Aerobic environment ensures viability and anti-oxidant capacity when seeds are wet with negative effect when moist: implications for persistence in the soil

Interchangeable effects of temperature, moisture content and oxygen on seed longevity have been mostly examined to estimate seed viability during long-term dry storage, whereas few experiments have studied seed viability under near-natural conditions to evaluate seed persistence in the soil. To this end, we artificially aged seeds of Ranunculus baudotii, a hydrophyte widely distributed in temporary ponds constituting an abundant soil seed bank. Seeds were exposed to controlled ageing at three different relative humidities (RH) under both aerobic and anoxic conditions. Their viability, water content, membrane damage, oxidative stress and anti-oxidant enzymatic defence activity were evaluated. Seed survival was longer at higher relative humidity (97% RH), and lowest at a relative humidity (90% RH) simulating moist but not waterlogged soils. Anoxic conditions showed a protective role on viability at lower moisture contents (70% RH). Seed viability was negatively associated with hydrogen peroxide content and correlated with anti-oxidant enzyme activities, but not with membrane damage. Altogether, these results suggest negative roles for moist soils and anoxia in determining seed persistence in the field, but at higher moisture contents the negative effects of anaerobia diminished. The anti-oxidant system activation, even under unfavourable conditions, might recover seeds once all protective processes can operate, pointing out the plasticity of mechanisms involved in seed loss viability

A NEW INDOOR LIDAR-BASED MMS CHALLENGING COMPLEX ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract. The use of moving devices equipped with range- and image-based sensor, generically defined Mobile Mapping systems (MMS), have been quite a disruptive innovation in the development of Geomatics techniques for 3D surveying large indoor-outdoor spaces and offer multiple solutions. The recent expansion of portable devices in the form of trolleys, backpacks, handheld tools largely implements SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms and technology based on both Lidar and/or visual solutions for answering to the positioning and the 3D reconstruction problems. The research on MMS is directed to improve both multi-sensor integration implementation and usability of systems in diversified use contexts and application fields. The aim of the presented research is the evaluation of the potential of the Swift system recently developed by FARO Technologies, that has been fine-tuned for regular and large extent interiors mapping (such as factories, hospitals, airports, offices). The work tries to preliminary investigate the data delivery and usability of the integrated system. This is based on three elements mounted on a sliding trolley moved by the operator walking: the ScanPlan profilometer working for the 2D SLAM mapping, the static TLS Focus S-series, and the smartphone managing the sensors operation and the acquisition progress. The evaluation strategy undertaken will be based on the global and local performance analysis related to the trajectory, the data accuracy, the metric content and consistency. Two test studies belonging to the 20th century. architecture are presented in a preliminary framework of evaluation and validation: a Liberty-style cinema and the Torino Esposizioni Hall B designed in ferrocement by pier Luigi Nervi

Documenting Complexity for the 20TH Century Heritage: the Enriched 3d Models of the Turin Exposition Nervi's Halls Digitization

Abstract. Great attention is increasingly paid to the heritage belonging to the XX century, particularly for the spatial structures made of concrete, that are a significant trait of this modern movement architecture. Since they demand today urgent conservation plans sustaining their deterioration, the multidisciplinary researches should devotes a profound investigations for tailored approaches providing a clear indication of best practices and recommendation for correct 3D documentation, information management and structural assessment and monitoring. In this framework, the Geomatics approaches are advancing the interests toward the multi-scale and multi-sensor digitization and for supporting management of complex information in enriched 3D models. The iconic halls B and C in Torino Esposizioni (Italy), designed by Pier Luigi Nervi, is the case study presented. It was recently awarded by the Getty Keeping it Modern grant. The multi-disciplinary research conducted, still in progress, focuses a particularly into the investigation of the structural analysis and consistency of ferrocement elements of the vaulted system finalized to the structural condition assessment. Here the role of multi-scale and multi-sensor 3D models is investigated, such as the development of a digital twin of the halls as a starting point to create an enriched informative system. The reconstruction of this model particularly considering the large extension and the complexity of the spaces, is addressed to works as a collector of 3D multi-sensor data and information related to the diagnostic investigation on structural health monitoring for the durability of ferrocement elements

Statistical properties of thermodynamically predicted RNA secondary structures in viral genomes

By performing a comprehensive study on 1832 segments of 1212 complete genomes of viruses, we show that in viral genomes the hairpin structures of thermodynamically predicted RNA secondary structures are more abundant than expected under a simple random null hypothesis. The detected hairpin structures of RNA secondary structures are present both in coding and in noncoding regions for the four groups of viruses categorized as dsDNA, dsRNA, ssDNA and ssRNA. For all groups hairpin structures of RNA secondary structures are detected more frequently than expected for a random null hypothesis in noncoding rather than in coding regions. However, potential RNA secondary structures are also present in coding regions of dsDNA group. In fact we detect evolutionary conserved RNA secondary structures in conserved coding and noncoding regions of a large set of complete genomes of dsDNA herpesviruses.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

The small GTPase Rab29 is a common regulator of immune synapse assembly and ciliogenesis

Acknowledgements We wish to thank Jorge Galán, Gregory Pazour, Derek Toomre, Giuliano Callaini, Joel Rosenbaum, Alessandra Boletta and Francesco Blasi for generously providing reagents and for productive discussions, and Sonia Grassini for technical assistance. The work was carried out with the financial support of Telethon (GGP11021) and AIRC.Peer reviewedPostprin

Mineral nutrients in soil and pea plants after exposition to TiO2 nanoparticles through a biosolid-amended soil

In addition to the benefits derived from nanotechnology, there is also concern about the potential risks of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) when released into the environment. Their possible accumulation and effects in agricultural soils and Nanonnovation 2018 Conference & Exibition crops are closely linked to food and agriculture safety. Particular attention has been focused on the reuse of biosolids from wastewater treatment plants that are considered a cost-effective practice for the improvement of nutrients and organic matter in agricultural soils and, but also a sink of contaminants such as nanoparticles (NPs). TiO2NPs have a global production of about 10.000 tons/year and it are among the most extensively used ENPs. Moreover, dissimilar or inconclusive results have been reported concerning the impact of TiO2 NPs on the soil-crop system, thus more information regarding their behavior are necessary. This study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of TiO2 NPs (anatase and rutile) and larger particles (bulk) on the availability of soil nutrients and on the nutritional status of Pisum sativum plants, simulating low (80 mg/kg) and high load of TiO2 (800 mg/kg ) in a biosolid-amended soil. Treated soils were analyzed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, soil microbial community, and plants grown in laboratory for 30d were analyzed for growth, pigments and mineral nutrition. Results showed that the treatment with TiO2 at macro- and nano-scale significantly reduced the availability of Mn, Fe and P in soils, this last more evident for the NPs treatments. Indeed, the soil bacterial diversity was reduced when the mixture of anatase and rutile were spiked in the biosolid-amended soil at high concentration. Moreover, the pea plants from treated soils showed an imbalance in the mineral nutrition, with reduction in the plant tissues of Mn and K and increase of N. This study pose a reflection on the use of biosolid, which could act as a vehicle for the spread and accumulation of ENPs in agro-ecosystems

3D MODEL GENERATION USING OBLIQUE IMAGES ACQUIRED BY UAV

In recent years, many studies revealed the advantages of using airborne oblique images for obtaining improved 3D city models (including façades and building footprints). Here the acquisition and use of oblique images from a low cost and open source Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the 3D high-level-of-detail reconstruction of historical architectures is evaluated. The critical issues of such acquisitions (flight planning strategies, ground control points distribution, etc.) are described. Several problems should be considered in the flight planning: best approach to cover the whole object with the minimum time of flight; visibility of vertical structures; occlusions due to the context; acquisition of all the parts of the objects (the closest and the farthest) with similar resolution; suitable camera inclination, and so on. In this paper a solution is proposed in order to acquire oblique images with one only flight. The data processing was realized using Structure-from-Motion-based approach for point cloud generation using dense image-matching algorithms implemented in an open source software. The achieved results are analysed considering some check points and some reference LiDAR data. The system was tested for surveying a historical architectonical complex: the “Sacro Mo nte di Varallo Sesia” in north-west of Italy. This study demonstrates that the use of oblique images acquired from a low cost UAV system and processed through an open source software is an effective methodology to survey cultural heritage, characterized by limited accessibility, need for detail and rapidity of the acquisition phase, and often reduced budgets

Fluorescent RT in situ PCR detection of MRP1 mRNA in human HCV infected liver.

Chronic hepatitis C is now a major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Approximately 20% of cases of acute viral hepatitis are due to hepatitis C. Cirrhosis develops in more than 25% of patients with chronic infection and each year hepatocellular carcinoma occurs in 1-3% of patients with cirrhosis due to HCV (Hoofnagle 1999). Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are characterized by nonresponsiveness to chemotherapeutic agents. A cause of refractivity to treatment has been ascribed to the overexpression of the Pgp (MDR) protein (Kim et al. 1999), and the additional involvement of multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) has been also hypothesized (Minemura et al. 1999)

STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES: RESISTENZA IN VITRO A ERITROMICINA, CLARITROMICINA, ROKITAMICINA.

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Dioxin-like activities in serum across European and Inuit populations

BACKGROUND: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides can cause a series of adverse effects on e.g. reproduction in animals and humans, many of which involve the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). The aim of the present study was to compare the integrated serum level of AhR mediated activity among European and Inuit populations, and evaluate whether the activity was associated to the selected POP markers, 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE). METHODS: The study included 338 males from Greenland (Inuit's), Sweden, Warsaw (Poland) and Kharkiv (Ukraine). The AhR transactivity of serum extracts alone (AhRag) and competitive AhR activity (AhRcomp) upon co-exposure with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were determined in the lipophilic serum fraction containing the POPs using the AhR mediated luciferase reporter Hepa1.12cR cell assay. RESULTS: The European groups showed higher median level of AhR-TEQ (TCDD toxic equivalents) compared to the Inuit's, whereas higher incidence of Inuits sample further induced AhRcomp activity. Neither AhRag nor AhR-TEQ were correlated to CB-153 or p,p'-DDE for any of the study groups. Multiple regressions showed a significant heterogeneity of association between the CB-153 and the AhRcomp across the study groups, and accordingly a negative association between AhRcomp and CB-153 was found for the Kharkiv group. CONCLUSION: No consistent correlation between AhR activities and two POP markers was found. Although the difference of AhRag between European and Inuit men could not be explained by CB-153 or p,p'-DDE levels alone, we believe that the variation of AhR serum activity reflects different pattern of POP exposure, genetics and/or life style factors