Testing an expanded set of sustainable forest management indicators in Mediterranean coppice area

Although coppice forests represent a significant part of the European forest area, especially across southern Countries, they received little attention within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) processes and scenarios, whose guidelines have been mainly designed to high forests and national scale. In order to obtain “tailored” information on the degree of sustainability of coppices on the scale of the stand, we evaluated (i) whether the main coppice management options result in different responses of the SFM indicators, and (ii) the degree to which the considered SFM indicators were appropriate in their application at stand level. The study considered three different management options (Traditional Coppice TC, coppice under Natural Evolution NE, and coppice under Conversion to high forest by means of periodical thinning CO). In each of the 43 plots considered in the study, which covered three different European Forest Types, we applied a set of eighteen “consolidated” SFM indicators, covering all the six SFM Criteria (FOREST EUROPE, 2020) and, additionally, tested other sixteen novel indicators shaped for agamic forests and/or applicable at stand level. Results confirmed that several consolidated indicators related to resources status (Growing stock and Carbon stock), health (Defoliation and Forest damage), and socio-economic functions (Net revenue, Energy and Accessibility) were highly appropriate for evaluating the sustainability of coppice at stand level. In addition, some novel indicators related to resources status (Total above ground tree biomass), health (Stand growth) and protective functions (Overstorey cover and Understorey cover) proved to be highly appropriate and able to support the information obtained by the consolidated ones. As a consequence, a subset of consolidated SFM indicators, complemented with the most appropriate novel ones, may represent a valid option to support the evaluation of coppice sustainability at stand level. An integrated analysis of the SFM indicators showed that NE and CO display significant higher environmental performances as compared with TC. In addition, CO has positive effects also on socio-economic issues, while TC -which is an important cultural heritage and a silvicultural option that may help to keep local communities engaged in forestry – combines high wood harvesting rates with dense understory cover. Overall, each of the three management options showed specific sustainability values; as a consequence, their coexistence at a local scale and in accordance with the specific environmental conditions and the social-economic context, is greatly recommended since it may fulfill a wider array of sustainability issue

Testing an expanded set of sustainable forest management indicators in Mediterranean coppice area

Although coppice forests represent a significant part of the European forest area, especially across southern Countries, they received little attention within the Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) processes and scenarios, whose guidelines have been mainly designed to high forests and national scale. In order to obtain “tailored” information on the degree of sustainability of coppices on the scale of the stand, we evaluated (i) whether the main coppice management options result in different responses of the SFM indicators, and (ii) the degree to which the considered SFM indicators were appropriate in their application at stand level. The study considered three different management options (Traditional Coppice TC, coppice under Natural Evolution NE, and coppice under Conversion to high forest by means of periodical thinning CO). In each of the 43 plots considered in the study, which covered three different European Forest Types, we applied a set of eighteen “consolidated” SFM indicators, covering all the six SFM Criteria (FOREST EUROPE, 2020) and, additionally, tested other sixteen novel indicators shaped for agamic forests and/or applicable at stand level. Results confirmed that several consolidated indicators related to resources status (Growing stock and Carbon stock), health (Defoliation and Forest damage), and socio-economic functions (Net revenue, Energy and Accessibility) were highly appropriate for evaluating the sustainability of coppice at stand level. In addition, some novel indicators related to resources status (Total above ground tree biomass), health (Stand growth) and protective functions (Overstorey cover and Understorey cover) proved to be highly appropriate and able to support the information obtained by the consolidated ones. As a consequence, a subset of consolidated SFM indicators, complemented with the most appropriate novel ones, may represent a valid option to support the evaluation of coppice sustainability at stand level. An integrated analysis of the SFM indicators showed that NE and CO display significant higher environmental performances as compared with TC. In addition, CO has positive effects also on socio-economic issues, while TC -which is an important cultural heritage and a silvicultural option that may help to keep local communities engaged in forestry – combines high wood harvesting rates with dense understory cover. Overall, each of the three management options showed specific sustainability values; as a consequence, their coexistence at a local scale and in accordance with the specific environmental conditions and the social-economic context, is greatly recommended since it may fulfill a wider array of sustainability issues

Mapping and Assessment of forest Ecosystem and Their Services. Applications and guidance for decision making in the framework of MAES

The aim of this report is to illustrate by means of a series of case studies the implementation of mapping and assessment of forest ecosystem services in different contexts and geographical levels. Methodological aspects, data issues, approaches, limitations, gaps and further steps for improvement are analysed for providing good practices and decision making guidance. The EU initiative on Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES), with the support of all Member States, contributes to improve the knowledge on ecosytem services. MAES is one of the building-block initiatives supporting the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2000

Tubulin-guided dynamic combinatorial library of thiocolchicine-podophyllotoxin conjugates

The use of tubulin as a target to influence the composition of the mixture from a dynamic combinatorial library, based on the disulfide bond exchange reaction, is described. ESI-FT-ICR-MS was used to determine the composition of the library. The heterodimeric compound amplified by this approach was used to design the homologous derivative with a two-carbon spacer in place of the disulfide function. The ability of the compounds to inhibit tubulin polymerization is reported and compared to thiocolchicin

Revisiting the Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Profile in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: The Bologna Pro-Hydro Study

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers have been extensively investigated in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) with the aim of a better differential diagnosis, but the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CSF biomarker changes and the relationship between biomarker levels and clinical variables are still a matter of debate. We evaluated CSF amyloid-β (Aβ) 42 and Aβ 40, total (t)-tau, phosphorylated (p)-tau, total prion protein (t-PrP), and neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) in healthy controls (n=50) and subjects with iNPH (n=71), Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n=60), and several other subtypes of dementia (n=145). Patients with iNPH showed significantly lower levels of Aβ 42, Aβ 40, t-tau, and p-tau compared to controls. Similarly, t-PrP values showed a trend toward lower levels in iNPH patients than in controls. At variance, NfL levels were increased in iNPH as in all other neurodegenerative dementias, with no significant difference between "pure" iNPH cases and those with vascular or AD comorbidities. The Aβ 42 /Aβ 40 ratio showed higher diagnostic value than Aβ 42 alone in the differential diagnosis between iNPH and AD. There were no clinically relevant associations between neuroimaging markers, scores at clinical and cognitive scales/tests, or rates of response at tap test and CSF biomarker results. In summary, the CSF biomarker signature in patients with iNPH is mainly characterized by reduced CSF concentrations of Aβ- and tau-related proteins. The assessment of CSF neurodegenerative biomarker profile in iNPH, including the Aβ 42 /Aβ 40 ratio, contributes to the differential diagnosis with AD and other dementias but shows poor associations with clinical variables

The PI3K/AKT pathway is activated by HGF in NT2D1 non\u2010seminoma cells and has a role in the modulation of their malignant behavior

Overactivation of the c\u2010MET/HGF system is a feature of many cancers. We previously reported that type II testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) cells express the c\u2010MET receptor, forming non\u2010seminomatous lesions that are more positive compared with seminomatous ones. Notably, we also demonstrated that NT2D1 non\u2010seminomatous cells (derived from an embryonal carcinoma lesion) increase their proliferation, migration, and invasion in response to HGF. Herein, we report that HGF immunoreactivity is more evident in the microenvironment of embryonal carcinoma biopsies with respect to seminomatous ones, indicating a tumor\u2010dependent modulation of the testicular niche. PI3K/AKT is one of the signaling pathways triggered by HGF through the c\u2010MET activation cascade. Herein, we demonstrated that phospho\u2010AKT increases in NT2D1 cells after HGF stimulation. Moreover, we found that this pathway is involved in HGF\u2010dependent NT2D1 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, since the co\u2010administration of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 together with HGF abrogates these responses. Notably, the inhibition of endogenous PI3K affects collective cell migration but does not influence proliferation or chemotactic activity. Surprisingly, LY294002 administered without the co\u2010administration of HGF increases cell invasion at levels comparable to the HGF\u2010administered samples. This paradoxical result highlights the role of the testicular microenvironment in the modulation of cellular responses and stimulates the study of the testicular secretome in cancer lesions

Report: sintesi scientifica e valutazione integrata dei risultati del progetto LIFE FutureForCoppiceS: gestione sostenibile dei boschi cedui nel sud Europa: indicazioni per il futuro dall'eredità di prove sperimentali (con Sintesi per gestori e decisori politici). Deliverable del progetto LIFE FutureForCoppiceS, Azione B.9

Il ceduo è una forma di governo antico che ha modellato il paesaggio forestale europeo fin dai primi insediamenti umani. Allo stato attuale rappresenta più del 10% della superficie forestale europea ed è molto diffuso, in particolare nell’Europa meridionale dove caratterizza gran parte delle aree collinari e montane; in Italia occupa circa 3.6 milioni di ettari. Di recente, anche a livello internazionale, si è registrata una rinnovata attenzione verso il ‘tema del ceduo’, in parte dovuta alla crescente esigenza di riduzione dell’uso dei combustibili fossili facendo ricorso alle risorse rinnovabili, in parte alle intrinseche qualità del ceduo – maggiore affidabilità della rinnovazione e rapido sequestro di carbonio – con interessanti risvolti nella mitigazione degli effetti del cambiamento climatico. Tuttavia i boschi cedui sono tuttora scarsamente considerati negli scenari di Gestione Forestale Sostenibile (GFS). Il Progetto LIFE FutureForCoppiceS è stato ideato per contribuire allo sviluppo della GFS dei boschi di origine cedua nel Sud Europa. In particolare tre sono stati gli obiettivi principali: 1. testare, dimostrare e divulgare il valore degli Indicatori di GFS nei cedui; 2. valutare la sostenibilità delle principali opzioni gestionali; 3. applicare i risultati a scala geografica più ampia, simulando cambiamenti gestionali rispetto allo stato attuale. Per la prima volta nell’ambito dei boschi di origine agamica, sono stati utilizzati Criteri e Indicatori di GFS di FOREST EUROPE per valutare la sostenibilità del governo a ceduo alla scala di popolamento o di unità di gestione. Complessivamente, nell’ambito dei sei Criteri di GFS, sono stati testati 38 indicatori, di cui 12 consolidati e 26 nuovi, in quanto appositamente formulati per i boschi cedui. Il conseguimento di questi obiettivi è stato reso possibile anche grazie alla disponibilità di dati storici relativi a 45 aree sperimentali di lungo periodo, distribuite in Toscana e Sardegna, caratterizzate da tre Tipi Forestali Europei (faggete montane, foreste decidue termofile e foreste di latifoglie sempreverdi), sottoposte a tre diverse opzioni gestionali: ceduo tradizionale, evoluzione naturale e conversione ad alto fusto. Questo report fornisce una sintesi scientifica integrata dei risultati del progetto e una sintesi finale per i gestori e i responsabili politici. Valore degli indicatori GFS. La maggior parte degli indicatori testati (26 dei 38) sono risultati appropriati in termini di capacità informativa, applicabilità, replicabilità e costi. Sette di questi indicatori sono risultati particolarmente idonei in quanto in grado di discriminare le diverse opzioni gestionali considerate dal progetto: Stock di carbonio, Massa in piedi, Biomassa epigea totale, Copertura del sottobosco, Reddito netto, Energia e Accessibilità per fini ricreativi. Sostenibilità delle tre opzioni gestionali. Ciascuna delle tre opzioni gestionali favorisce differenti aspetti della sostenibilità. ● Il Ceduo tradizionale esalta la produzione legnosa e gli aspetti socio-economici, come evidenziato dai valori elevati i) del rapporto tra massa utilizzata e incremento e legna da ardere, ii) dei prodotti non legnosi e iii) del reddito netto. Per contro, si osserva una ridotta massa in piedi con un basso stock di carbonio e bassa vitalità (limitatamente al faggio). ● L’Evoluzione naturale valorizza gli aspetti legati al ciclo del carbonio, allo stato di salute e vitalità degli ecosistemi forestali, come confermato da alti valori di massa in piedi e relativo stock di carbonio e bassi valori di defogliazione e danni (per il faggio). Per contro, appaiono penalizzati gli aspetti socioeconomici per i quali risultano: basso il valore ricreativo, nulli i redditi e il recupero di scarti legnosi a fini energetici, per assenza di utilizzazioni. ● La Conversione a alto fusto, che coniuga elevate biomasse in piedi e possibilità di utilizzazioni attraverso i diradamenti, ha effetti positivi sugli aspetti ambientali (biodiversità, energia da scarti forestali) e socio-economici come reddito netto e, soprattutto, valori ricreativi. Applicazione dei risultati a scala più ampia. LIFE FutureForCoppiceS ha simulato cambiamenti di gestione rispetto allo stato attuale, interessando al massimo il 10% della superficie totale dei tre tipi forestali: quattro scenari con aumento della gestione a ceduo e conversione a alto fusto; due scenari con aumento dell’evoluzione naturale. Le simulazioni sono state elaborate a livello locale, regionale e nazionale. ● La riduzione dell’intensità di gestione produce effetti positivi sul ciclo del carbonio (Criterio 1) e sulla salute e vitalità delle foreste (Criterio 2). Per contro, si registrano performance inferiori per le funzioni produttive (Criterio 3) e per quelle socio-economiche (Criterio 6). ● L’ aumento dell’intensità di gestione, seppure in misura contenuta, comporta un miglioramento delle funzioni produttive (Criterio 3) e socio-economiche (Criterio 6). D’altra parte, si registrano prestazioni inferiori per il contributo al ciclo del carbonio (Criterio 1). Poiché ognuna delle tre opzioni gestionali considerate promuove aspetti diversi della sostenibilità, la loro coesistenza e contiguità, alle varie scale e in proporzioni variabili a seconda delle condizioni ambientali specifiche e del contesto socio-economico, è fortemente raccomandata. E’ infine confermata l’importanza di disporre, a livello regionale, nazionale e europeo, di statistiche sui cedui e sulle principali opzioni di gestione, informazioni oggi spesso carenti, per poter promuovere, attraverso appropriati indicatori di GFS, l’uso sostenibile e multifunzionale di questa forma di governo che rappresenta una parte rilevante della superficie forestale europea, contribuendo così al conseguimento degli obiettivi della EU Forest Strateg