Response to metal stress of Nicotiana langsdorffii plants wild-type and transgenic for the rat glucocorticoid receptor gene

Recently our findings have shown that the integration of the gene coding for the rat gluco-corticoid receptor (GR receptor) in Nicotiana langsdorffii plants induced morphophysiological effects in transgenic plants through the modification of their hormonal pattern. Phytohormones play a key role in plant responses to many different biotic and abiotic stresses since a modified hormonal profile up-regulates the activation of secondary metabolites involved in the response to stress. In this work transgenic GR plants and isogenic wild type genotypes were exposed to metal stress by treating them with 30 ppm cadmium(II) or 50 ppm chromium(VI). Hormonal patterns along with changes in key response related metabolites were then monitored and compared. Heavy metal up-take was found to be lower in the GR plants. The transgenic plants exhibited higher values of S-abscisic acid (S-ABA) and 3-indole acetic acid (IAA), salicylic acid and total polyphenols, chlorogenic acid and antiradical activity, compared to the untransformed wild type plants. Both Cd and Cr treatments led to an increase in hormone concentrations and secondary metabolites only in wild type plants. Analysis of the results suggests that the stress responses due to changes in the plant's hormonal system may derive from the interaction between the GR receptor and phytosteroids, which are known to play a key role in plant physiology and development. (C) 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved

ANALISI ETICA DELLE NUOVE SFIDE E DEI NUOVI APPROCCI ALLA CONSERVAZIONE DELLA FAUNA SELVATICA

Questo lavoro presenta studi indipendenti che applicano i principi dell'etica della conservazione sia per sviluppare ed applicare strumenti etici per valutare approcci innovativi ai progetti di conservazione di specie di mammiferi in pericolo critico sia per le questioni etiche derivanti dalle nuove sfide nella conservazione della fauna selvatica dopo l'epidemia COVID-19. L'etica della conservazione svolge un ruolo fondamentale nell'identificare e analizzare le questioni eticamente rilevanti derivanti dai progetti di conservazione. Inoltre, fornisce strumenti basati su principi etici appropriati e articolati per guidare il processo decisionale dei conservazionisti. I progetti di conservazione devono effettuare una valutazione etica approfondita dalla fase concettuale della proposta fino alla sua conclusione, non solo per rispettare il quadro giuridico, ma anche per valutare l'accettabilità delle procedure e migliorare gli standard di qualità. A questo scopo, è stato sviluppato e applicato uno strumento di valutazione etica (ETHAS) per le tecnologie di riproduzione assistita (ARTs) e le tecnologie avanzate di riproduzione assistita (aARTs) applicate al progetto di conservazione dei rinoceronti bianchi settentrionali (Ceratotherium simum cottoni). Anche se l'obiettivo finale dei progetti di conservazione è quello di ripristinare le popolazioni selvatiche attualmente da salvare, le specie minacciate richiedono comunque una gestione ex-situ nelle strutture zoologiche. Per essere efficaci e affidabili nella loro missione, queste istituzioni devono agire in modo etico e godere di una buona reputazione presso il pubblico. Qui viene presentato uno strumento per valutare la reputazione degli zoo: Lo Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS). Lo ZERS è un sondaggio progettato con item ad hoc per analizzare l'opinione pubblica sulle caratteristiche che possono influenzare la reputazione di uno zoo, concentrandosi sugli aspetti etici. L'epidemia di COVID-19, tra l'altro, ha rappresentato una grande minaccia sia per la reputazione dello zoo, che ha dovuto affrontare sfide nuove e inaspettate, sia per la conservazione delle specie selvatiche. Il modo in cui i media inquadravano le notizie poteva plasmare in modo sostanziale la percezione del rischio da parte dell'opinione pubblica, promuovendo o scoraggiando la tolleranza del pubblico nei confronti della fauna selvatica. Qui viene presentato un lavoro che ha analizzato le notizie online sui pipistrelli pubblicate nei media mondiali prima e durante la pandemia COVID-19, per valutare se il modo in cui le notizie venivano scritte potesse mettere a rischio la conservazione di questi animali. La pandemia COVID-19 ha avuto un forte impatto anche sulle istituzioni zoologiche. Improvvisamente, gli operatori zoologici si sono trovati di fronte a difficoltà inaspettate nel mantenere elevati standard di benessere degli animali e nel portare avanti i loro progetti educativi e di conservazione. Nell' ultima parte del presente lavoro, vengono presentati i risultati di un sondaggio per valutare la consapevolezza del pubblico sull'impatto della pandemia sulle istituzioni zoologiche.This work presents independent studies that apply tenets of conservation ethics both to develop and apply ethical tools to assess innovative approaches to conservation projects of critically endangered mammalian species and ethical issues arising from new challenges in wildlife conservation after the COVID-19 outbreak. Conservation ethics play a fundamental role in identifying and analyzing ethically relevant issues arising from conservation projects. Furthermore, it provides tools based on appropriate and articulated ethical principles to guide conservationists’ decision-making. Conservation projects need to make a thorough ethical evaluation from the conceptual stage of the proposal to its end, not only to respect the legal framework but also to assess the acceptability of the procedures and enhance the quality standards. To this aim, it was developed and applied an ethical assessment tool (ETHAS) for assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and advanced assisted reproductive technologies (aARTs) applied to the conservation project of the northern white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum cottoni). Even if the final goal of conservation projects is to restore wild populations currently to be saved, threatened species still require ex-situ management in zoological facilities. To be effective and trusted in their mission, these institutions must act ethically and have a good reputation among the general public. Here, it is presented a tool for Assessing the Reputation of Zoos: The Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS). ZERS is a survey designed with ad hoc items to analyze public opinion on features that can influence the reputation of a zoo, focusing on ethical aspects. The COVID-19 outbreak, among other things, has represented a big threat both to the zoo’s reputation, since they had to face new and unexpected challenges, and to the conservation of wildlife species. The way the media were framing news could substantially shape public risk perception, promoting or discouraging public tolerance towards wildlife. Here it is presented a work that analyzed global media reports on bats before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess if the way news was framed could jeopardize the conservation of these animals. The COVID-19 pandemic also greatly impacted zoological institutions. Abruptly, zoo workers faced unexpected difficulties in maintaining high animal welfare standards and continuing their educational and conservational projects. In the last part of the present work, it is presented the results of a survey to assess the public’s awareness of the impact of the pandemic on zoological institutions

Comparative determination of some phytohormones in wild-type and genetically modified plants by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

The analytical performances of two optimized analytical methodologies used for the determination of auxins, cytokinins, and abscisic acid in plant samples were critically compared. Phytohormones were extracted from Nicotiana glauca samples using a modified Bieleski solvent and determined both by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), after derivatization with N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA), and by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC– MS/MS) on the Bieleski extract without any further treatment. HPLC–MS/MS gave better results in terms of higher coefficients of determination of the calibration curves, higher and more reproducible recoveries, lower limits of detection, faster sample preparation, and higher sample throughput. Thus, two sets of N. glauca and N. langsdorffii samples, both wild-type and genetically modified by inserting the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene encoding for the rat glucocorticoid receptor, were first characterized by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis and then analyzed by HPLC–MS/MS. Significant differences in the phytohormone content between the two sample sets were found and are very important in terms of understanding the mechanisms and effects on growth processes and the development of transgenic plants

Development of A Tool for Assessing the Reputation of Zoos: The Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS)

Nowadays, most zoos have taken prominent and active positions in endangered species conservation and educating visitors about the value of biodiversity. However, to be effective and trusted in their mission, they must act ethically and have a good reputation. Yet, the drivers that can influence their reputation are still little investigated, and there are still few studies focused on assessing the reputation of these institutions. In the present work, we report the development of a tool, the Zoo Ethical Reputation Survey (ZERS), and its pilot application to assess the opinions of the visitors of two zoos, one in Italy and one in Germany, on drivers that may influence the ethical reputation of zoos. Preliminary results based on the answers of 274 respondents show that visitors' opinions on zoos acting with ethical responsibility are correlated with emotional appeal and familiarity with these institutions. The application of ZERS can help zoos identify weaknesses in their reputation and develop new strategies to improve people's attitudes towards them, bringing many benefits to the individual zoo and zoological institutions in general

Ethical Analysis of the Application of Assisted Reproduction Technologies in Biodiversity Conservation and the Case of White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) Ovum Pick-Up Procedures

Originally applied on domestic and lab animals, assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) have also found application in conservation breeding programs, where they can make the genetic management of populations more efficient, and increase the number of individuals per generation. However, their application in wildlife conservation opens up new ethical scenarios that have not yet been fully explored. This study presents a frame for the ethical analysis of the application of ART procedures in conservation based on the Ethical Matrix (EM), and discusses a specific case study—ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures performed in the current conservation efforts for the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)—providing a template for the assessment of ART procedures in projects involving other endangered species

Transgene traceability in transgenic mice: a bioanalytical approach for potential gene-doping analysis

bioanalytical approches for transgene detectio

Global response of conservationists across mass media likely constrained bat persecution due to COVID-19

Most people lack direct experience with wildlife and form their risk perception primarily on information provided by the media. The way the media frames news may substantially shape public risk perception, promoting or discouraging public tolerance towards wildlife. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bats were suggested as the most plausible reservoir of the virus, and this became a recurrent topic in media reports, potentially strengthening a negative view of this ecologically important group. We investigated how media framed bats and bat-associated diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing the content of 2651 online reports published across 26 countries, to understand how and how quickly worldwide media may have affected the perception of bats. We show that the overabundance of poorly contextualized reports on bat-associated diseases likely increased the persecution towards bats immediately after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the subsequent interventions of different conservation communication initiatives allowed pro-conservation messages to resonate across the global media, likely stemming an increase in bat persecution. Our results highlight the modus operandi of the global media regarding topical biodiversity issues, which has broad implications for species conservation. Knowing how the media acts is pivotal for anticipating the propagation of (mis)information and negative feelings towards wildlife. Working together with journalists by engaging in dialogue and exchanging experiences should be central in future conservation management

Ethical Analysis of the Application of Assisted Reproduction Technologies in Biodiversity Conservation and the Case of White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) Ovum Pick-Up Procedures

Originally applied on domestic and lab animals, assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) have also found application in conservation breeding programs, where they can make the genetic management of populations more efficient, and increase the number of individuals per generation. However, their application in wildlife conservation opens up new ethical scenarios that have not yet been fully explored. This study presents a frame for the ethical analysis of the application of ART procedures in conservation based on the Ethical Matrix (EM), and discusses a specific case study—ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures performed in the current conservation efforts for the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni)—providing a template for the assessment of ART procedures in projects involving other endangered species

Characteristics and outcome of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms: report from the Italian network on secondary leukemias

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN) are a complication of cytotoxic treatment for primary tumors and autoimmune diseases. We report data on 277 t-MN patients, recruited between 1999 and 2013 by the Italian Network on Secondary Leukemias (104 retrospectively and 173 prospectively registered). Median age at t-MN diagnosis was 64 years (range, 21–87). Most frequent primary malignancies (PMs) were lymphoproliferative diseases and breast cancer. One hundred and thirty-three patients had received chemotherapy (CHT), 43 patients radiotherapy (RT), and 101 patients combined CHT/RT for PM. Median time between cytotoxic treatment and t-MN was 5.7 years, with t-MN following RT alone associated with significantly longer latency, compared to CHT or combined CHT/RT (mean, 11.2 vs. 7.1 years, P = 0.0005). The addition of topoisomerase-II inhibitors to alkylating agents was associated with shorter latency compared to alkylating agents alone (median, 6 vs. 8.4 years, P = 0.02). Median survival was 14.6 months from t-MN diagnosis, and was significantly longer in patients treated with allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Significant factors for survival at the multivariable analysis included age, adverse karyotype, and degree of anemia. Our data underline the prognostic importance of karyotype and age in t-MN, similar to de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment approaches should not preclude the use of conventional treatments for younger t-MN patients, including allogeneic stem cell transplantation as potentially curative approach