of the reference compounds per se, on some targets connected to airway pathologies (antibacterial- and lung and trachea relaxing- activities) were investigated. Results showed that MOE possessed interesting antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. This was accompanied by a spasmolytic and antispasmodic activity, possibly owing to its ability to concurrently modulate different targets such as H-1-, beta(2)- and muscarinic receptors and l-type calcium channels involved in bronchodilation. All these effects were directly related to the MOE content in honokiol and magnolol. In conclusion, the properties of MOE highlighted here strongly encourage its application as dietary supplement in the treatment of airway diseases

Congenital Myopathy as a Phenotypic Expression of CACNA1S Gene Mutation: Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: Congenital myopathies are a group of clinically, genetically, and histologically heterogeneous diseases caused by mutations in a large group of genes. One of these is CACNA1S, which is recognized as the cause of Dihydropyridine Receptor Congenital Myopathy. Methods: To better characterize the phenotypic spectrum of CACNA1S myopathy, we conducted a systematic review of cases in the literature through three electronic databases following the PRISMA guidelines. We selected nine articles describing 23 patients with heterozygous, homozygous, or compound heterozygous mutations in CACNA1S and we added one patient with a compound heterozygous mutation in CACNA1S (c.1394-2A>G; c.1724T>C, p.L575P) followed at our Institute. We collected clinical and genetic data, muscle biopsies, and muscle MRIs when available. Results: The phenotype of this myopathy is heterogeneous, ranging from more severe forms with a lethal early onset and mild-moderate forms with a better clinical course. Conclusions: Our patient presented a phenotype compatible with the mild-moderate form, although she presented peculiar features such as a short stature, myopia, mild sensorineural hearing loss, psychiatric symptoms, and posterior-anterior impairment gradient on thigh muscle MRI

Characterization of PM10 sources in the central Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Basin atmosphere is influenced by both strong natural and anthropogenic aerosol emissions and is also subject to important climatic forcings. Several programs have addressed the study of the Mediterranean basin; nevertheless important pieces of information are still missing. In this framework, PM10 samples were collected on a daily basis on the island of Lampedusa (35.5° N, 12.6° E; 45 m a.s.l.), which is far from continental pollution sources (the nearest coast, in Tunisia, is more than 100 km away). After mass gravimetric measurements, different portions of the samples were analyzed to determine the ionic content by ion chromatography (IC), the soluble metals by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), and the total (soluble + insoluble) elemental composition by particle-induced x-ray emission (PIXE). Data from 2007 and 2008 are used in this study. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model was applied to the 2-year long data set of PM10 mass concentration and chemical composition to assess the aerosol sources affecting the central Mediterranean basin. Seven sources were resolved: sea salt, mineral dust, biogenic emissions, primary particulate ship emissions, secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate, and combustion emissions. Source contributions to the total PM10 mass were estimated to be about 40 % for sea salt, around 25 % for mineral dust, 10 % each for secondary nitrate and secondary sulfate, and 5 % each for primary particulate ship emissions, biogenic emissions, and combustion emissions. Large variations in absolute and relative contributions are found and appear to depend on the season and on transport episodes. In addition, the secondary sulfate due to ship emissions was estimated and found to contribute by about one-third to the total sulfate mass. Results for the sea-salt and mineral dust sources were compared with estimates of the same contributions obtained from independent approaches, leading to an estimate of the water content bound to the sea salt in the marine source

Infantile-Onset Pompe Disease: The Care Beyond the Cure

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Benefits of glucocorticoids in non-ambulant boys/men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A multicentric longitudinal study using the Performance of Upper Limb test

The aim of this study was to establish the possible effect of glucocorticoid treatment on upper limb function in a cohort of 91 non-ambulant DMD boys and adults of age between 11 and 26 years. All 91 were assessed using the Performance of Upper Limb test. Forty-eight were still on glucocorticoid after loss of ambulation, 25 stopped steroids at the time they lost ambulation and 18 were GC naive or had steroids while ambulant for less than a year. At baseline the total scores ranged between 0 and 74 (mean 41.20). The mean total scores were 47.92 in the glucocorticoid group, 36 in those who stopped at loss of ambulation and 30.5 in the naive group (p <0.001). The 12-month changes ranged between -20 and 4 (mean -4.4). The mean changes were -3.79 in the glucocorticoid group, -5.52 in those who stopped at loss of ambulation and -4.44 in the naive group. This was more obvious in the patients between 12 and 18 years and at shoulder and elbow levels. Our findings suggest that continuing glucocorticoids throughout teenage years and adulthood after loss of ambulation appears to have a beneficial effect on upper limb function. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V