Diversity of salt response among yeasts

Forty-two yeast strains from 27 species belonging to seven genera, selected for their ability to grow in 10% NaCl, have been analysed for their resistance to salt concentrations up to 5 M, by calculating the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC). Using eight different NaCl concentrations from 0 to 5M, results show that halotolerance (MIC) ranges from 1.7 to 3.8 M NaCl, with an avera ge around 2.5 M and confirm that the most halotolerant strains belong to the speciesDebaryomyces hansenii. Since a real halophily could not be found in these isolates, and is generally questioned to be present among the yeast, the effects of NaCl has been measured as salt enhancement effect on growth (MSE), which is defined as the rate between the growth at a given NaCl concentration and theowth in the medium without addition of salt. The implications of these findings in food microbial ecology and technology are discussed

Microstratigraphic Records as Tools for the Detection of Climatic Changes in Tana di Badalucco Cave (Liguria, NW Italy)

Tana di Badalucco cave is located in Imperia (Liguria, Italy), not far from the French border. This site is scarcely known and it has never been studied accurately, even though dierent archaeological excavations have returned really important elements, both in the archaeological and the paleoenvironmental aspects. Its stratigraphy ranges from Middle Paleolithic to Metal Ages, thus it has registered important climate and environmental variations specific to the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene. From 2012, the Soprintendenza Archeologia della Liguria, the Museo di Archeologia Ligure, and DiSTAV (University of Genova) have been collaborating in order to finally study this promising and complex stratigraphy, trying to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental context of the region. In this work, we present what we were able to assess thanks to the use of micromorphology, the study of undisturbed thin soil sections. This technique has proven useful in recognizing the alternating of cold and warmer conditions during the Quaternary, as well as in identifying primitive signs of human and animal occupation

The menstrual distress questionnaire (MEDI-Q) : reliability and validity of the English version

Background: Menstrual cycle has a significant impact on women’s health from different perspectives, both physically and psychologically. The assessment of menstrual-related distress is of pivotal clinical interest, especially in women with chronic exposure to abnormal bleeding or pain. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MEDI-Q) is a new tool originally developed in Italian that comprehensively evaluates menstrual-related distress. Objective: To validate the English version of the MEDI-Q in an English-speaking population. Methods: The study consisted of two phases: an initial translation phase of the original Italian version of the MEDI-Q, and a data collection phase to validate the new English version among 288 native English-speaking women. Results: The English version of MEDI-Q showed excellent psychometric properties, with high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95). Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between MEDI-Q scores and scores on measures of psychological distress and premenstrual symptoms. Conclusions: The English version of the MEDI-Q is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of menstrual distress and its impact on psychological well-being. This tool can be utilized in research and clinical settings to comprehensively investigate the impact of menstruation on various populations, identify and monitor menstruation-related disorders promptly and effectively, and to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted treatments for menstrual distress

Icno-archeology of a human palaeolithic ecosystem: The human and animal footprints in the Grotta Della Basura (Toirano, Northern Italy)

The footprints of human and animal trackmakers, which around 12,000 years B.P. attended the Cave of B\ue1sura (Toirano, Liguria, Northern Italy), were studied through morpho-classificatory and morphometric approaches. First results indicate at least three different human producers, two youths and the third of tender age, bears and wolves (or dogs). Analysis of the data demonstrate the power of 3D, of landmark based morphometrics and the utility to use the methods of forensic anthropology in the determination of human foot-prints. The analysis of the number of trackmakers using the PCA analysis on 'multi-trampling' surfaces could represent a model in the study of cave sites

Towards a map of the Upper Pleistocene loess of the Po Plain Loess Basin (Northern Italy)

Upper Pleistocene (MIS 4-2) loess sequences occur in most of continental Europe and in Northern Italy along the Po Plain Loess Basin. Loess is distributed along the flanks of the Po Plain and was deposited on glacial deposits, fluvial terraces, uplifted isolated hills, karst plateaus, slopes and basins of secondary valleys. Loess bodies are generally tiny and affected by pedogenesis, being locally slightly reworked by slope processes and bioturbation. Notwithstanding, loess in the Po Plain is an important archive of paleoenviron-mental record and its mapping provides new insights in paleoenvironmental and palaeoseismic reconstructions of Northern Ital

Towards a map of the Upper Pleistocene loess of the Po Plain Loess Basin (Northern Italy)

Upper Pleistocene (MIS 4-2) loess sequences occur in most of continental Europe and in Northern Italy along the Po Plain Loess Basin. Loess is distributed along the flanks of the Po Plain and was deposited on glacial deposits, fluvial terraces, uplifted isolated hills, karst plateaus, slopes and basins of secondary valleys. Loess bodies are generally tiny and affected by pedogenesis, being locally slightly reworked by slope processes and bioturbation. Notwithstanding, loess in the Po Plain is an important archive of paleoenviron-mental record and its mapping provides new insights in paleoenvironmental and palaeoseismic reconstructions of Northern Italy