Input of various chemicals transported by Saharan dust and depositing at the sea surface in the Mediterranean sea

This paper reviews work on the role of Saharan dust as a contribution of various chemical to the Mediterranean basin. Both the magnitude and the mineralogical composition of atmospheric dust inputs indicate that eolian deposition is an important (50%) or even dominant (>80%) contribution to sediments in the offshore waters of the entire Mediterranean basin. The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin, that receives substances sporadically from the arid region of the Sahara desert. We considered the location and strength of source areas, the transport paths of material away from the desert, the number of Saharan dust transports per year, the way to be dust is deposited (wet and dry mode), the fluxes of Saharan dust, the nature of the material, and the contribution of nutrients to the sea surface. Estimates of atmospheric inputs to the Mediterranean and some coastal areas are reviewed. Model data for nutrients indicate that the atmosphere delivers the nitrogen and one-third of total phosphorus to the entire basin. Measured data in sub-basins, such as the Western Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean indicate an even greater proportions of atmospheric versus riverine input. New production supported by atmospheric nitrogen deposition ranges from 2–4 g C m -2 yr -1 , whereas atmospheric phosphorus deposition appears to support less than 1 g C m -2 yr -1 . In spite of the apparently small contribution of atmospheric deposition to overall production in the basin it has been suggested that certain episodic phytoplankton blooms are triggered by atmospheric deposition of N, P or Fe. Iron fluxes may be important in determining the nature and quantity of carbon fluxes from Fe-rich areas (like MED Sea), in addition to Fe-poor areas such as the extant Southern Ocean. A geophysiological model shows that iron removal from the photic zone does occur at a much higher rate than the conventional biological pump can account for and that this might release the risk of excessive phosphate scavenging

Saharan dust inputs to the W Mediterranean Sea: depositional patterns, geochemistry and sedimentological implications.

Data are presented for a number of parameters for aerosols and rainwaters collected at a station on Sardinia. The findings are interpreted with special reference to Saharan dusts, and are compared to other data on these dusts obtained from a variety of sites around the Mediterranean Sea. At the Sardinia site the particle size distribution of the Saharan outbreaks exhibits a bimodal structure, the two modes being between 1 and 2 µm and 20-25 µm. The presence of giant particles strongly affects the deposition velocities of the Saharan aerosols. Source markers for the Saharan dusts are palygorskite, kaolinite, calcite, dolomite and rounded quartz grains. The input of Saharan dust has important effects on the chemistry of the Mediterranean aerosols. These include: (i) increases in the atmospheric concentrations and sea surface fluxes of crust-controlled trace metals (e.g.; Al, Fe); (ii) decreases in the EFcrust values of non-crust-controlled trace metals (e.g.; Cu, Zn and Pb) in the aerosols, and (iii) changes in the solid state speciation of Cu, Zn, and Pb, which decrease their solubilities in sea water. The Saharan dusts also affect the composition of rainwater by raising the pH, following the dissolution of calcium, and by decreasing the solubility of trace metals such as Cu, Zn and Pb. Wet deposition controls the flux of Saharan dust to the Mediterranean Sea, but dry deposition can also be important. The dust transport occurs in the form of "pulses", and the annual dust flux can be controlled by few episodes of Saharan outbreaks; e.g. sometimes a single outbreak can account for 40-80 % of the flux. Saharan dust deposition fluxes range from 2 to 25 g m-2 (average; ~ 10) in the W Mediterranean between 39° and 42° N, between 6 and 46 g m-2 (avg. ~ 20) in the E Mediterranean, and 0.4 to1.0 g m-2 over the Alps on continental Europe. The present day Saharan dust fluxes (~ 1 mg cm-2 yr-1) account for about 10-20% of the recent deep-sea sedimentation in the Western Mediterranean (3-15 mg cm-2 yr-1)

Geochemistry of natural and anthropogenic fall-out (aerosol and precipitation) collected in NW Mediterranean: two different multivariate statistical approaches

The chemical characteristics of the mineral fractions of aerosol and precipitation collected in Sardinia (NW Mediterranean) are highlighted by means of two multivariate statistical approaches. Two different combinations of classification and statistical methods for geochemical data are presented. It is shown that the application of cluster analysis subsequent to Q-Factor analysis better distinguishes among Saharan dust, Background pollution (Europe-Mediterranean) and Local aerosol from various source regions (Sardinia). Conversely, the application of simple cluster analysis was able to distinguish only between aerosols and precipitation particles, without assigning the sources (local or distant) to the aerosol. This method also highlighted the fact that crust-enriched precipitation is similar to desert-derived aerosol. Major elements (Al, Na) and trace metal (Pb) turn out to be the most discriminating elements of the analysed data set. Independent use of mineralogical, granulometric and meteorological data confirmed the results derived from the statistical methods employed

Measurement of atmospheric deposition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p- dioxin and dibenzofurans in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy.

Data on atmospheric fall-out of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were provided by collecting bulk deposition in four stations inside the Lagoon of Venice. A total of 44 monthly samples was collected during the period July 1998–July 1999 in one site near an industrial area (Porto Marghera), one site in the city of Venice, and two sites in the southern- and northernmost ends of the Lagoon. Fluxes of PCDD/Fs were between 0.1 and 470 pg m-2 d-1 , corresponding to 0–9.2 pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (TEQ) m-2 d-1 , with a gradient increasing from remote to urban/industrial stations. Thus, annual deposition of PCDD/Fs to the Lagoon (total area ¼ 550 km 2 ), calculated with various methods, turned out to be ~12 g, corresponding to ~400 mg TEQ. Significant differences were found among the stations, with a clear fingerprinting signature (PCDF/PCDD > 1) of the deposition collected near Porto Marghera, and a reversed pattern (PCDF/PCDD < 1) in the rest of the Lagoon, which pattern was similar to the sediments collected in the same locations. Lastly, the amount of bulk PTEQ of all stations was compared with the guide values for dioxins in depositions proposed by De Fré et al. [Organohalogen Compounds 45 (2000) 324]

Lower All-Cause Mortality Risk in Females and Males with Peripheral Artery Disease following Pain-Free Home-Based Exercise: A 7-Year Observational Study

We evaluated the sex-specific difference in response upon participation in an exercise program with respect to the risk of adverse clinical outcomes among patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and claudication. The records of 400 PAD patients were assessed between 2012 and 2015. Two hundred of them were addressed to a walking program prescribed at the hospital and executed at home at symptom-free walking speed (Ex), while the remaining 200 acted as a control group (Co). The number and date of deaths, all-cause hospitalizations, and amputations for a 7-year period were collected from the regional registry. At baseline, no differences were observed (MEX n = 138; FEX n = 62; MCO n = 149; FCO n = 51). The 7-year survival rate was significantly higher in FEX (90%) than in MEX (82% hazard ratio, HR: 0.542 95% CI 0.331–0.885), FCO (45%, HR: 0.164 95% CI 0.088–0.305), and MCO (44%; HR: 0.157 95% CI 0.096–0.256). A significantly lower rate of hospitalization (p &lt; 0.001) and amputations (p = 0.016) was observed for the Ex group compared to the Co group, without differences by sex. In conclusion, in PAD patients, active participation in a home-based pain-free exercise program was associated with a lower rate of death and better long-term clinical outcomes, particularly among women

Spectrum of Cardiovascular Diseases in Children during High Peak Coronavirus Disease 2019 Period Infection in Northern Italy: Is There a Link?

Background:Children with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) have a milder clinical course than adults. We describe the spectrum of cardiovascular manifestations during a COVID-19 outbreak in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Methods:A cross-sectional multicenter study was performed, including all patients diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD), myocarditis, and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) from February to April 2020. KD patients were compared with those diagnosed before the epidemic. Results:KD: 8 patients (6/8 boys, all negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 [SARS-CoV-2]): complete presentation in 5/8, 7/8 immunoglobulin (IVIG) responders, and 3/8 showed transient coronary lesions (CALs). Myocarditis: one 5-year-old girl negative for SARS-CoV-2 and positive for parvovirus B19. She responded to IVIG. MIS-C: 4 SARS-CoV-2-positive boys (3 patients with positive swab and serology and 1 patient with negative swab and positive serology): 3 presented myocardial dysfunction and pericardial effusion, and 1 developed multicoronary aneurysms and hyperinflammation; all responded to treatment. The fourth boy had mitral and aortic regurgitation that rapidly regressed after steroids. Conclusions:KD, myocarditis, and MIS-C were distinguishable cardiovascular manifestations. KD did not show a more aggressive form compared with previous years: coronary involvement was frequent but always transient. MIS-C and myocarditis rapidly responded to treatment without cardiac sequelae despite high markers of myocardial injury at the onset, suggesting a myocardial depression due to systemic inflammation rather than focal necrosis. Evidence of actual or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was documented only in patients with MIS-C

Toxicity assessment of atmospheric fall-out at Venice.

Data on atmospheric fall-out of dioxins and furans (PCDD-Fs), dioxin-like polychlorobyphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were provided by collecting bulk depositions in four stations inside the Lagoon of Venice. A total of 44 monthly samples was collected in one site near an industrial area, one site in the city of Venice, and two sites in the southern and northern ends of the Lagoon

Inter-annual variabilità in atmospheric input and partitioning of heavy metals in the Lagoon of Venice

Atmospheric bulk deposition of major and trace elements was measured at Venice from November 1995 to October 1997. Collection was carried out using polyethylene bulk passive samplers, samples being collected bi-weekly. In order to highlight the contribution of the atmosphere to water chemistry and particle budgets in the Lagoon of Venice, the geochemical composition (Si, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Cr, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, As) of dissolved and insoluble bulk fractions was determined by AAS + ICP mass spectrometry. Great sample variability was found, with almost two orders of magnitude between maximum and minimum values for several metals. All fluxes in 1995/96 were 30% lower than in 1996/97, ranging from –3% (Ca) to –57% (Li), except for Zn, Cd and As. On the contrary, the solubility of all elements decreased during 1996/97. Partitioning between soluble and insoluble phases shows that Al, Cr, Fe and Si are mainly in the insoluble form, whereas for As, Ca, Cu, Mg, Na, Ni, K, Pb and Zn the dissolved fraction represents 50-90% of total input. The amount of particle load affects partitioning between dissolved and particulate, especially for Al and Pb. Seasonal variability was evident. The lowest pH values (~5.2) were recorded in winter, causing an increase of solubility for all metals except for As, which showed the highest solubility in summer

Survival and clinical outcomes of diabetic peripheral artery disease patients following a pain-free homebased walking program

Aim: We retrospectively examined the impact on the rate of survival of pain-free home-based exercise in diabetic peripheral artery disease patients compared to patients receiving usual care. Methods: In total, 202 patients at Fontaine's Stage II with diabetes were studied. Half were enrolled in a structured home-based exercise program (E), whereas the other half received walking advice as the active control group (C). Long-term clinical outcomes at five years were gathered from the Emilia-Romagna Health Service Registry, with survival probability selected as the primary outcome. Results: At baseline, the two groups did not differ for any demographic or clinical characteristics. High adherence to the program was recorded in Group E (88% of home-walking sessions executed, with an average distance walked during the program of 174 km). After five years, a survival rate of 90% for Group E and 60% for Group C was observed, with a significantly (P &lt; 0.001) higher mortality risk for Group C [Hazard ratio (HR) = 3.92]. Additionally, among secondary outcomes, Group E showed a significantly (P = 0.048) lower rate of peripheral revascularizations than Group C (15% vs. 24%, respectively; HR = 1.91), all-cause hospitalizations (P = 0.007; 61% vs. 80%, HR = 1.58), and amputations (P = 0.049; 6% vs. 13%, HR = 2.47). In a Cox multivariate-proportional regression model of the entire population, the predictors of survival probability were age (HR = 1.05), Charlson index (HR = 1.24), lower ankle-brachial index (HR = 6.66), and control group (HR = 4.99). Conclusion: A simple sustainable program aimed at improving mobility of diabetic patients with claudication at high cardiovascular risk was associated with better survival and long-term clinical outcomes

Generation of aroma compounds in sourdough: Effects of stress exposure and lactobacilli-yeasts interactions

Abstract The effects of the interaction between Saccharomyces cerevisiae LBS and Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis LSCE1 and of their responses to acid, oxidative or osmotic stress on alcohol and aroma production were assessed. The exposure of S. cerevisiae LBS and L. sanfranciscensis LSCE1 cells to oxidative, acid or osmotic sub-lethal stress gave rise to a common or specific responses. g-decalactone, 2(5H)-furanones and aldehydes were overproduced by LAB following oxidative stress. The acid stress induced both in yeasts and LAB, as well as in their co-cultures, a relevant accumulation of isovaleric and acetic acids and higher alcohols. A cross-exposure of yeasts and LAB to their preconditioned media, generated in S. cerevisiae a release of esters including esters of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids coming from membrane phospholipids. These esters were excreted also by yeasts following a pressure stress.