Taxonomic and phylogenetic relations of Allium chamaespathum Boiss., a remarkable species of Balkan Flora

Allium chamaespathum Boiss., the only autumn-flowering species of Sect. Allium, was studied based on morphology, karyology, seed coat microsculpturing and DNA sequences from several populations

Allium albanicum (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Balkans and its relationships with A. meteoricum Heldr. & Hausskn. ex Halácsy

A new species, Allium albanicum, is described and illustrated from Albania (Balkan Peninsula). It grows on serpentines or limestone in open rocky stands with a scattered distribution, mainly in mountain locations. Previously, the populations of this geophyte were attributed to A. meteoricum Heldr. & Hausskn. ex Halácsy, described from a few localities of North and Central Greece. These two species indeed show close relationships, chiefly regarding some features of the spathe valves, inflorescence and floral parts. They also share the same diploid chromosome number 2n =16 and similar karyotype, while seed testa micro-sculptures and leaf anatomy reveal remarkable differences. There are also several morphological features that allow them to be differentiated at specific level. The inclusion of both species into a newly described section Pseudoscorodon of the subgen. Allium is proposed. An analytic key to the species, included in the new section, is also provided

Taxonomical and chorological remarks on the Mediterranean Poa maroccana (Poaceae) and the first record in Italy from the Sicilian flora

Poa maroccana is an annual Mediterranean species, which is recorded for the first time from Sicily and for the entire territory of Italy. It usually occurs in synanthopic habitats, represented mainly by urban and suburban roadsides, where it is quite sporadic. Based on current knowledge, it has been hitherto reported only in a few localities of the Mediterranean area, specifically in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Syria and Crimea. Field observations and herbarium investigations have shown that this species is often mistaken for P. annua, mainly due to its morphological similarities, as well as for having the same ecological needs, therefore its real geographical distribution has yet to be verified. Although the two species are both tetraploids (2n = 28), they clearly differ in numerous relevant features concerning the shape and size of ligules, inflorescence, spikelet, glumes, palea, lemma, anthers, lodicules and seed. In order to better clarify the relationships of P. maroccana with P. annua and other annual species of this genus occurring in the Mediterranean, a careful morphological description and an iconography are provided, as well as a comparative morphological table of all allied species and also an analytical key for their easy identification

Phytosociological research on temporary ponds in Apulia (southern Italy)

The ephemeral hygrophilous vegetation occurring in the temporary ponds of Apulia (southern Italy) weres studied following the phytosociological approach. On the base of 153 phytosociological relevés carried out during the period 2015-2018, 19 associations were identified, of which 16 described for the first time. All the associations belong to the Isoeto-Nanojuncetea class. The surveyed associations can be arranged in two orders, such as Isoetetalia, including those with a winter-spring cycle and Nanocyperetalia, regarding those with a summertime cycle. The identified association has been examined in detail, and for each one, we provided a phytosociological table. The communities belonging to the Isoetetalia are 17 and arranged in four alliances (Isoetion, Preslion cervinae, Cicendio filiformis-Solenopsion laurentiae, Agrostion salmanticae); instead, those ones of Nanocyperetalia are two both included in the Verbenion supinae. In order to highlight the relationships among the associations, all the relevés used for this investigation are processed. Overall, this analysis confirms the autonomy of the associations, grouping them according to the syntaxonomic arrangement proposed by the authors. Taxonomic investigations on the flora occurring in these habitats allowed the detection of two new subspecies of Solenopsis laurentia, both with a different autoecology

Validation of associations for the temporary ponds of the class Isoeto-Nanojuncetea in Puglia (southern Italy)

This paper presents the validation of 16 new associations, described in a previous contribution, for the temporary ponds of the class Isoeto-Nanojuncetea in Apulia (southern Italy)

Taxonomic and ecological remarks on Solenopsis bivonae species complex (Campanulaceae)

The populations usually attributed to Solenopsis bivonae (Tineo) M.B.Crespo, Serra & A.Juan are investigated from a taxonomical and morphological viewpoint. Within this species complex, four new subspecies occurring in Sicily and Calabria are recognized, such as subsp. bivonae, subsp. madoniarum, subsp. peloritana and subsp. brutia. In addition, a new species from Cyprus described as S. meikleana and S. bacchettae from Sardinia must be included in this group. The synonymy, typification, description, seed testa morphology, chorology, ecology, illustrations, conservation status, and examined specimens for each taxon are provided. Besides, the analytical keys, distribution maps, and phytosociological arrangement regarding these taxa are given too

SNAVA—A real-time multi-FPGA multi-model spiking neural network simulation architecture

© . This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Spiking Neural Networks (SNN) for Versatile Applications (SNAVA) simulation platform is a scalable and programmable parallel architecture that supports real-time, large-scale, multi-model SNN computation. This parallel architecture is implemented in modern Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) devices to provide high performance execution and flexibility to support large-scale SNN models. Flexibility is defined in terms of programmability, which allows easy synapse and neuron implementation. This has been achieved by using a special-purpose Processing Elements (PEs) for computing SNNs, and analyzing and customizing the instruction set according to the processing needs to achieve maximum performance with minimum resources. The parallel architecture is interfaced with customized Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to configure the SNN's connectivity, to compile the neuron-synapse model and to monitor SNN's activity. Our contribution intends to provide a tool that allows to prototype SNNs faster than on CPU/GPU architectures but significantly cheaper than fabricating a customized neuromorphic chip. This could be potentially valuable to the computational neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering communities.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Global and Regional IUCN Red List Assessments: 5

In this contribution, the conservation status of four vascular plants according to IUCN categories and criteria are presented. It includes the assessment of Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M.Bieb., Ionopsidium albiflorum Durieu, Trifolium latinum Sebast., and Vicia incisa M.Bieb. at a Regional level (Italy)

Expression and localization of CHI3L1 in monocyte derived dendritic cells

Chitinase-3-like-1 protein (CHI3L1) also called YKL-40, is a 40 kDa mammalian glycoprotein which is a heparin, chitin and collagen binding member of the mammalian chitinase-like proteins. Biological activities of CHI3L1 embrace regulation of cell proliferation, adhesion, angiogenesis, migration and activation. CHI3L1 is produced by variety of cells, including neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, osteoclasts and Kupffer cells [1]. CHI3L1 secretion is induced by interferon (INF)-g and interleukin (IL)-6 and is an acute phase reactant associated with disease severity and mortality in a variety of infectious [2]. In this study, we have examined the expression and localization of CHI3L1 during the differentiation and maturation of monocyte derived dendritic cells by real time RT-PCR, Western Blot, Confocal Immunofluorescence, and Immunocytochemical assays. Potential nuclear localization signal (NLS) was determinated using the open source software cNLS Mapper and Chimera. Peripheral blood monocytes were differentiated toward immature DCs (iDC) and mature DCs (mDCs) through a combination of factors and cytokines. Our result showed, for the first time, that CHI3L1 is expressed during the process of differentiation and maturation of DCs in time dependent manner. Furthermore, CHI3L1 is evenly distributed in cytoplasm and in the nucleus of both the iDCs and mDCs. In conclusion, the discovery of CHI3L1 expression in DCs has opened new dilemma for designing DC-based cancer immunotherapeutic. In fact, on the light of these results one can’t exclude that as well as activated Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) also DCs infiltration could to be a significant unfavorable prognostic factor for cancer patients

Chitotriosidase expression in monocyte-derived dendritic cells

Chitotriosidase (CHIT1) belongs to 18 glycosyl-hydrolase family, an ancient gene family that is widely expressed from prokaryotes to eukaryotes [1]. CHIT1 is a very critical enzyme to regulate the susceptibility to infection of organisms containing chitin as structural components. Conversely, during the development of acute/chronic inflammatory disorders, the enzymatic activity of CHIT1 increases significantly. The CHIT1 is expressed in activated macrophages as well in different lines monocyte-derived such as Kupffer cells and osteoclasts [2]. So far, it is unknown whether CHIT1 is expressed in other cells involved in the immune response such as monocyte-derived DCs. In this study we have investigated whether CHIT1 is produced in monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs) and the differential expression of CHIT1 during the different stage of moDCs differentiation. The presence of CHIT1 were examined by real time RT-PCR, Western Blot and Confocal Immunofluorescence, in Immature Dendritic cells (iDCs), generated from human monocytes by stimulation with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) and in mature Dendritic cells (mDCs), obtained by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-g). We observed that CHIT1 was expressed during the DCs differentiation and maturation process in time dependent manner. The maturation of DCs showed a significantly increased expression of CHIT1 mRNA and protein. Furthermore, the CHIT1 was evenly distributed in cytoplasm both in iDCs and in mDCs. The enzymatic activity confirmed that CHIT1 could play a role in moDCs function. Taken together, our data confirm the crucial role of CHIT1 in primary immune responses and indicate that could be correlated with the immunogenicity of DCs