Correction: Role of solute-solvent hydrogen bonds on the ground state and the excited state proton transfer in 3-hydroxyflavone. A systematic spectrophotometric study

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Metabolic signatures of germination triggered by kinetin in Medicago truncatula

In the present work, non-targeted metabolomics was used to investigate the seed response to kinetin, a phytohormone with potential roles in seed germination, still poorly explored. The aim of this study was to elucidate the metabolic signatures of germination triggered by kinetin and explore changes in metabolome to identify novel vigor/stress hallmarks in Medicago truncatula. Exposure to 0.5 mM kinetin accelerated seed germination but impaired seedling growth. Metabolite composition was investigated in seeds imbibed with water or with 0.5 mM kinetin collected at 2 h and 8 h of imbibition, and at the radicle protrusion stage. According to Principal Component Analysis, inositol pentakisphosphate, agmatine, digalactosylglycerol, inositol hexakisphosphate, and oleoylcholine were the metabolites that mostly contributed to the separation between 2 h, 8 h and radicle protrusion stage, irrespective of the treatment applied. Overall, only 27 metabolites showed significant changes in mean relative contents triggered by kinetin, exclusively at the radicle protrusion stage. The observed metabolite depletion might associate with faster germination or regarded as a stress signature. Results from alkaline comet assay, highlighting the occurrence of DNA damage at this stage of germination, are consistent with the hypothesis that prolonged exposure to kinetin induces stress conditions leading to genotoxic injury.publishersversionpublishe

Visible light 3D printing with epoxidized vegetable oils

Stereolithography is a 3D printing technique in which a liquid monomer is photopolymerized to produce a solid object. The most widely used materials usually belong to the family of acrylate monomers, and photopolymerization occurs through a radical pathway. Photoinitiators can absorb UV or (less often) visible light, producing radicals for direct decomposition or hydrogen abstraction. Due to the toxicity of acrylates, vegetable oil-derived monomers were used in this study. In fact, vegetable oils contain unsaturations, and thus, they can be exploited as monomers. In particular, linseed oil, tung oil or edible oils (soybean, sunflower or corn) could be good candidates as raw materials. Unfortunately, the photoinduced radical polymerization of these oils either does not occur or is too slow for 3D printing applications. For this reason, the oils were modified as epoxides. Epoxides are monomers that are more reactive than natural oils, and they can be polymerized via a cationic mechanism. The aim of this work was to exploit visible light generated by a common digital projector (like those used in classrooms) as a light source. Since the tested photoacid generators working under visible light are ineffective for the polymerization of epoxidized oils, a multi-component photo-initiating mixture was used

Using flood water in Managed Aquifer Recharge schemes as a solution for groundwater management in the Cornia valley (Italy)

The lower Cornia valley aquifer system (Tuscany, Italy) provides the only source of water for drinking, irrigation, industrial purposes and it also contributes to the water needs of the nearby Elba island. Since 60 years, intensive exploitation of groundwater resulted in consistent head lowering and water balance deficit, causing subsidence, reduction of groundwater dependent ecosystems, and salinization of freshwater resources. Rebalancing the water budget of the hydrologic system is the main objective of the LIFE REWAT project (sustainable WATer management in the lower Cornia valley through demand REduction, aquifer Recharge and river REstoration; http://www.liferewat.eu). Here, five demonstration measures (river restoration; Managed Aquifer Recharge; reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation; high irrigation efficiency scheme; leakage management in water distribution systems) are set in place for promoting water resource management, along with capacity building and participatory actions. A pilot Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) infiltration basin for using flood-water was designed and set in operation in Suvereto, testing the new-issued Italian regulation on artificial recharge of aquifers (DM 100/2016). The infiltration basin is located at a pre-existing topographical low near the Cornia River. The river, having intermittent flow, provides the recharge water during high flow periods, including floods, and when discharge is above the minimum ecological flow. The infiltration basin is set in a groundwater recharge area where the aquifer is constituted by gravel and sands. A preliminary project and an executive one were prepared and discussed with the relevant authorities, following one-year long monthly monitoring of surface- and ground-water. The project was supported by a groundwater flow modelling-based approach using the FREEWAT platform (www.freewat.eu). The facility consists of the following elements: i) intake work on the River Cornia; ii) the inlet structure control system, managed by quality (mass spectrometer defining surface water spectral signature) and level probes, and allowing pumping into the facility at predefined head and chemical quality thresholds; iii) a sedimentation basin; iv) the infiltration area (less than 1 ha large); v) the operational monitoring system, based on a network of piezometers where both continuous data (head, T, EC, DO) are gathered and discrete measurements/sampling performed. The cost of construction of the plant is about 300000 C well below the cost of a surface water reservoir for a similar storage. Depending on the climatic conditions, the estimated volume of diverted surface water may vary between 300000 m3/year and 2 Mm3/year. Being the facility a pilot one, diverted water discharge ranges between 20 to 50 l/s. Minimal site development and modification was required, resulting in a no-impact water-work, while providing ecosystem benefits by reconnecting and inundating former abandoned riverbeds. The effectiveness of such pilot may demonstrate the potential for Flood-MAR schemes to increase water availability in scarcity prone areas

Water planning and management in the Cornia river plain by means of the gis-integrated freewat platform

Coastal aquifer, Cornia valley, Tuscany, Managed Aquifer Recharge, FREEWAT platform

Geographical heterogeneity of clinical and serological phenotypes of systemic sclerosis observed at tertiary referral centres. The experience of the Italian SIR-SPRING registry and review of the world literature

Introduction: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by a complex etiopathogenesis encompassing both host genetic and environmental -infectious/toxic- factors responsible for altered fibrogenesis and diffuse microangiopathy. A wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes may be observed in patients' populations from different geographical areas. We investigated the prevalence of specific clinical and serological phenotypes in patients with definite SSc enrolled at tertiary referral centres in different Italian geographical macro-areas. The observed findings were compared with those reported in the world literature.Materials and methods: The clinical features of 1538 patients (161 M, 10.5%; mean age 59.8 +/- 26.9 yrs.; mean disease duration 8.9 +/- 7.7 yrs) with definite SSc recruited in 38 tertiary referral centres of the SPRING (Systemic sclerosis Progression INvestiGation Group) registry promoted by Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) were obtained and clustered according to Italian geographical macroareas.Results: Patients living in Southern Italy were characterized by more severe clinical and/or serological SSc phenotypes compared to those in Northern and Central Italy; namely, they show increased percentages of diffuse cutaneous SSc, digital ulcers, sicca syndrome, muscle involvement, arthritis, cardiopulmonary symptoms, interstitial lung involvement at HRCT, as well increased prevalence of serum anti-Scl70 autoantibodies. In the same SSc population immunusppressive drugs were frequently employed. The review of the literature underlined the geographical heterogeneity of SSc phenotypes, even if the observed findings are scarcely comparable due to the variability of methodological approaches.Conclusion: The phenotypical differences among SSc patients' subgroups from Italian macro-areas might be correlated to genetic/environmental co-factors, and possibly to a not equally distributed national network of information and healthcare facilities

COVID-19 in rheumatic diseases in Italy: first results from the Italian registry of the Italian Society for Rheumatology (CONTROL-19)

OBJECTIVES: Italy was one of the first countries significantly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. The Italian Society for Rheumatology promptly launched a retrospective and anonymised data collection to monitor COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), the CONTROL-19 surveillance database, which is part of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance. METHODS: CONTROL-19 includes patients with RMDs and proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) updated until May 3rd 2020. In this analysis, only molecular diagnoses were included. The data collection covered demographic data, medical history (general and RMD-related), treatments and COVID-19 related features, treatments, and outcome. In this paper, we report the first descriptive data from the CONTROL-19 registry. RESULTS: The population of the first 232 patients (36% males) consisted mainly of elderly patients (mean age 62.2 years), who used corticosteroids (51.7%), and suffered from multi-morbidity (median comorbidities 2). Rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequent disease (34.1%), followed by spondyloarthritis (26.3%), connective tissue disease (21.1%) and vasculitis (11.2%). Most cases had an active disease (69.4%). Clinical presentation of COVID-19 was typical, with systemic symptoms (fever and asthenia) and respiratory symptoms. The overall outcome was severe, with high frequencies of hospitalisation (69.8%), respiratory support oxygen (55.7%), non-invasive ventilation (20.9%) or mechanical ventilation (7.5%), and 19% of deaths. Male patients typically manifested a worse prognosis. Immunomodulatory treatments were not significantly associated with an increased risk of intensive care unit admission/mechanical ventilation/death. CONCLUSIONS: Although the report mainly includes the most severe cases, its temporal and spatial trend supports the validity of the national surveillance system. More complete data are being acquired in order to both test the hypothesis that RMD patients may have a different outcome from that of the general population and determine the safety of immunomodulatory treatments

Racial differences in systemic sclerosis disease presentation: a European Scleroderma Trials and Research group study

Objectives. Racial factors play a significant role in SSc. We evaluated differences in SSc presentations between white patients (WP), Asian patients (AP) and black patients (BP) and analysed the effects of geographical locations.Methods. SSc characteristics of patients from the EUSTAR cohort were cross-sectionally compared across racial groups using survival and multiple logistic regression analyses.Results. The study included 9162 WP, 341 AP and 181 BP. AP developed the first non-RP feature faster than WP but slower than BP. AP were less frequently anti-centromere (ACA; odds ratio (OR) = 0.4, P < 0.001) and more frequently anti-topoisomerase-I autoantibodies (ATA) positive (OR = 1.2, P = 0.068), while BP were less likely to be ACA and ATA positive than were WP [OR(ACA) = 0.3, P < 0.001; OR(ATA) = 0.5, P = 0.020]. AP had less often (OR = 0.7, P = 0.06) and BP more often (OR = 2.7, P < 0.001) diffuse skin involvement than had WP.AP and BP were more likely to have pulmonary hypertension [OR(AP) = 2.6, P < 0.001; OR(BP) = 2.7, P = 0.03 vs WP] and a reduced forced vital capacity [OR(AP) = 2.5, P < 0.001; OR(BP) = 2.4, P < 0.004] than were WP. AP more often had an impaired diffusing capacity of the lung than had BP and WP [OR(AP vs BP) = 1.9, P = 0.038; OR(AP vs WP) = 2.4, P < 0.001]. After RP onset, AP and BP had a higher hazard to die than had WP [hazard ratio (HR) (AP) = 1.6, P = 0.011; HR(BP) = 2.1, P < 0.001].Conclusion. Compared with WP, and mostly independent of geographical location, AP have a faster and earlier disease onset with high prevalences of ATA, pulmonary hypertension and forced vital capacity impairment and higher mortality. BP had the fastest disease onset, a high prevalence of diffuse skin involvement and nominally the highest mortality

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages