A dataset of tracer concentrations and meteorological observations from the Bolzano Tracer EXperiment (BTEX) to characterize pollutant dispersion processes in an Alpine valley

Abstract. The paper describes the dataset of concentrations and related meteorological measurements collected during the field campaign of the Bolzano Tracer Experiment (BTEX). The experiment was performed to characterize the dispersion of pollutants emitted from a waste incinerator in the basin of the city of Bolzano, in the Italian Alps. As part of the experiment, two controlled releases of a passive gas tracer (sulfur hexafluoride, SF6) were performed through the stack of the incinerator on 14 February 2017 for two different time lags, starting, respectively, at 07:00 and 12:45 LST. Samples of ambient air were collected at target sites with vacuum-filled glass bottles and polyvinyl fluoride bags, and they were later analyzed by means of a mass spectrometer (detectability limit 30 pptv). Meteorological conditions were monitored by a network of 15 surface weather stations, 1 microwave temperature profiler, 1 sodar and 1 Doppler wind lidar. The dataset represents one of the few examples available in the literature concerning dispersion processes in a typical mountain valley environment, and it provides a useful benchmark for testing atmospheric dispersion models in complex terrain. The dataset described in this paper is available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.898761 (Falocchi et al., 2019)

Hepatic PPARs: their role in liver physiology, fibrosis and treatment

Complex molecular and cellular mechanisms are involved in the pathway of liver fibrosis. Activation and transformation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are considered the two main reasons for the cause and development of liver fibrosis. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) belonging to the family of ligand-activated transcription factors play a key role in liver homeostasis, regulating adipogenesis and inhibiting fibrogenesis in HSCs. Normal transcriptional function of PPARs contributes to maintain HSCs in quiescent phase. A reduced expression of PPARs in HSCs greatly induces a progression of liver fibrosis and an increased production of collagen. Here, we discuss role and function of PPARs and we take into consideration molecular factors able to reduce PPARs activity in HSCs. Finally, although further validations are needed, we illustrate novel strategies available from in vitro and animal studies on how some PPARs-agonists have been proved effective as antifibrotic substances in liver disease

Selective formation, reactivity, redox and magnetic properties of MnIII and FeIII dinuclear complexes with shortened salen-type schiff base ligands

The reactivity of the shortened salen-type ligands H3salmp, H2salmen and H2sal(p-X)ben with variable para-substituent on the central aromatic ring (X = tBu, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, NO2) towards the trivalent metal ions manganese(III) and iron(III) is presented. The selective formation of the dinuclear complexes [M2(m-salmp)2], M = Mn (1a), Fe (2a), [M2(m-salmen)2(m-OR)2)], R = Et, Me, H and M = Mn (3a\u2013c) or Fe (4a\u2013c), and (M2(m-sal[p-X]ben)2(m-OMe)2), X = tBu, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, NO2 and M = Mn (5a\u2013g) or Fe (6a\u2013g), could be identified by reaction of the Schiff bases with metal salts and the base NEt3, and their characterization through elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction of 2a.2AcOEt, 2a.2CH3CN and 3c.2DMF was performed. In the case of iron(III) and H3salmp, when using NaOH as a base instead of NEt3, the dinuclear complexes [Fe2(m-salmp)(m-OR)(salim)2], R = Me, H (2b\u2013c) could be isolated and spectroscopically characterized, including the crystal structure of 2b.1.5H2O, which showed that rupture of one salmp3\u2013 to two coordinated salim\u2013 ligands and release of one salH molecule occurred. The same hydrolytic tendency could be identified with sal(p-X)ben ligands in the case of iron(III) also by using NEt3 or upon standing in solution, while manganese(III) did not promote such a C\u2013N bond breakage. Cyclic voltammetry studies were performed for 3b, 4b, 5a and 6a, revealing that the iron(III) complexes can be irreversibly reduced to the mixed-valence FeIIFeIII and FeII2 dinuclear species, while the manganese(III) derivatives can be reversibly oxidized to either the mixed-valence MnIIIMnIV or to the MnIV2 dinuclear species. The super-exchange interaction between the metal centers, mediated by the bridging ligands, resulted in being antiferromagnetic (AFM) for the selected dinuclear compounds 3b, 4b, 5a, 5e, 5f, 6a and 6e. The coupling constants J (\u20132J \u15c1\ub7\u15c2 formalism) had values around \u201313 cm\u20131 for manganese(III) compounds, among the largest AFM coupling constants reported so far for dinuclear MnIII2 derivatives, while values between \u20133 and \u201310 cm\u20131 were obtained for iron(III) compounds

Hologene 5: A Phase II/III Clinical Trial of Combined Cell and Gene Therapy of Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of devastating genetic diseases characterized by skin and mucosal fragility and formation of blisters, which develop either spontaneously or in response to minor mechanical trauma. There is no definitive therapy for any form of EB. Intermediate junctional EB (JEB) caused by mutations in the gene LAMB3 has been the first genetic skin disease successfully tackled by ex vivo gene therapy. Here, we present a multicenter, open-label, uncontrolled phase II/III study that aims at confirming the efficacy of Hologene 5, a graft consisting of cultured transgenic keratinocytes and epidermal stem cells and meant to combine cell and gene therapy for the treatment of LAMB3-related JEB. Autologous clonogenic keratinocytes will be isolated from patients’ skin biopsies, genetically corrected with a gamma-retroviral vector (γRV) carrying the full-length human LAMB3 cDNA and plated onto a fibrin support (144cm2). The transgenic epidermis will be transplanted onto surgically prepared selected skin areas of at least six JEB patients (four pediatric and two adults). Evaluation of clinical efficacy will include, as primary endpoint, a combination of clinical parameters, such as percentage of re-epithelialization, cellular, molecular, and functional parameters, mechanical stress tests, and patient-reported outcome (PRO), up to 12months after transplantation. Safety and further efficacy endpoints will also be assessed during the clinical trial and for additional 15years in an interventional non-pharmacological follow-up study. If successful, this clinical trial would provide a therapeutic option for skin lesions of JEB patients with LAMB3 mutations and pave the way to a combined cell and gene therapy platform tackling other forms of EB and different genodermatoses. Clinical Trial Registration: EudraCT Number: 2018-000261-36

The role of gaping behaviour in habitat partitioning between coexisting intertidal mussels

Background Environmental heterogeneity plays a major role in invasion and coexistence dynamics. Habitat segregation between introduced species and their native competitors is usually described in terms of different physiological and behavioural abilities. However little attention has been paid to the effects of behaviour in habitat partitioning among invertebrates, partially because their behavioural repertoires, especially marine benthic taxa, are extremely limited. This study investigates the effect of gaping behaviour on habitat segregation of the two dominant mussel species living in South Africa, the invasive Mytilus galloprovincialis and the indigenous Perna perna. These two species show partial habitat segregation on the south coast of South Africa, the lower and upper areas of the mussel zone are dominated by P. perna and M. galloprovincialis respectively, with overlap in the middle zone. During emergence, intertidal mussels will either keep the valves closed, minimizing water loss and undergoing anaerobic metabolism, or will periodically open the valves maintaining a more efficient aerobic metabolism but increasing the risk of desiccation. Results Our results show that, when air exposed, the two species adopt clearly different behaviours. M. galloprovincialis keeps the shell valves closed, while P. perna periodically gapes. Gaping behaviour increased water loss in the indigenous species, and consequently the risk of desiccation. The indigenous species expressed significantly higher levels of stress protein (Hsp70) than M. galloprovincialis under field conditions and suffered significantly higher mortality rates when exposed to air in the laboratory. In general, no intra-specific differences were observed in relation to intertidal height. The absence of gaping minimises water loss but exposes the invasive species to other stresses, probably related to anoxic respiration. Conclusions Gaping affects tolerance to desiccation, thus influencing the vertical zonation of the two species. Valve closure exposes the invasive species to higher stress and associated energy demands, but it minimizes water loss, allowing this species to dominate the upper mussel zone, where the gaping indigenous P. perna cannot survive. Thus even very simple behaviour can influence the outcome of interactions between indigenous and invasive species

Comparative mitogenomic analyses and gene rearrangements reject the alleged polyphyly of a bivalve genus

Background: The order and orientation of genes encoded by animal mitogenomes are typically conserved, although there is increasing evidence of multiple rearrangements among mollusks. The mitogenome from a Brazilian brown mussel (hereafter named B1) classified as Perna perna Linnaeus, 1758 and assembled from Illumina short-length reads revealed an unusual gene order very different from other congeneric species. Previous mitogenomic analyses based on the Brazilian specimen and other Mytilidae suggested the polyphyly of the genus Perna. Methods: To confirm the proposed gene rearrangements, we sequenced a second Brazilian P. perna specimen using the "primer-walking" method and performed the assembly using as reference Perna canaliculus. This time-consuming sequencing method is highly effective when assessing gene order because it relies on sequentially-determined, overlapping fragments. We also sequenced the mitogenomes of eastern and southwestern South African P. perna lineages to analyze the existence of putative intraspecific gene order changes as the two lineages show overlapping distributions but do not exhibit a sister relationship. Results: The three P. perna mitogenomes sequenced in this study exhibit the same gene order as the reference. CREx, a software that heuristically determines rearrangement scenarios, identified numerous gene order changes between B1 and our P. perna mitogenomes, rejecting the previously proposed gene order for the species. Our results validate the monophyly of the genus Perna and indicate a misidentification of B1.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio