Consumo di suolo e sviluppo locale sostenibile

The research examines the issue of waste of land in metropolitan area of Palermo and offers a description of the current situation through a systematic data. Target is knowledge of waste of land, to develop indicators of the phenomenon and to develop appropriate reflection on the effects of environmental and landscape change, suggest urban policies for sustainable local development

Space medicine: use of ex vivo human respiratory mucosa in the survey of the effects of microgravity on the respiratory system

In the near future, the length and scope of space travel is set to increase significantly. The number of individuals who will have access to extra-terrestrial travels is also increasing. In view of the growing international interest towards manned long-term space exploration, possible effects of exposure to microgravity conditions affecting the respiratory system are subject of interest by major space agencies (NASA and ESA primarily). Our team has developed an advanced 3d tissue model of the human bronchial mucosa within a wide research project involving several universities and space agencies at international level. The model will be used to study the structural/functional alterations of the bronchial mucosa that may arise from prolonged exposure to reduced gravity conditions. Among the different modifications to be evaluated: development and performance of the pulmonary barrier; possible ciliogenesis modification due to its effects on fluid mechanics and mechanotransduction; formation of multi-cellular structures (Cell-Cell and ECM-Cell Interactions). The design and realization of experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) often clashes with greater difficulties than at ground level. Our work was to check the resilience of the model to the prohibitive environmental conditions present on board the vectors that transport the samples to the ISS, and to adapt the model to engineering requirements for proper functionality within the BIOLAB of ISS itself. To verify this, cell cultures were subjected to various boundary conditions: temperatures lower than growth optimum, reduced concentrations of CO2, restriction of gas exchange, prolonged starvation and storage of the culture medium at high temperatures. The bronchial mucosa cultures were analysed at the end of the treatments and their morphology was evaluated. We also used the monitoring of the Trans Epithelial Electric Resistance to evaluate the state of health of the cultures. The data obtained demonstrated how this culture model is able to overcome the critical phases of the journey to ISS and how it can conform to restrictive engineering requirements. It is possible to assert that in addition to the accurate reproduction of the bronchial human mucosa, the cell culture model possesses the characteristics necessary to be used in studies in an extreme environment such as the ISS, being able to provide data that could be relevant for future manned spaceflights

Three-Dimensional Bioprinting for Cartilage Tissue Engineering: Insights into Naturally-Derived Bioinks from Land and Marine Sources

In regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, the possibility to: (I) customize the shape and size of scaffolds, (II) develop highly mimicked tissues with a precise digital control, (III) manufacture complex structures and (IV) reduce the wastes related to the production process, are the main advantages of additive manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting. Specifically, this technique, which uses suitable hydrogel-based bioinks, enriched with cells and/or growth factors, has received significant consideration, especially in cartilage tissue engineering (CTE). In this field of interest, it may allow mimicking the complex native zonal hyaline cartilage organization by further enhancing its biological cues. However, there are still some limitations that need to be overcome before 3D bioprinting may be globally used for scaffolds' development and their clinical translation. One of them is represented by the poor availability of appropriate, biocompatible and eco-friendly biomaterials, which should present a series of specific requirements to be used and transformed into a proper bioink for CTE. In this scenario, considering that, nowadays, the environmental decline is of the highest concerns worldwide, exploring naturally-derived hydrogels has attracted outstanding attention throughout the scientific community. For this reason, a comprehensive review of the naturally-derived hydrogels, commonly employed as bioinks in CTE, was carried out. In particular, the current state of art regarding eco-friendly and natural bioinks' development for CTE was explored. Overall, this paper gives an overview of 3D bioprinting for CTE to guide future research towards the development of more reliable, customized, eco-friendly and innovative strategies for this field of interest

Insect oviposition induces volatile emission in herbaceous plants that attracts egg parasitoid

The egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) responded to synomones emitted by leguminous plants induced by feeding and oviposition activity of the bug Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). This was shown by laboratory bioassays using a Y-tube olfactometer. Broad bean leaves (Vicia faba L.) damaged by feeding activity of N. viridula and on which host egg mass had been laid produced synomones that attracted T. basalis. By contrast, undamaged leaves or feeding-damaged leaves without eggs did not attract wasp females. French bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) also emitted attractive synomones when they were damaged by host feeding and carrying egg masses. Thus, release of feeding- and oviposition-induced synomones does not seem to be plant-specific. Synomone production was shown to be a systemically induced plant physiological response to feeding damage and oviposition. Also, parts of the plant that were left undamaged and did not carry host eggs emitted attractive synomones when other parts of the plant were damaged by feeding, and carrying eggs. Furthermore, wasps were not attracted by N. viridula egg masses offered alone or combined with damaged broad bean leaves. Thus, the attractiveness of feeding-damaged leaves carrying eggs is due to induction by feeding and oviposition rather than due to a combined effect of attractive volatiles released from eggs and damaged leaves. The production of synomones was influenced by the age of the host egg mass, because feeding-damaged leaves bearing egg masses attracted the parasitoid until the eggs were similar to72-96 h old but not once the larvae had hatched from the eggs (similar to120 h old). These results show that annual plants are able to produce synomones as a consequence of feeding and egg mass oviposition by a sucking insect

The Microbiota Is Not an Organ: Introducing the Muco-Microbiotic Layer as a Novel Morphofunctional Structure

In this paper, we want to refute the notion that the microbiota should be considered an organ, given that an organ comprises tissue of similar or different embryological origin, while the microbiota is a pool of different microbial species originating individually from single replications and not from a common ancestral cellular element. Hence, we would like to propose a new morphological interpretation of its nature, based on the comprehensive context in which these microbes live: a muco-microbiotic layer of hollow organs, such as the airways and the bowel. The above concept should represent not only a new terminological annotation but also a more accurate portrayal of the physiology and pathophysiology of these organs. Indeed, a better understanding of the biological nature of this part of the human body can help scientists develop more specific experimental protocols, potentially leading to the establishment of better therapeutic strategies

Stem Cell Populations and Regenerative Potential in Chronic Inflammatory Lung Diseases

Several acute and chronic inflammatory pathologies of the lung are accompanied by structural modifications of airway mucosa that vary depending on the severity, duration and type of the disease. These morphological changes, that determine organ dysfunction, are not always reversible. Indeed, the cycle of injury and repair, influencing airway wall regeneration, may sometimes break off and an exacerbation of the pathology may occur. The mechanisms at the base of airway remodelling during inflammation have been widely studied and numerous evidences indicate that the molecular dialogue among the cells of the mucosa has an essential role in orchestrating cell differentiation and tissue repair. In this review, we revise old notions on pulmonary morphology at the light of some of the most recent discoveries concerning stem cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis and organ regeneration of the lung