Combining the conservation of biodiversity with the provision of ecosystem services in urban green infrastructure planning. Critical features arising from a case study in the metropolitan area of Rome

A large number of green infrastructure (GI) projects have recently been proposed, planned and implemented in European cities following the adoption of the GI strategy by the EU Commission in 2013. Although this policy tool is closely related to biodiversity conservation targets, some doubts have arisen as regards the ability of current urban GI to provide beneficial effects not only for human societies but also for the ecological systems that host them. The aim of this work is to review the features that should be considered critical when searching for solutions that simultaneously support biodiversity and guarantee the provision of ecosystem services (ES) in urban areas. Starting from a case study in the metropolitan area of Rome, we highlight the role of urban trees and forests as proxies for overall biodiversity and as main ecosystem service providers. We look beyond the individual functional features of plant species and vegetation communities to promote the biogeographic representativity, ecological coherence and landscape connectivity of new or restored GI elements

Inner ear ossification and mineralization kinetics in human embryonic development - microtomographic and histomorphological study.

Little is known about middle and inner ear development during the second and third parts of human fetal life. Using ultra-high resolution Microcomputed Tomography coupled with bone histology, we performed the first quantitative middle and inner ear ossification/mineralization evaluation of fetuses between 17 and 39 weeks of gestational age. We show distinct ossification paces between ossicles, with a belated development of the stapes. A complete cochlear bony covering is observed within the time-frame of the onset of hearing, whereas distinct time courses of ossification for semicircular canal envelopes are observed in relation to the start of vestibular functions. The study evidences a spatio-temporal relationship between middle and inner ear structure development and the onset of hearing and balance, critical senses for the fetal adaptation to birth

Biochemical and molecular characterization of olive β-glucosidase in seven olive varieties during the ripening process: the role of β-glucosidase in determining the phenolic content of virgin olive oil.

Virgin olive oil (VOO) is one of the essential components of the Mediterranean diet, which includes a series of cultural habits, especially alimentary, shared to a greater or lesser extent, by all countries lapped by Mediterranean Sea. VOO is enriched with bioactive compounds which are related to its unique organoleptic characteristics, and also to its antioxidant properties, which have been associated to with the reduction of risk to suffer cardiovascular diseases and to a protective effect against cancer. The most important bioactive components in VOO are phenolics compounds [2].The phenolic composition of VOO is closely related to the content of phenolic glycosides initially present in the olive tissue. In parallel, some studies indicate that there is a positive correlation between the activity levels of β-glucosidase in the olive fruit and the final content of phenolic compounds in VOO. This enzyme plays a key role hydrolyzing phenolic profile of VOO. In consequence, its biochemical and molecular characterization is of great interest from a biotechnological point of view [1, 2].In this study, seven olive varieties (Abou-Kanani, Dokkar, Klon-14, Menya, Picual, Piñonera y Shengeh) with different phenolic contents have been selected in the World Olive Germplasm Bank. The phenolic profiles of fruits harvested at different ripening stages and their oils have been analyzed by HPLC and at the same time β-glucosidase activity has been measured in olive fruits at different ripening stages. The methods for β-glucosidase extraction and activity assessment have been optimized. Spectrophotometric activity assays have been carried out with the synthetic substrate p-nitrophenyl galactoside (p-NPG) using a calculated molar extinction coefficient (ε=552,8 M-1cm-1) for the p-nitrophenyl liberated in the reaction medium. The results obtained show that olive varieties with the highest content of phenolic glycosides in the fruit such as Piñonera, Dokkar or Menya, also have the largest β-glucosidase activity levels, which usually decrease ripening process. These results will be completed with the pertinent studies of gene expression [3]

Cytotoxicity of an innovative pressurised cyclic solid–liquid (Pcsl) extract from artemisia annua

Therapeutic treatments with Artemisia annua have a long-established tradition in various diseases due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-malaria and anti-cancer effects. However, in relation to the latter, virtually all reports focused on toxic effects of A. annua extracts were obtained mostly through conventional maceration methods. In the present study, an innovative extraction procedure from A. annua, based on pressurised cyclic solid–liquid (PCSL) extraction, resulted in the production of a new phytocomplex with enhanced anti-cancer properties. This extraction procedure generated a pressure gradient due to compressions and following decompressions, allowing to directly perform the extraction without any maceration. The toxic effects of A. annua PCSL extract were tested on different cells, including three cancer cell lines. The results of this study clearly indicate that the exposure of human, murine and canine cancer cells to serial dilutions of PCSL extract resulted in higher toxicity and stronger propensity to induce apoptosis than that detected by subjecting the same cells to Artemisia extracts obtained through canonical extraction by maceration. Collected data suggest that PCSL extract of A. annua could be a promising and economic new therapeutic tool to treat human and animal tumours

Crop rotations sustain cereal yields under a changing climate

Agriculture is facing the complex challenge of satisfying increasing food demands, despite the current and projected negative impacts of climate change on yields. Increasing crop diversity at a national scale has been suggested as an adaptive measure to better cope with negative climate impacts such as increasing temperatures and drought, but there is little evidence to support this hypothesis at the field scale. Using seven long-term experiments across a wide latitudinal gradient in Europe, we showed that growing multiple crop species in a rotation always provided higher yields for both winter and spring cereals (average +860 and +390 kg ha−1 per year, respectively) compared with a continuous monoculture. In particular, yield gains in diverse rotations were higher in years with high temperatures and scant precipitations, i.e. conditions expected to become more frequent in the future, rendering up to c. 1000 kg ha−1 per year compared to monocultures. Winter cereals yielded more in diverse rotations immediately after initiation of the experiment and kept this advantage constant over time. For spring cereals, the yield gain increased over time since diversification adoption, arriving to a yearly surplus of c. 500 kg ha−1 after 50-60 years with still no sign of plateauing. Diversified rotations emerge as a promising way to adapt temperate cropping systems and contribute to food security under a changing climate. However, novel policies need to be implemented and investments made to give means and opportunities for farmers to adopt diversified crop rotations

Percutaneous transfemoral-transseptal implantation of a second-generation CardiAQ™ mitral valve bioprosthesis: first procedure description and 30-day follow-up

Transcatheter mitral valve implantation for mitral valve regurgitation is in the very early phase of development because of challenging anatomy and device dimensions. We describe the procedure of a transfemoral-transseptal implantation of the second-generation CardiAQ™ mitral valve bioprosthesis and 30-day follow-up

Evaluation of tsunamigenic hazard through numerical modeling from seismic and non-seismic sources in the Crotone offshore (Calabria, Southern Italy)

Tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea can be considered among the major sources of hazard, both for the extension of the area that can be involved by the water impact and for the closeness of potential sources to the coast, which reduces dramatically the alert and evacuation time. Moreover, landslides, as other non-seismic tsunami sources, are often characterized by a lack of precursors (such as seismic shaking), a reason for which the ensuing waves are sometimes called “surprise tsunamis”

Helix straminea Briganti, 1825 in Italy (Gastropoda: Pulmonata): taxonomic history, morphology, biology, distribution and phylogeny

The land snail taxon Helix straminea Briganti, 1825 has been reintroduced as a valid species in 2014. We provide here a comprehensive account of its taxonomy, distribution, anatomy, phylogeny and karyology in Italy. An overview of the historical views on the validity of the species is presented and faunistic data are reviewed and implemented with new records from Campania and Basilicata. A lectotype is fixed for H. straminea from the syntypes stored in the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle of Genève, as well as for three other taxa (Helix straminiformis Bourguignat, 1876, Helix yleobia Bourguignat, 1883 and Helix straminea ssp. elongata Bourguignat, 1860). Genital system, radula and karyotype are described for the first time. Molecular analysis of two mitochondrial genes combining GenBank data and the new sequences presented in this paper showed no differentiation between the northern and southern Italian populations. The conservation status of the species and its possible threats are discussed

Plant communities of Italy. The vegetation prodrome

The Vegetation Prodrome of Italy was promoted in 2012 by the Italian "Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection", in collaboration with the "Italian Society of Botany", to provide a comprehensive and systematic catalogue and description of Italian plant communities. The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synthesis of the vegetation of Italy at the alliance syntaxonomic level. It fulfils several needs, the main one being a unified and comprehensive national framework that may make an important contribution to the definition of the European Vegetation Prodrome. Syntaxonomy, as well as taxonomy, is sometimes based on considerations that may in part diverge: several authors tend to favour models that are divisive or aggregative to a greater or lesser extent in terms of flora, biogeography and ecology. These different points of view stimulate the scientific debate and allow the adoption of a framework that is more widely supported. The Prodrome includes 75 classes, 2 subclasses, 175 orders, 6 suborders and 393 alliances. The classes were grouped into nine broad categories according to structural, physiognomic and synecological elements rather than to syntaxonomic criteria. The rank, full valid name, any synonymies and incorrect names are provided for each syntaxon. The short declaration highlights the physiognomy, synecology, syndynamics and distribution of the plant communities that belong to the syntaxon. The Prodrome of the Italian Vegetation is linked to the European Strategy for Biodiversity, the European Habitats Directive and the European Working Groups related to the ecosystems and their services. In addition to basic applications, the Prodrome can be used as a framework for scientific research related to the investigation of the relationships between plant communities and the environmental factors that influence their composition and distribution