Molecular detection of parasites (Trematoda, Digenea: Bucephalidae and Monorchiidae) in the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Members of the globally distributed bivalve family Ostreidae (oysters) have a significant role in marine ecosystems and include species of high economic importance. In this work, we report the occurrence of digenean parasites of the families Bucephalidae (Prosorhynchoides sp.) and Monorchiidae (Postmonorchis sp.) in Mediterranean native populations of Ostrea edulis (but not in the introduced Magallana gigas). Molecular detection was based on DNA sequencing of the ribosomal intergenic spacer 2 (ITS2) marker. The importance of detecting the presence of overlooked digenean parasites in Mediterranean oysters is discussed. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Induction of ovarian maturation by means of dietary hormonal treatment in Austropotamobius pallipes

The freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes is an annual species with low fecundity and a long embryonic development. Restocking programmes for this species have recently been prompted in many countries in Europe because of its ecological importance in the freshwater ecosystem. The role and interactions of neurotransmitters which intervene in crustacean reproduction have been identified but they are not still completely understood. Ovarian development appears to be under the control of two hormones: the vitellogenesis-inhibiting hormone and the gonad stimulating hormone (Fingermann, 1997)

High-precision GPS survey of Via Appia: Archaeoastronomy-related aspects

Via Appia was built by the Romans around 312 BCE to connect Rome with Capua during the Samnite wars. The road is an astonishing engineering masterpiece. In particular, the segment which runs from Collepardo to Terracina – 61 km long – is renowned for being virtually straight; however this “straightness” was never investigated quantitatively. As a consequence, the techniques used by the ancient surveyors and their scope – whether it was only practical, or also symbolic – remain obscure. We report here a high-precision GPS survey of the road, performed with a u-blox receiver and further checked with a dual frequency receiver. We give a detailed analysis of the methods used and of the errors, which are shown to be less than 6’. To our knowledge it is the first time that such a long ancient manufactured structure has been surveyed with such a high accuracy. The results lead us to conclude that astronomy was certainly used in the construction of the road and in that of the associated grid, oriented to the setting of the star Castor and to the cardinal points respectively

CARBOXYLATED-CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS PRODUCED FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC SOURCES AND USED AS BARRIER COATING FOR PET FILMS

The obtainment of Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) from different cellulosic sources recently gained a great attention due to their physical and mechanical properties. CNC can be extracted from variety of bio-based and renewable sources, such as wood, cotton, bacterial cellulose, tunicate cellulose and softwood cellulose and used as reinforced nanocomposites, functional materials and oxygen-barrier layers. The most important factor affecting the nanocellulose production is the relative proportion of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in the source material. The extraction of CNC from cellulosic materials started with a pre-treatment of biomass involving the complete or partial removal of hemicelluloses, lignin, etc. and isolation of cellulose component. After the separation of matrix materials, controlled hydrolysis of the cellulosic fibers is performed in order to produce colloidal suspensions of cellulose crystals. Using of ammonium persulfate (APS) has recently achieved the obtainment of CNC from different cellulose sources without any pre-treatment. APS, a strong oxidizing agent with high water solubility, is able to produce carboxylated CNC having high crystallinity and active carboxyl groups. The conversion of the carboxylic acid groups to the carboxylate form offers active sites for surface modification and templates for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Incorporation of carboxylated–CNC as a functional layer on different substrates have enhanced the barrier (oxygen permeability), mechanical, optical, and antifog properties of the nanocomposites. The aim of this work was to obtain the CNC from two lignocellulosic sources and to characterize them in terms of morphology, crystallinity, charge density and coating properties in order to use CNC as barrier coating for PET films

Who comes first. rescheduling endoscopic activity after the acute phase of the Covid 19 pandemic

The current health emergency caused by the COVID19 pandemic has caused an abrupt reduction in all ordinary endoscopic activities [1]. Our endoscopy unit, usually overloaded with procedures, has reduced its activities to immediate urgencies only, as recommended by position statements of many scientific societies [2–4]. After the most critical phase of the emergency, the need to evaluate the relative urgency of the endoscopic procedures was addressed. In our endoscopic academic tertiary referral unit, about 300 endoscopic procedures from March 16 to May 2 were suspended. According to local (hospital) and regional health department indications, outpatient services have been reorganised, by remodulating time slots for procedures, controlling and filtering patients’ access to the unit and reviewing the indications for each single endoscopic procedure programmed but not performed. Procedures initially classified as urgent (by 48 hours, n. 77) and short (by 10 days, n. 68) were directly rescheduled and performed. Furthermore, we decided to interview all the patients of postponed endoscopic procedures by phone calls carried out by trainees, tutored by a senior component of the endoscopy unit. A systematic questionnaire was developed based on the following items: demographic and clinical patient characteristics, current conditions, gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, exam indications and priority classes assigned by the general practitioner or other physicians, time and results of previous endoscopic examinations, laboratory tests, ongoing treatments. Results of the phone interview and any additional clinical documentation e-mailed by the patient was evaluated and archived including date and time of the interview with the patient’s informed consent. Based on the results of the reassessment, patients were rescheduled stratifing the procedures in the following 4 priority cl

On a non-isothermal model for nematic liquid crystals

A model describing the evolution of a liquid crystal substance in the nematic phase is investigated in terms of three basic state variables: the {\it absolute temperature} \teta, the {\it velocity field} \ub, and the {\it director field} \bd, representing preferred orientation of molecules in a neighborhood of any point of a reference domain. The time evolution of the velocity field is governed by the incompressible Navier-Stokes system, with a non-isotropic stress tensor depending on the gradients of the velocity and of the director field \bd, where the transport (viscosity) coefficients vary with temperature. The dynamics of \bd is described by means of a parabolic equation of Ginzburg-Landau type, with a suitable penalization term to relax the constraint |\bd | = 1. The system is supplemented by a heat equation, where the heat flux is given by a variant of Fourier's law, depending also on the director field \bd. The proposed model is shown compatible with \emph{First and Second laws} of thermodynamics, and the existence of global-in-time weak solutions for the resulting PDE system is established, without any essential restriction on the size of the data

Quantum ratchets in dissipative chaotic systems

Using the method of quantum trajectories we study a quantum chaotic dissipative ratchet appearing for particles in a pulsed asymmetric potential in the presence of a dissipative environment. The system is characterized by directed transport emerging from a quantum strange attractor. This model exhibits, in the limit of small effective Planck constant, a transition from quantum to classical behavior, in agreement with the correspondence principle. We also discuss parameter values suitable for implementation of the quantum ratchet effect with cold atoms in optical lattices.Comment: Significant changes: Several text improvements and new results. Figure 2 modified. Figure 4 adde

Posidonia Oceanica And Green Tea Extract As Active Agents For Shelf Life Extension Of Fresh Cut Peach

Nowadays the reduction of food waste and the availability of food all over the world areas are priority keys for society. In this context, the shelf life extension of fresh products in a sustainable way may represent one of the main goals. The aim of the present research work was to extend the shelf life of fresh cut peach slices by using extracts of Posidonia oceanica (POS) and green tea (GT), and compared to the control. Total polyphenols content was assessed by Folin-Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant capacity by DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl) assay. Antimicrobial activity of the two extracts was initially carried out in vitro by determining the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) against Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, Pseudomonas putida, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum. The two extracts in vivo on peach slices by dipping were applied (only water for the control), than, slices were placed into low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bag and stored at 3 ± 1°C for up to 7 days. Microbiological analyses, color (L*,a*,b*), total soluble solid (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) on peach slices were carried out every 3 days. POS showed the highest polyphenols content (615±45 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent/g – mg GAE/g) while GT 526 ± 28 mg GAE/g. The values of EC50, for POS, was 72.42 ± 22.90 mg/L, while for GT 3.80 ± 0.11 mg/L. Trials in vitro showed MIC values of above 2 g/L for POS and above 1 g/L in GT mainly against Gram positive bacteria. POS was also found to lead a growth delay in the case of fungi, approximately 60 h compared to the control. Results related to the Total Aerobic (TAC) and yeasts and moulds (Y&M) counts highlighted that peach slices dipped with POS maintained in the first 5 days of storage the microbiota at lower or analogous levels than those found at t0 (1.80 ± 0.09 log cfu/g respect 2.30 ± 0.11 log cfu/g and 1.80 ± 0.05 log cfu/g respect 1.70 ± 0.03 log cfu/g of the control, respectively for TAC and Y&M). Regarding pomological analysis, after seven days, lightness of the peach slices decreased 28% in POS, 24% in GT and 35% in control. During shelf life TSS increased 8% in the control, 2% in POS and remained unchanged in GT, after seven days. At the same time, TA decreased 30% in POS, 20% in GT treatment and 63% in the control. During the experiment TSS increased in all treatments, more rapidly in the control; meanwhile the TA decreased slowly in treated samples compared to the control. Concluding, Posidonia oceanica and green tea extracts were found able to delay the colour and pomological parameters decay, maintaining a good fruit quality during shelf life. Data already showed evidence a better performance of the Posidonia extract, limiting the growth of microorganisms responsible for fresh fruit deterioration