Measurement and Modeling of Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in Catania, Italy using Biophysical Remote Sensing and GIS

This experimental study examined spatial variation of ground level ozone (O3) in the city of Catania, Italy using thirty passive samplers deployed in a 500-m grid pattern. Significant spatial variation in ground level O3 concentrations (ranging from 12.8 to 41.7 g/m3) was detected across Catania’s urban core and periphery. Biophysical measures derived from satellite imagery and built environment characteristics from GIS were evaluated as correlates of O3 concentrations. A land use regression model based on four variables (land surface temperature, building area, residential street length, and distance to the coast) explained 74% of the variance (adjusted R2) in measured O3. The results of the study suggest that biophysical remote sensing variables are worth further investigation as predictors of ground level O3 (and potentially other air pollutants) because they provide objective measurements that can be tested across multiple locations and over time

Comparative Analyses of Urban Air Quality Monitoring Systems: Passive Sampling and Continuous Monitoring Stations

Abstract Indicative methods of measurement are an economical and efficient way of preliminarily evaluating urban air quality. In November and December 2012, there was a campaign to measure NO2, C6H6 and O3 around the city of Catania (Italy) using diffusive samplers (Passam model). Placing the samplers at the fixed sampling sites of the city's monitoring network allowed for a comparison of the concentration values measured by continuous samplers (reference method) with those obtained from passive samplers. For the comparison, the time data of the continuous samplers were mediated as a function of the number of hours of diffusive sampler exposure. With the help of meteorological data from the Sicilian Information Agrometeorological Service (SIAS), it was possible to verify and evaluate any uncertainties associated with the passive samples, since the sample amounts are a function of meteorological variables given they are collected by diffusion. Finally, a statistical analysis based on linear regression highlighted a good correlation between the passive samplers and the fixed monitoring stations

Analysis of Vertical Profile of Particulates Dispersion in Function of the Aerodynamic Diameter at a Congested Road in Catania

Abstract During last decades the aerosol concentrations have increased causing a further restriction of current regulations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that the impact of aerosol air pollution to health, especially for PM10 and PM2.5, constitutes one of the main preoccupations in terms of the interaction health-environment. Since last report about air quality in Europe, published by European Environment Agency (EEA), it is evident that the 90% of citizens of European citiesis exposed to very dangerous pollution levels and, furthermore, it has been estimated that between 2009 and 2011 the 96% of population of main European cities was subjected to aerosol levels greater than the limits imposed by WHO. One of the main tasks of UE, within 2020, is aiming at reducing the pollution with a consequent improvement of its effects to health. In this work it was analyzed experimentally the distribution of aerosol particles in function of the sampling height and the aerodynamic diameters of particles. There were used portable samplers. The experimental campaign was conduced during rush hours in a high congested road of Catania at three different heights. Thanks to analysis of variance (ANOVA) it was possible to verify the interaction between the aerodynamic diameter of particles and the considered sampling heights

Analysis of the Covenant of Mayors Initiative in Sicily

Abstract In the European scene a breakthrough in the field of environmental sustainability is represented by the innovative model of multi-level governance, introduced by European Community in 2008, well known as the "Covenant of Mayors". It is an initiative that involves countries, cities and regions that voluntarily commit to reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases, through the so-called "20-20-20", that is to reduce by 2020 the 20% of CO2, generating 20% of energy from renewable sources with a reduction of the 20% of energy consumption. The aim of the initiative is to provide a practical tool in order to guide municipalities in the process of drafting a SEAP (Sustainable Energy Action Plan) according to the European Guidelines drawn up by the Covenant of Mayors Office (Co.MO). Since 2012 the new regional government of Sicily has followed carefully the initiative "Covenant of Mayors" by establishing a technical, scientific and organizational structure called "Control room for the Covenant of Mayors". The Control room has been as promoter of cultural activities with information and educational purpose, organizing and following meetings with many delegates of all municipalities in Sicily. This path led to a full participation of many Sicilian municipalities, recovering the previous gap during the early years of the initiative. In this analysis, a general overview about the participation of all regions of Italy is exposed, focusing the attention on on the virtuous path undertaken by the Region of Sicily. A more accurate statistical analysis by using several indexes has been conducted to better understand the strengths and weakness of this initiative

Air quality data for Catania: analysis and investigation case study: 2010-2011

Abstract This paper focuses on the principal atmospheric pollutants monitored in Catania (Italy) according to European Directive 50/2008. A couple of years, 2012 and 2013 have been considered as a study period. The monitoring system of Catania is made up of five stations that control the presence of the air pollutants in the most important anthropic areas of the urban territory. First of all the mechanisms of formation of the main pollutants have been summarized in order to identify the main causes and effects in urban environment. The raw data have been collected and validated according the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by the Ecologic and Environmental research unit of the municipality of Catania. The trend of all pollutants during the two cited years have been investigated and the results highlight that the most principal polluting gas is NO 2 confirming the trend of the previous years. A further analysis of what the principal causes of pollution in Catania could be,has been conducted in order to evaluate possible actions to reduce the atmospheric pollution. As a result it has been demonstrated that the principal cause of the atmospheric pollutant emissions is connected to private urban mobility. The experimental results demostrated that the principal cause of the atmospheric pollutant emissions is connected to private urban mobility. A development of realistic mathematical model will be the object of future research works

Synthesis, biological activity, pharmacokinetic properties and molecular modelling studies of novel 1H,3H-oxazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazoles: non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors

New 1H,3H-oxazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazoles (OBZs) were synthesized as HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) to extend the structure-activity relationships observed for an early series of related 1H,3H-thiazolo[3,4-a]benzimidazole derivatives (TBZs). The new compounds showed inhibitory activity against the replication of various HIV-1 strains, including NNRTI-resistant strains. Testing of a representative OBZ derivative in an HPLC assay on biological fluids, indicated that the sulphur substitution appreciably improved the metabolic stability of the TBZ compound. In addition, molecular modelling studies demonstrated that OBZs, TBZs and other NNRTIs have similar structural properties, that is a butterfly-like conformation, which is a key structural requirement for reverse transcriptase inhibition

Potential therapeutic targets for ALS: MIR206, MIR208b and MIR499 are modulated during disease progression in the skeletal muscle of patients

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons followed by muscle weakness, paralysis and death. The disease progression is extremely variable among patients, and reliable prognostic markers have not been identified. The aim of the study was to functionally characterize selected genes and microRNAs acting in the skeletal muscle of ALS patients, taking into account the duration and evolution of the disease, in order to obtain information regarding the muscle response to ALS progression. This prospective, longitudinal study enrolled 14 ALS patients and 24 age- A nd sex-matched healthy controls. Gene expression and histological analysis indicated an increase of MIR208B and MIR499 levels and the predominance of slow fibres, respectively, in the muscles of patients with a slower disease progression. A decreased expression of MIR206 and increased levels of HDAC4, during the progression of the disease were also observed. Taken together, our data suggest that the molecular signalling that regulates re-innervation and muscle regeneration is hampered during the progression of skeletal muscle impairment in ALS. This could provide precious hints towards defining prognostic protocols, and designing novel tailored therapeutic approaches, to improve ALS patients' care and delay disease progression

European traditional tomatoes galore: a result of farmers’ selection of a few diversity-rich loci

A comprehensive collection of 1254 tomato accessions, corresponding to European traditional and modern varieties, early domesticated varieties, and wild relatives, was analyzed by genotyping by sequencing. A continuous genetic gradient between the traditional and modern varieties was observed. European traditional tomatoes displayed very low genetic diversity, with only 298 polymorphic loci (95% threshold) out of 64 943 total variants. European traditional tomatoes could be classified into several genetic groups. Two main clusters consisting of Spanish and Italian accessions showed higher genetic diversity than the remaining varieties, suggesting that these regions might be independent secondary centers of diversity with a different history. Other varieties seem to be the result of a more recent complex pattern of migrations and hybridizations among the European regions. Several polymorphic loci were associated in a genome-wide association study with fruit morphological traits in the European traditional collection. The corresponding alleles were found to contribute to the distinctive phenotypic characteristic of the genetic varietal groups. The few highly polymorphic loci associated with morphological traits in an otherwise a low-diversity population suggests a history of balancing selection, in which tomato farmers likely maintained the morphological variation by inadvertently applying a high selective pressure within different varietal types.This work was supported by the European Commission H2020 research and innovation program through TRADITOM grant agreement no. 634561, G2P-SOL, grant agreement no. 677379, and HARNESSTOM grant agreement no. 101000716. MP is grateful to the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for a postdoctoral grant (IJC2019-039091-I/AEI/10.13039/501100011033).Postprint (published version