A new record of Craspedacusta sowerbii, Lankester 1880 (Cnidaria, Limnomedusae) in Northern Italy

A new record of the freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii in Northern Italy is reported. The medusae bloom occurred in a small oligo-mesotrophic artificial lake during July, 2009. At the time of sampling, the medusae were all immature, reached low density and showed feeding preference towards the Daphnia complex of species, the most abundant zooplanktonic species in the lake. Negative feeding selectivity towards small Rotifera was demonstrated. The occasional occurrence of a C. sowerbii bloom in this lake suggests the distribution range of this species may be largely underestimated, and its potential impact on the zooplankton community remains unknown

Zooplankton as an early warning system of persistent organic pollutants contamination in a deep lake (lake Iseo, Northern Italy)

The lake Iseo has been recently contaminated by DDT residues, originated from the melting of a glacier that released the pollutants accumulated in the past. Because of this recent input, DDT residues concentrations rose more quickly in zooplankton than in fish during 2009. In autumn 2010 the ratio drastically dropped to one–two for all the compounds indicating that the glacial DDT load should have been ceased. The situation was different for PCBs that were released to a much lower extent from glaciers. The PCB 138 ratio between zooplankton and fish was always around one–two in both years. As the zooplankton response to pollution changes resulted particularly prompt, our research highlights the importance of this component as an early warning bioindicator of hydrophobic pollutants

Protocollo per il campionamento di fitoplancton in ambiente lacustre

No abstract availabl

Anxiety disorders and stressful events in Takotsubo syndrome

Background: Anxiety disorders are more common in Takotsubo syndrome (TS) than in acute coronary syndrome patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pre-existing anxiety disorders predispose to TS triggered by exclusively emotional stressful events.Methods: Triggering events were compared in 58 TS patients with and without pre-existing anxiety disorders; clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic data were also collected.Results: Thirty-one (53%) patients had a previous history of anxiety disorders. The exclusively emotional stressful event-rate was higher in TS patients with pre-existing anxiety disorder (74% vs. 30%, p = 0.001), while TS caused by an undetermined trigger were significantly higher in patients without anxiety disorders (33% vs. 10%, p = 0.027). Moreover, in TS patients without a previous history of anxiety disorders, a trend of higher prevalence of physical events was found (16% vs. 37%, p = 0.07).Conclusions: In patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders, TS was predominantly triggered by exclusively emotional stressful events, thereby suggesting a possible relationship between anxiety and emotional cardiac frailty in TS patients

Protocollo di campionamento di macrofite acquatiche in ambiente lacustre

No abstract availableIl presente rapporto descrive la procedura per effettuare il corretto campionamento delle macrofite in ambiente lacustre, allo scopo di impiegare i dati ottenuti per una valutazione di qualit? ecologica dei laghi, secondo quanto previsto dalla Direttiva Comunitaria 2000/60

Multidisciplinary studies on a sick-leader syndrome-associated mass stranding of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) along the Adriatic coast of Italy

Mass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are rare in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, in 2014 a pod of 7 specimens stranded alive along the Italian coast of the Central Adriatic Sea: 3 individuals died on the beach after a few hours due to internal damages induced by prolonged recumbency; the remaining 4 whales were refloated after great efforts. All the dead animals were genetically related females; one was pregnant. All the animals were infected by dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and the pregnant whale was also affected by a severe nephropathy due to a large kidney stone. Other analyses ruled out other possible relevant factors related to weather conditions or human activities. The results of multidisciplinary post-mortem analyses revealed that the 7 sperm whales entered the Adriatic Sea encountering adverse weather conditions and then kept heading northward following the pregnant but sick leader of the pod, thereby reaching the stranding site. DMV infection most likely played a crucial role in impairing the health condition and orientation abilities of the whales. They did not steer back towards deeper waters, but eventually stranded along the Central Adriatic Sea coastline, a real trap for sperm whales

Indici per la valutazione della qualit? ecologica dei laghi

Methods are presented to evaluate the biological quality of Italian lakes based on phytoplankton, macrophytes, fishes, benthic fauna and hydromorphology

Protocollo per il campionamento dei parametri chimico-fisici a sostegno degli elementi biologici in ambiente lacustre

Abstract not availableIl protocollo sul campionamento delle acque lacustri integra completandole le metodologie di campionamento ed analisi del fitoplancton, delle macrofite acquatiche e della fauna a macroinvertebrati in ambiente lacustre riportati nei capitoli successivi di questo Manuale. Anche questo protocollo come i precedenti segue le indicazioni della Direttiva 60/2000/CE (Water Framework Directive, WFD) e del Regolamento per la progettazione del programma di monitoraggio emanato dal Ministero dell?Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare

anxiety disorders and stressful events in takotsubo syndrome

Background: Anxiety disorders are more common in Takotsubo syndrome (TS) than in acute coronary syndrome patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pre-existing anxiety disorders predispose to TS triggered by exclusively emotional stressful events. Methods: Triggering events were compared in 58 TS patients with and without pre-existing anxiety disorders; clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic data were also collected. Results: Thirty-one (53%) patients had a previous history of anxiety disorders. The exclusively emotional stressful event-rate was higher in TS patients with pre-existing anxiety disorder (74% vs. 30%, p = 0.001), while TS caused by an undetermined trigger were significantly higher in patients without anxiety disorders (33% vs. 10%, p = 0.027). Moreover, in TS patients without a previous history of anxiety disorders, a trend of higher prevalence of physical events was found (16% vs. 37%, p = 0.07). Conclusions: In patients with pre-existing anxiety disorders, TS was predominantly triggered by exclusively emotional stressful events, thereby suggesting a possible relationship between anxiety and emotional cardiac frailty in TS patients

Differential Signal Transduction of Progesterone and Medroxyprogesterone Acetate in Human Endothelial Cells

AbstractThe conjugated equine estrogens-only arm of the Women's Health Initiative trial, showing a trend toward protection from heart disease as opposed to women receiving also medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), strengthens the debate on the cardiovascular effects of progestins. We compared the effects of progesterone (P) or MPA on the synthesis of nitric oxide and on the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, characterizing the signaling events recruited by these compounds. Although P significantly increases nitric oxide synthesis via transcriptional and nontranscriptional mechanisms, MPA is devoid of such effects. Moreover, when used together with physiological estradiol (E2) concentrations, P potentiates E2 effects, whereas MPA impairs E2 signaling. These findings are observed both in isolated human endothelial cells as well as in vivo, in ovariectomized rat aortas. A marked difference in the recruitment of MAPK and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase explains the divergent effects of the two gestagens. In addition, both P and MPA decrease the adhesiveness of endothelial cells for leukocytes when given alone or with estrogen. MPA is more potent than P in inhibiting the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1. However, when administered together with physiological amounts of glucocorticoids, MPA (which also binds glucocorticoid receptor) markedly interferes with the hydrocortisone-dependent stabilization of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB and with the expression of adhesion molecules, acting as a partial glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. Our findings show significant differences in the signal transduction pathways recruited by P and MPA in endothelial cells, which may have relevant clinical implications