Fish-Kills in the Urban Stretch of the Tiber River After a Flash-Storm: Investigative Monitoring with Effect-Based Methods, Targeted Chemical Analyses, and Fish Assemblage Examinations

In 2020 and 2021, fish-kills events occurred in the Tiber river in the city of Rome. These events, which caused the death of thousands of fish of different species (e.g., Barbus spp., Cyprinus carpio, Squalius spp.), were preceded the days before by severe flash-storms. Heavy rains in urban areas in recent years are linked to climate change and fish-kills events. With the aim to investigate the causes of these events, effect-based methods (EBMs) and targeted chemical analyses have been performed on a specific site of river Tiber in the center of the city. Additionally, examination and classification of the floating dead fishes have been performed. The chemical analysis performed on several groups of contaminants showed the presence of some pharmaceuticals, insecticides, and PFAS at up to ng/L. Results with the Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) test confirmed lethal and sub-lethal effects, while acute effects were not detected with the Daphnia magna acute test. The fish-kills events probably can be generated by several factors as a consequence of an increasing human anthropization of the area with the contribution of different stressors together with chemical releases and emissions. This study shows that in multiple stressor scenarios characterized by heavy rainfall, droughts, and strong anthropogenic pressures, the application of EBMs, chemical analysis, and fish assemblage examinations can represent a useful support in the investigation of the causes of extensive fish-kills events

FAK activity sustains intrinsic and acquired ovarian cancer resistance to platinum chemotherapy

Gene copy number alterations, tumor cell stemness, and the development of platinum chemotherapy resistance contribute to high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) recurrence. Stem phenotypes involving Wnt-beta-catenin, aldehyde dehydrogenase activities, intrinsic platinum resistance, and tumorsphere formation are here associated with spontaneous gains in Kras, Myc and FAK (KMF) genes in a new aggressive murine model of ovarian cancer. Adhesion-independent FAK signaling sustained KMF and human tumorsphere proliferation as well as resistance to cisplatin cytotoxicity. Platinum-resistant tumorspheres can acquire a dependence on FAK for growth. Accordingly, increased FAK tyrosine phosphorylation was observed within HGSOC patient tumors surviving neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Combining a FAK inhibitor with platinum overcame chemoresistance and triggered cell apoptosis. FAK transcriptomic analyses across knockout and reconstituted cells identified 135 targets, elevated in HGSOC, that were regulated by FAK activity and beta-catenin including Myc, pluripotency and DNA repair genes. These studies reveal an oncogenic FAK signaling role supporting chemoresistance

Aquatic Ecosystems and Climate Changes: Data Gaps in Relation to Flooding Events

at european level the strategy on adaptatio to climate chenges promoted adaptation plans at all levels and has recommended the need to bridge the gaps through applicaitons of actions at local level. In the paper has been remarked that there are some gaps in the European legislation that should be solved through the funding of more research projects and pilot studies; for example the use of microbiological monitoring, not foreseen by the water framework directive, can help to identify and prevent effect adverse on human health. In this study we propose an operative methodology to be applied at local level with the aim to support the institutional requirements for risk management before and after flooding events, based on a multi-criteria approach. This integrated monitoring plan coul represent a shared methodology with the aim to give a contribution for the management of the risks of extreme weather events such as flooding for human health and ecosystem protection

Morphological differences between wild and farmed Mediterranean fish

Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) are important commercial marine fish species both for aquaculture and fisheries in the Mediterranean. It is known that farmed individuals escape from farm facilities, but the extent of escape events is not easy to report and estimate because of the difficulty to distinguish between wild and farmed individuals. In this study, significant differences provided through morphometry evidence that the cranial and body regions of seabream and seabass are different regarding their farm or wild origin at different scales. Morphological variations have been shown to be a valuable tool for describing changes in shape features. Therefore, the biomass contribution of escapees to local habitats could be determined by identifying escaped individuals from fisheries landings as a first step to assess the potential negative effects of fish farm escapees on the environment, and their influence on wild stocks and local fisheries.This study was financed by the EU-proyect ‘‘PreventEscape’’ (7th Framework European Commission, num. 226885; http://www.preventescape.eu/)