Checklist of free-living nematode species in the transitional environment of Lake Varano (Southern Italy)

Llista patró d’espècies de nematodes de vida lliure a l’ambient de transició del llac Varano (sud d’Itàlia)Aquest estudi documenta per primera vegada la composició taxonòmica de la comunitat de nematodes i el nombre d’espècies de nematodes de vida lliure presents al llac Varano, al sud de la mar Adriàtica (Itàlia). La comunitat de nematodes estava composta principalment per espècies típiques dels sediments fins predominants en ambients de transició (TE). En conjunt, es va registrar un nombre elevat d’espècies de nematodes (56) pertanyents a 36 gèneres de 17 famílies. Aquests valors són comparables en gran mesura amb els registrats en altres TE italians, però inferiors als registrats en altres sistemes d’aigües salabroses europeus, probablement en relació amb el baix nivell de salinitat del llac Varano. Es van identificar quaranta taxons a nivell d’espècie, la qual cosa incrementa el nombre d’espècies conegudes de nematodes marins a les costes italianes de 443 a 463, a la conca de l’Adriàtica de 310 a 313 i al sud de la mar Adriàtica de 37 a 77. Atesa la importància d’aquest fílum per a la valoració de la qualitat ecològica i la gran vulnerabilitat dels ecosistemes de la mar Adriàtica, s’hauria de planificar la intensificació de les accions de mostreig, especialment a la part centre-meridional de la conca. Un pla així proporcionaria nous coneixements de la biogeografia d’un dels components més importants del bentos i podria aportar nova informació sobre els efectes de l’escalfament climàtic a la mar Adriàtica.This study documents for the first time the taxonomic composition of the nematode community and the number of free–living nematode species in Lake Varano, Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy. The nematode community was mainly composed of species typical of fine sediments that usually prevail in transitional environments (TEs). An overall high number of nematode species was recorded (55), belonging to 36 genera in 17 families. These values are highly comparable to those reported for other Italian TEs, but appear lower than those recorded in other European brackish–water systems, probably in relation to the low salinity range of Lake Varano. Forty taxa were identified up to species level, thus increasing the number of the nematode marine species known for the Italian coasts from 443 to 463, for the Adriatic basin from 310 to 313, and for the Southern Adriatic sector from 37 to 77. Considering the importance of this phylum in the assessment of ecological quality and the great vulnerability of the Adriatic Sea ecosystems, an intensification of sampling efforts should be planned, especially in the Central–Southern part of the basin. Such a plan would provide new insights into the biogeography of one of the most important components of the benthic domain and potentially yield new information about the climate warming effects on the Adriatic Sea.Lista patrón de especies de nematodos de vida libre en el ambiente de transición del lago Varano (sur de Italia)Este estudio documenta por primera vez la composición taxonómica de la comunidad de nematodos y el número de especies de nematodos de vida libre presentes en el lago Varano, al sur del mar Adriático (Italia). La comunidad de nematodos estaba compuesta principalmente por especies típicas de los sedimentos finos predominantes en ambientes de transición (TE). En conjunto, se registró un elevado número de especies de nematodos (55) pertenecientes a 36 géneros de 17 familias. Estos valores son comparables en gran medida a los registrados en otros TE italianos, pero inferiores a los registrados en otros sistemas de aguas salobres europeos, probablemente en relación con el bajo nivel de salinidad del lago Varano. Se identificaron cuarenta taxones a nivel de especie, lo que incrementa el número de especies conocidas de nematodos marinos en las costas italianas de 443 a 463, en la cuenca del Adriático de 310 a 313 y en el sur del mar Adriático de 37 a 77. Considerando la importancia de este fílum para la valoración de la calidad ecológica y la gran vulnerabilidad de los ecosistemas del mar Adriático, debería planificarse la intensificación de las acciones de muestreo, especialmente en la parte centro-meridional de la cuenca. Un plan de este tipo proporcionaría nuevos conocimientos de la biogeografía de uno de los componentes más importantes del bentos y podría aportar nueva información acerca de los efectos del calentamiento climático en el mar Adriático

Meiofauna Biodiversity and Ecology

Meiofauna are small organisms ranging 30–500 μm in body size, inhabiting marine sediments and other substrata all over the world, even the most extreme ones. We can find many different meiofaunal species in a very small handful of sediment, with the most varied and curious shapes, that share peculiar lifestyles, ecological relationships, and evolutionary traits. They contribute significantly to the processes and functioning of marine ecosystems, thanks to their high abundance and taxonomical diversity, fast turnover and metabolic rates. Some meiofaunal taxa have also revealed their considerable utility in the evaluation of the ecological quality of coastal marine sediments in accordance with European Directives. Therefore, understanding the distribution patterns of their biodiversity and identifying the factors that control it at a global level and in different types of habitats is of great importance. Due to their very small morphological characteristics utilized for the taxonomical identification of these taxa, the suite of necessary skills in taxonomy, and the general taxonomic crisis, many young scientists have been discouraged to tackle meiofauna systematics. The papers collected in this book, however, bring together important themes on the biology, taxonomy, systematics, and ecology of meiofauna, thanks to the contribution of researchers from around the world from the USA, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba, Italy, Belgium, France, Denmark, Russia, Kuwait, Vietnam, and South Korea. This was certainly an additional opportunity to build a more solid network among experts in this field and contribute to increasing the visibility of these tiny organisms. A special thanks to Prof. Wonchoel Lee for the wonderful taxonomic drawings of the species described in this volume that contribute to make our cover unique

A review of Italian research on free-living marine nematodes and the future perspectives on their use as Ecological Indicators (EcoInds)

The use of free-living marine nematodes as ecological indicators (EcoInds) of human impacts has increased greatly in Italy since 1990. This paper is a summary of the Italian research experience in the study of nematode assemblages of shallow water habitats, and provides a breakdown of the most important insights that have been obtained so far. Although nematodes are among the best candidates for the Ecological Quality (EcoQ) assessment in the benthic domain, many guidelines need to be developed and limits overcome. Italian research has certainly contributed to the achievement of this purpose with highly focused local investigations on the effects of specific stressors (riverine and sewage discharge, aquaculture, trace elements and hydrocarbons), but also to a large extent with wider analyses aimed at finding new and valuable tools for monitoring programs and useful nematode descriptors, in line with the European Directives. Currently, the Italian and foreign experiences in this field draw light to the fact that the best nematode descriptors for the EcoQ assessment are the taxonomic composition and life strategy traits. However, nematode worldwide research is running the risk of being marginalized because of the relatively narrow scope of most contemporary studies. Nematode researchers should work in a nematologist community in order to better promote the use of nematodes such as EcoInds in the era of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). In the present paper, possible steps to obtain this goal are brought to the reader's attention and discussed

β-Arrestin 1 is required for endothelin-1-induced NF-κB activation in ovarian cancer cells

Aims In epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), activation of endothelin-1 (ET-1)/endothelin A receptor (ETAR) signalling is linked to many tumor promoting effects, such as proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. These effects are dependent by the activation of critical signalling pathways, such as MAPK, Akt, and β-catenin, through specific cytosolic and nuclear scaffolding functions of β-arrestin 1 (β-arr1). Here, we have assessed the potential role of ET-1/ETAR in promoting NF-κB signalling in EOC cells through β-arr-1 recruitment. Main methods We used cultured HEY EOC cells cultured in the presence or absence of ET-1 and the ETAR antagonist BQ123. The phosphorylation of p65 and Iκ-Bα was evaluated by immunoblotting analysis. The interaction between p65 and β-arr1 was evaluated by immunoprecipitation experiments in nuclear extracts. NF-κB promoter activity was evaluated by transfection with NF-κB-driven luciferase reporter construct. Assessment of the function of β-arr1 was achieved by β-arr1 silencing with shRNA and expression of β-arr1-FLAG expression vector. Key findings In EOC cells, ET-1 promotes the phosphorylation of p65 subunit and the cytoplasmic inhibitor IκB that in turn led to increased NF-κB transcriptional activity. These effects were inhibited by the use of BQ123, as well as by β-arr-1 silencing, suggesting that ET-1 through ETAR promotes the recruitment of β-arr1 to regulate NF-κB signalling. Moreover, the nuclear physical interaction between p65 and β-arr1 indicates a nuclear function of β-arr-1 in ETAR-driven NF-κB transcriptional activity. Significance Altogether these findings reveal a previously unrecognized pathway that depends on β-arr1 to sustain NF-κB signalling in response to ETAR activation in ovarian cancer

The nematode assemblage of a coastal lagoon (Lake Varano, southern Italy): ecology and biodiversity patterns

Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar cuál y en qué medida los parámetros ambientales influyen en la diversidad taxonómica y funcional de los nematodos y clasificar por primera vez el Estado de la Calidad Ecológica (EQS) de un ambiente de transición como la laguna de Varano (Italia meridional). La composición y el nivel de divesidad taxonómica son comparables con los reportados en todo el mundo para TEs. El análisis de componentes principales reveló que los factores que controlan la composición y las características biológicas de las comunidades son el tamaño del gránulo, la materia orgánica (MO), el índice de aportes contaminados (PLI) y sólo secundariamente la salinidad. Molgolaimus allgeni, Terschellingia longicaudata y Leptolaimus luridus aumentan en número en relación con el limo, la MO y el PLI, mientras Axonolaimus caudostriatus, Odontophora wieseri, Paramonhystera pelúcida y Paracanthonchus longicaudatus muestran valores más altos en relación con el potencial redox y el porcentaje de arena. La salinidad tuvo una influencia secundaria y en particular sobre las especies Calomicrolaimus honestus, Daptonema normandicum, Thalassomonhystera parva and Sabatieria pulchra. Con respecto a las caracteristicas funcionales, los grupos tróficos parecen estar relacionados, principalmente, con el tipo de sedimento, lo que a su vez influye en la naturaleza de los alimentos disponibles. El índice de madurez, así como las clases c-p, no siempre permite una clara interpretación de la interacción de factores naturales y antropogénicos, sin embargo, la mayor influencia de los canales San Antonino y San Francesco fue revelada por la comunidad de nematodos. De acuerdo a las clases de Calidad Ecológica (EcoQ) corrientes el Estado de Calidad Ecológica de la laguna de Varano varía entre bueno y pobre

Assessment of the ecological quality (EcoQ) of the Venice lagoon usingthe structure and biodiversity of the meiofaunal assemblages

partially_open3noTransitional Environments (TEs) have been deeply modified to meet human requirements, and for thisreason are currently ranked among the most endangered aquatic ecosystems. The Adriatic basin hosts alarge number of TEs of which the Lagoon of Venice is the largest one, but information on its meiofauna arevery dated or focused to localized areas. The present study is the first to document the spatial distributionof meiofauna in the whole Venice lagoon. Furthermore, the health status of the TE of Venice has beenassessed by means of several faunal parameters (richness, diversity indices, structure of the entire meio-faunal assemblage and only rare taxa). All the univariate meiofaunal parameters (i.e. richness, diversityindices, Ne:Co ratio) were consistent in highlighting the worst ecological quality of the Porto Margheradistrict. Instead, the structure of the entire meiofaunal assemblage as well as that of rare taxa seemed todetect variations not directly related to pollution and likely due to the different hydrodynamic conditionsof Lido and Malamocco inlets. On the basis of our results, we have also critically discussed the usefulnessof the various faunal parameters in the monitoring assessment of the TEs.openSemprucci, Federica; Balsamo, Maria; Sandulli, RobertoSemprucci, Federica; Balsamo, Maria; Sandulli, Robert

Advanced EHF Technologies for Lightweight Augmentation / Restoration Communications Satellites

Small EHF satellites can significantly complement the anti-jam service provided by basic EHF MILSATCOM space segments. Mobile/survivable launch vehicles with rapid launch preparations can be utilized to responsively deploy these small satellites into high altitude elliptical or circular orbits. From such orbits, only a few satellites are needed to provide high duty cycle coverage of a critical area. The communications capabilities provided by these EHF payloads can range from low data rate services (75 to 2400 bps per channel) to high data rate links (10 Mbps or more per link) depending on the payload configuration. Through the use of EHF waveform standards, these augmentation/ restoration satellites will be compatible with existing and planned EHF terminals. Advanced technologies permit the development of the highly capable lightweight payloads required for these roles. Some of the key payload technologies include adaptive uplink antennas; high speed low power digital signal processing subsystems; lightweight frequency hopping synthesizers; and efficient solid-state transmitters

Caratterizzazione di materiali compositi tramite prove di compressione di lastre piane

Lo scopo della tesi è stato trovare parametri geometrici atti all'ottenimento di risultati conformi per la fixture, studiando il variare dei risultati al variare di parametri, quali layup, trigger, luce e velocità della provacr. La fixture viene utilizzata per caratterizzare materiali compositi tramite prove di compressione per lastre piane

Essential Oils as Nematicides in Plant Protection-A Review

By 2030, the European Commission intends to halve chemical pesticide use and its consequent risks. Among pesticides, nematicides are chemical agents used to control parasitic roundworms in agriculture. In recent decades, researchers have been looking for more sustainable alternatives with the same effectiveness but a limited impact on the environment and ecosystems. Essential oils (EOs) are similar bioactive compounds and potential substitutes. Different studies on the use of EOs as nematicides are available in the Scopus database in the scientific literature. These works show a wider exploration of EO effects in vitro than in vivo on different nematode populations. Nevertheless, a review of which EOs have been used on different target nematodes, and how, is still not available. The aim of this paper is to explore the extent of EO testing on nematodes and which of them have nematicidal effects (e.g., mortality, effects on motility, inhibition of egg production). Particularly, the review aims to identify which EOs have been used the most, on which nematodes, and which formulations have been applied. This study provides an overview of the available reports and data to date, downloaded from Scopus, through (a) network maps created by VOSviewer software (version 1.6.8, Nees Jan van Eck and Ludo Waltman, Leiden, The Netherlands) and (b) a systematic analysis of all scientific papers. VOSviewer created maps with keywords derived from co-occurrence analysis to understand the main keywords used and the countries and journals which have published most on the topic, while the systematic analysis investigated all the documents downloaded. The main goal is to offer a comprehensive understanding of the potential use of EOs in agriculture as well as which directions future research should move toward