Preliminary results on the preferences of Callosobruchus maculatus on Apulian germplasm of Cicer arietinum

The susceptibility of six genotypes of Cicer arietinum L. (Fabaceae) to Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) was evaluated through comparative laboratory bioassays. The egg-laying amount, pattern of adult emergence, median development time and pre-adult mortality were assessed under free-choice and no-choice bioassays on three local genotypes (Altamura, Grumo Appula White and Grumo Appula Black) and three commercial varieties (Barraco, Sultano and standard of large-scale retail trade as control). Trials were performed on a completely randomized experimental design under artificial conditions with the release of males and females (ratio 1:3), at the most 24-h old. Among the assayed genotypes, the local one provided with a black coat (Grumo Appula Black) was significantly (

Learning Cypher

An easy-to-follow guide full of tips and examples of real-world applications. In each chapter, a thorough example will show you the concepts in action, followed by a detailed explanation.This book is intended for those who want to learn how to create, query, and maintain a graph database, or who want to migrate to a graph database from SQL. It would be helpful to have some familiarity with Java and/or SQL, but no prior experience is required

Brainlets: "instant" Semantic Web applications

In this paper we present the "Brainlet " paradigm, a way to create rich Semantic Web user interfaces and interaction environments. Brainlets are half way between configuration files and light scripts and are "executed" by the DBin rich Semantic Web Platform. The main motivation behind Brainlets is enabling domain experts, rather than programmers, to create rich Semantic Web environments and communities. Brainlets can in fact be created simply by XML configuration files and XML based scripts along with the proper ontologies. Advanced Brainlets can be created based on the internal DBin API and/or the Eclipse Rich Client platform API. Brainlets are distributed as plug-ins and enable user communities, providing a common 'vision ' of the domain and tools, to collectively create and exploit rich Semantic Web datasets. 1

Laboratory-based X-ray multianalytical approach to assess the bioavailability of arsenic in contaminated soils

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid element, naturally associated with gold, sulphur, iron and heavy metals and is often found in soils around former mines and industrial sites treating As-bearing minerals. The assessment of the bioavailability of As in these soils is very important in order to protect human and ecosystem health. Earthworms are the most used organisms to assess the bioavailability of As in contaminated soils. The present work aims at evaluating the bioavailability of As in six polluted soils sampled in the industrial area of Scarlino (Tuscany, Italy) and the gold mining site of the Anzasca Valley (Piedmont, Italy), using Eisenia andrei as a bioindicator and a multianalytical X-ray based approach. The soils were preliminary analysed in situ by portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pEDXRF) which detected As concentrations ranging from 20 to 800 mg/kg in Scarlino, and from 20 to 20000 mg/kg in Anzasca Valley. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) detected no As-bearing mineral. Only in the most contaminated soil from Anzasca Valley, jarosite and goethite were detected as minerals formed as a consequence of the alteration of pyrite and arsenopyrite. In order to have more information about As speciation, micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) analysis were performed on soil thin sections, which showed the co-presence of Fe and As around quartz or feldspar grains. This is in accordance with the results of sequential extractions which indicated that As was mainly associated with amorphous and/or well-crystallized Fe oxides and hydroxides. To study As bioavailability, ten sexually mature earthworms were exposed to contaminated and control soils. After 14 days, mortality (which gives information about acute toxicity) and oxidative stress were measured. The chronic toxicity was estimated with reproduction tests after 28 days. μXRF analyses on earthworm thin sections revealed that As accumulates mainly in the coelomic cavity while no As was detected in other parts of the body. Given that As detoxification in earthworms seemed to involve mainly the coelom, coelomic fluids were electrically extruded and the As concentration was estimated via total-reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy. In all cases, no earthworm died after 14 days of exposure to contaminated soils even if an oxidative stress was measured. A chronic toxicity was observed after 28 days with a reduction in new born organisms with the increase of As concentration. TXRF analyses on coelomic fluids suggested that the As concentration in the fluids was closely related with the As available fraction (adsorbed or loosely bound to Fe oxides and hydroxides) and not with the total As concentration in soils. In fact, when a consistent part of the As was associated with well crystallized Fe-hydrous oxides (the low available fraction) the concentration of As in the coelomic fluids was comparable to that found in earthworms exposed to control soils. Finally, this study showed the usefulness of laboratory x-ray based techniques for bioavailability studies and could be used as a base for the development of new procedures for the assessment of As bioavailability in contaminated soils

Bioavailability of arsenic in two Italian industrial contaminated soils

In the present work, the bioavailability of As in soils from two Italian dismissed mining and industrial sites respectively of Valle Anzasca (Piedmont) and Scarlino (Tuscany) is studied coupling biological assays and chemical analyses. The mineralogy and As total content were estimated respectively via XRPD and WDXRF. Sequential extractions coupled with TXRF were used to assess the potential bioaccessibility of As in soils. Mortality and reproduction tests, TXRF and μXRF were performed on earthworms (Eisenia andrei) exposed to contaminated soils in order to assess the eco-toxicity and the bioavailability of As. These preliminary results show that when As is associated with amorphous Fe-hydrous-oxides, the concentration of As in the coelomic fluids is directly related to the As concentration in soil. On the contrary, when As is associated with well crystallized Fe-hydrous-oxides, the concentration of As in the coelomic fluids is comparable with that observed in earthworm exposed to non-contaminated soils

Quantificazione e speciazione dell'arsenico nelle catene alimentari attraverso i raggi X.

La pericolosità dell'Arsenico (As) nei suoli è strettamente correlata alla sua speciazione, che ne influenza la frazione biodisponibile e quindi il reale rischio per le catene alimentari. Il presente contributo vuole fornire i risultati preliminari di analisi di speciazione, bioaccumulo e tossicità acuta e cronica nei lombrichi in suoli contaminati da attività minerarie e industriali che presentano differenti e crescenti concentrazioni di As (35, 60, 170, 730, 3000 e 14000 μg/g). I lombrichi sono potenti bioindicatori largamente usati in studi di ecotossicità di suoli inquinati grazie alla loro capacità di ingerire le particelle del suolo e di avere la superficie corporea continuamente a contatto con il suolo. Lombrichi della specie Eisenia andrei (Bouché) sono stati esposti a microcosmi contaminati e successivamente adoperati per saggi biologici e chimici. Dopo 14 giorni di esposizione il tasso di sopravvivenza, la variazione in peso e lo stress ossidativo dei lombrichi sono stati misurati per una stima della tossicità acuta. La stima della tossicità cronica è stata effettuata valutando la capacità riproduttiva dopo esposizione per 28 giorni (OECD Test). La distribuzione e il bioaccumulo dell'As nei tessuti dei lombrichi sono stati determinati mediante spettroscopia di microfluorescenza di raggi X (μXRF), che consente una mappatura e quantificazione elementare di sezioni dei lombrichi inclusi in resina epossidica. Su tutti i suoli sono state effettuate analisi chimiche e mineralogiche mediante spettrometria XRF (sui suoli tal quali) e μXRF (suoli in sezione sottile), e per diffrazione di raggi X su polveri (XRPD). I risultati preliminari mostrano che in nessun caso l’esposizione ai suoli contaminati è stata letale dopo 14 giorni; il tasso di riproduzione mostra una correlazione negativa con la quantità di As; in tutte le tesi lo stress ossidativo è risultato maggiore rispetto ai suoli di controllo. L’analisi della distribuzione dell’arsenico nelle sezioni trasversali dei lombrichi mediante μXRF ha evidenziato un notevole accumulo dell’elemento nella cavità celomatica piuttosto che nei tessuti. Campioni di fluido celomatico sono in fase di analisi mediante fluorescenza di raggi X a riflessione totale (TXRF) per determinarne il contenuto di As. Per una migliore interpretazione dei risultati sono in corso l’acquisizione di mappe di sezioni longitudinali dei lombrichi con la μXRF ed ulteriori test per valutare altri biomarkers (metallotioneine, malondialdeide, danno genotossico, enzimi antiossidanti come catalasi, superossido dimutasi e glutatione S-transferasi)

The first annotated checklist of Pentatomoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) fauna of Alta Murgia National Park (Apulia region, Southern Italy)

Information regarding Pentatomoidea is scarce in Southern Italy, and in particular concering the Apulia region (Sourthern Italy), an area of high biodiversity potential. We conducted an extensive survey of Pentatomoidea fauna in the Alta Murgia National Park, a Site of Community Importance, and neighbouring areas located in central part of Apulia region. The survey was carried out in 2016, 2017 and 2020, sampling different habitat types. We found 55 species, with five new records for Apulia: Solenosthedium bilunatum, Acrosternum millierei, Sciocoris homalonotus, Cyphostethus tristriatus and Holcogaster fibulata. The polyphagous pest Halyomorpha halys was found only in urban areas, whereas Ventocoris falcatus, Ellipsocoris kalashiani and Tholagmusflavolineatus, considered rare species, were collected in dry grasslands, confirming the crucial role of natural habitat for biodiversity conservation

New eriophyoid mites from Italy. IV. Mites associated with weed plants

Geographical surveys of plant feeders on weeds are essential for finding species which can be studied as classical biological control agents of alien plants. Four eriophyoid species have been collected on well-known weeds surveyed on the Italian territory. A new species, Aceria verbenacae sp. nov., was found on leaf and stem deformations of Salvia verbenaca L. (Lamiaceae) and is described and illustrated. Two Phyllocoptinae species were found for the first time in Italy: Aculus mosoniensis (Ripka & Ã\u89rsek) comb. nov. and Metaculus rapistri Carmona. Aculus mosoniensis was collected on leaf deformations of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae), whereas M. rapistri was collected on leaf and stem deformations of Isatis tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae). Finally, Aceria drabae (Nalepa) was found on deformed leaves and stems of Lepidium draba L. (Brassicaceae) in central Italy. Its previous record in Friuli Venezia Giulia was based only on symptoms observed on the host plants. Three last species are described and illustrated in details to allow morphological comparisons along with previous reports

The Habitat Network for Butterfly Communities of the Alta Murgia National Park (Apulia, Italy)

Habitat networks can help to make habitats more resilient and assist species survival in a fragmented landscape and changing climate. Butterflies are one of the main indicators of diversity due to their high sensitivity to environmental changes. In the context of sudden and unpredictable environmental changes, protection strategies for butterflies at risk of extinction should consider the exact distribution of these species, as well as the various threats to which each of them is subjected. About 290 species of butterflies are reported in Italian fauna, and 120 of them are recorded in Apulia (Southern Italy). In the Alta Murgia National Park (AMNP) (Apulia Region, Italy), screening was performed to study the relationships between area/landscape composition and diurnal butterfly community structure. Representative semi-natural habitats of Alta Murgia buffering productive crops were selected to set up transects/paths along dry grasslands, oak forests and pine forests. Monthly samplings were performed for one year. During the survey, 909 specimens from 53 species were collected. The highest values of butterfly’s abundance and richness were recorded in dry grasslands. A strong positive correlation between butterfly abundance and air temperature was registered (Pearson correlation: r = 0.8; p < 0.001). Melanargia arge, endemic in central-southern Italy and considered threatened in Europe (Annexes II and IV—Habitats Directive), was registered in each habitat. The biodiversity indices (Chao 1, Shannon and Simpson) for each habitat were high and similar to those in protected areas of Sicily. The connected landscape is important for generalist or open-habitat specialists, and large remnants are key for disturbance-sensitive and threatened taxa. The presented evidence can provide useful information on butterfly conservation in the AMNP and for the management and conservation of characteristic landscapes of Alta Murgia

Rank-based biomarker index to asses cadmium eco-toxicity on the earthworm Eisenia andrei.

A proper soil risk assessment needs to estimate the processes that affect the fate and the behaviour of a contaminant, which are influenced by soil biotic and abiotic components. For this reason, the measurement of biomarkers in soil bioindicator organisms, such as earthworms, has recently received increasing attention. In this study, the earthworm Eisenia andrei was used to assess the pollutant-induced stress syndrome after exposure to sublethal concentrations of Cd (10 or 100 microg g-1) in OECD soil, after 14 d of exposure. Cadmium bioaccumulation and potential biomarkers such as catalase (CAT), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA), phenoloxidase (PO), metallothioneins (MTs) and genotoxic damage were determined. Results suggested that the exposure to 10 and 100 mg g1 Cd significantly increased Cd bioaccumulation, MTs and MDA; 100 microg g-1 Cd contamination evidenced significantly higher values of H2O2 content and PO activity; CAT activity was inhibited at the higher concentration while GST and Comet assay did not show any significant differences from the control. Rank-based biomarker index showed that both different contaminated soils had an effect on the earthworms and allowed to validate the ecotoxicological relevance of this battery of biomarkers for a promising integrated multi-marker approach in soil monitoring and assessment