Botanical memory: five centuries of floristic changes revealed by a Renaissance herbarium (Ulisse Aldrovandi, 1551-1586)

We analysed the spatially explicit floristic information available in the herbarium of Ulisse Aldrovandi (1551-1586) to track floristic changes in the surroundings of Bologna across five centuries. Aldrovandi's data were compared with the Flora della Provincia di Bologna by Girolamo Cocconi (1883) and the Floristic Database of Emilia-Romagna (1965-2021). We explored potential variations in native range and life forms composition, and habitat affinity of the species in the three floras, also contrasting between native and alien species. Native species, mainly in terms of variations of hydro-hygrophytes, chamaephytes and therophytes, provide clear signals of human disturbance and habitat loss. Signals of climate change are provided by the high-mountain species, that were comparably rare between Aldrovandi and current flora and more represented in Cocconi, probably reflecting the effect of the Little Ice Age. Our findings also indicate the increasing importance of alien species from the Renaissance onwards. In this perspective, Aldrovandi's herbarium preserves the memory of the first signs of a radical transformation of the European flora and habitats. Finally, the study warns about the risk of dismissing herbaria and herbarium specimens collection, which would cause irreparable lacunas in our botanical memory, hindering our ability to predict biodiversity trajectories

Enhancement of anti-leukemia activity of NK cells in vitro and in vivo by inhibition of leukemia cell-induced NK cell damage

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells induce, in vitro, NK cell abnormalities (NKCAs) including apoptosis and activating receptor down-regulation. The potential negative impact of AML cells on the therapeutic efficacy of NK cell-based strategies prompted us to analyze the mechanisms underlying NKCAs and to develop approaches to protect NK cells from NKCAs. NKCA induction by the AML leukemia cells target a subpopulation of peripheral blood NK cells and is interleukin-2 independent but is abrogated by a long-term culture of NK (LTNK) cells at 37°C. LTNK cells displayed a significantly enhanced ability to damage AML cells in vitro and inhibited the subcutaneous growth of ML-2 cells grafted into CB17 SCID mice. Actinomycin D restored the susceptibility of LTNK cells to NKCAs while TAPI-0, a functional analog of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) 3, inhibits ML-2 cell-induced NKCAs suggesting that the generation of NK cell resistance to NKCAs involves RNA transcription and metalloproteinase (MPP) inactivation. This conclusion is supported by the reduced susceptibility to AML cell-induced NKCAs of LTNK cells in which TIMP3 gene and protein are over-expressed. This information may contribute to the rational design of targeted strategies to enhance the efficacy of NK cell-based-immunotherapy of AML with haploidentical NK cells

Notulae to the Italian flora of algae, bryophytes, fungi and lichens: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the algal genus Chara, for the bryophyte genera Bryum, Grimmia, Cephaloziella, Hypnum, Nogopterium, Physcomitrium, Polytrichastrum, Rhynchostegiella, Saelania, and Schistostega, the fungal genera Cortinarius, Lentinellus, Omphalina, and Xerophorus, and the lichen genera Acarospora, Agonimia, Candelariella, Cladonia, Graphis, Gyalolechia, Hypogymnia, Lichinella, Megalaria, Nephroma, Ochrolechia, Opegrapha, Peltigera, Placidium, Ramalina, Rhizoplaca, Ropalospora, Strangospora, Toniniopsis, Usnea, and Zahlbrucknerell

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 12

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1

Contributi per una flora vascolare di Toscana. XII (739-812)

Vengono presentate nuove località e/o conferme relative a 74 taxa specifici e sottospecifici di piante vascolari della flora vascolare to- scana, appartenenti a 69 generi e 28 famiglie: Bunium, Trinia (Apia- ceae), Nerium (Apocynaceae), Lemna (Araceae), Artemisia, Bidens, Centaurea, Crupina, Gazania, Hieracium, Rhagadiolus, Symphyotri- chum, Tagetes, Tripleurospermum (Asteraceae), Impatiens (Balsami- naceae), Anredera (Basellaceae), Cynoglottis, Phacelia (Boraginaceae), Cardamine, Diplotaxis, Hornungia (Brassicaceae), Campanula, Lobe- lia (Campanulaceae), Cerastium, Dianthus, Polycarpon, Spergularia, Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae), Commelina (Commelinaceae), Fallopia (Convolvulaceae), Sempervivum (Crassulaceae), Dryopteris (Dryopte- ridaceae), Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), Lathyrus, Medicago, Ononis, Trigonella (Fabaceae), Geranium (Geraniaceae), Lycopus, Stachys (Lamiaceae), Malva (Malvaceae), Anacamptis, Cephalanthera, Epi- pactis, Orchis (Orchidaceae), Linaria (Plantaginaceae), Ceratochloa, Eragrostis, Festuca, Gastridium, Hyparrhenia, Molineriella, Phalaris, Phyllostachys, Setaria, Sporobolus, Stipellula (Poaceae), Anogramma (Pteridaceae), Anemonoides, Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae), Reseda (Resedaceae), Alchemilla, Kerria, Pyracantha, Rosa, Rubus (Rosa- ceae), Galium, Valantia (Rubiaceae), Thesium (Santalaceae). Infine, viene discusso lo status di conservazione delle entità e gli eventuali vincoli di protezione dei biotopi segnalati

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. materia

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. material

Contributi per una flora vascolare di toscana. IX (507-605)

Contributions for a vascular flora of Tuscany. IX (507-605). New localities and/or confirmations concerning 98 specific and subspecific plant taxa of Tuscan vascular flora, belonging to 81 genera and 42 families are presented: Alisma, Baldellia (Alismataceae), Chenopodium (Amaranthaceae), Sternbergia (Amaryllidaceae), Bupleurum (Apiaceae), Vinca (Apocynaceae), Muscari, Polygonatum (Asparagaceae), Carlina, Centaurea, Chondrilla, Filago, Pallenis, Tagetes, Tr a - gopogon, Tyrimnus (Asteraceae), Impatiens (Balsaminaceae), Campsis (Bignoniaceae), Cardamine, Iberis, Isatis, Lepidium, Rorippa (Brassicaceae), Humulus (Cannabaceae), Centranthus (Caprifoliaceae), Atocion, Paronychia, Sabulina, Scleranthus (Caryophyllaceae), Euonymus (Celastraceae), Fumana (Cistaceae), Phedimus, Sedum (Crassulaceae), Juniperus (Cupressacesae), Carex, Cyperus, Schoenus (Cyperaceae), Erica (Ericaceae), Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae), Astragalus, Cytisus, Gleditsia, Lotus, Trifolium, Vicia (Fabaceae), Geranium (Geraniaceae), Philadelphus (Hydrangeaceae), Phacelia (Hydrophyllaceae), Hermodactylus, Iris, Romulea (Iridaceae), Salvia, Ziziphora (Lamiaceae), Gagea, Lilium (Liliaceae), Lindernia (Linderniaceae), Mirabilis (Nyctaginaceae), Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae), Ligustrum (Oleaceae), Oenothera (Onagraceae), Oxalis (Oxalidaceae), Plantago, Veronica (Plantaginaceae), Armeria (Plumbaginaceae), Eleusine, Festuca, Phleum, Setaria, Stipa, Tragu s (Poaceae), Stuckenia (Potamogetonaceae), Anemonoides, Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae), Reseda (Resedaceae), Aphanes, Cotoneaster, Eriobotrya, Malus, Rosa (Rosaceae), Galium (Rubiaceae), Nicotiana, (Solanaceae). In the end, the conservation status of the units and possible protection of the cited biotopes are discussed

First record of Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae) for Italian flora: taxonomical and ecological investigation

Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae) has been reported for the first time in Italy. This species with a Paleotropics geographic origin represents a new invasive alien species in the flora of Italy. It was already reported in several European countries as invasive species, but this plant is also known for its medicinal properties in many areas of the world. The species was found in the anthropic environments of Sicily. In particular, the study area is localized in the Peloritani Mounts (NE Sicily) where the species was discovered in five stands. Our new discovery confirmed the role of anthropic activities have had in the alien species invasion in Italy. Diagnostic features, ecological and geographic data are provided. From a phytosociological viewpoint, this plant characterizes a plant community that includes various nitrophilous species such as Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Moreover, invasiveness and impacts associated to this species were assessed by using EPPO prioritization protocol. The specimens were deposited in the herbaria of Catania and Messina University