Utjecaj klime i okoliša na rasprostranjenje lacertidnih guštera u južnom porječju rijeke Po (Sjeverna Italija)

The present study is a synthesis of data collected from 1980 to 1997 on lacertid lizards in the southern Po river basin (Northern Italy), investigated using the data from the Herpetological Data base of the Natural History Museum of Ferrara. In this area three species of lacertid lizards were recorded: Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis siculus and Podarcis muralis. The ordination of the UTM 10x10 km squares showed that P. muralis and L. bilineata had no particular distribution whereas P. siculus was restricted to the coastal areas and the Po plain zone. The climatic analysis reflected the altitudinal differentiation as the three species showed quite evident differences in distribution in relation to temperature rainfall and the thermo-pluviometric index distribution. In general the frequency of all species was considerable in urban areas; P. siculus and L. bilineata were present above all in fallow fields while P. muralis preferred ruins and walls. The former species were also present in shrubs; whereas P. siculus preferred dunes and beaches, P. muralis gravel and stones.Rad je sinteza podataka o lacertidnim gušterima, prikupljenih od 1980. do 1997. godine u južnom porječju rijeke Po (Sjeverna Italija) pri čemu su korišteni podaci Herpetološke baze podataka Prirodoslovnog muzeja u Ferrari. Na ovom području zabilježene su tri vrste lacertidnih guštera: Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis siculus i Podarcis muralis. Položaj UTM 10x10 km kvadranata pokazao je da P. muralis i L. bilineata imaju cjelovitu raspodjelu, dok je P. siculus ograničen na obalna područja i dolinu rijeke Po. Klimatska analiza odražavala je visinsku diferencijaciju, jer su tri vrste pokazale dosta evidentne razlike u distribuciji s obzirom na temperaturu, količinu oborina i termopluviometrijski indeks. Frekvencija svih vrsta uglavnom je bila znatna u gradskim područjima; P. siculus i L. bilineata bile su prisutne prije svega u zapuštenim poljima, dok je P. muralis preferirala ruševine i zidove. Ta je vrsta također bila nađena u niskom raslinju, dok je P. siculus više tražila dine i plaže, a P. muralis šljunak i kamenje

Utjecaj klime i okoliša na rasprostranjenje lacertidnih guštera u južnom porječju rijeke Po (Sjeverna Italija)

The present study is a synthesis of data collected from 1980 to 1997 on lacertid lizards in the southern Po river basin (Northern Italy), investigated using the data from the Herpetological Data base of the Natural History Museum of Ferrara. In this area three species of lacertid lizards were recorded: Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis siculus and Podarcis muralis. The ordination of the UTM 10x10 km squares showed that P. muralis and L. bilineata had no particular distribution whereas P. siculus was restricted to the coastal areas and the Po plain zone. The climatic analysis reflected the altitudinal differentiation as the three species showed quite evident differences in distribution in relation to temperature rainfall and the thermo-pluviometric index distribution. In general the frequency of all species was considerable in urban areas; P. siculus and L. bilineata were present above all in fallow fields while P. muralis preferred ruins and walls. The former species were also present in shrubs; whereas P. siculus preferred dunes and beaches, P. muralis gravel and stones.Rad je sinteza podataka o lacertidnim gušterima, prikupljenih od 1980. do 1997. godine u južnom porječju rijeke Po (Sjeverna Italija) pri čemu su korišteni podaci Herpetološke baze podataka Prirodoslovnog muzeja u Ferrari. Na ovom području zabilježene su tri vrste lacertidnih guštera: Lacerta bilineata, Podarcis siculus i Podarcis muralis. Položaj UTM 10x10 km kvadranata pokazao je da P. muralis i L. bilineata imaju cjelovitu raspodjelu, dok je P. siculus ograničen na obalna područja i dolinu rijeke Po. Klimatska analiza odražavala je visinsku diferencijaciju, jer su tri vrste pokazale dosta evidentne razlike u distribuciji s obzirom na temperaturu, količinu oborina i termopluviometrijski indeks. Frekvencija svih vrsta uglavnom je bila znatna u gradskim područjima; P. siculus i L. bilineata bile su prisutne prije svega u zapuštenim poljima, dok je P. muralis preferirala ruševine i zidove. Ta je vrsta također bila nađena u niskom raslinju, dok je P. siculus više tražila dine i plaže, a P. muralis šljunak i kamenje

The Hypoxia-Mimetic Agent Cobalt Chloride Differently Affects Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Their Chondrogenic Potential

Adult stem cells are a promising cell source for cartilage regeneration. They resided in a special microenvironment known as the stem-cell niche, characterized by the presence of low oxygen concentration. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) imitates hypoxia in vitro by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (HIF-1α), which is the master regulator in the cellular adaptive response to hypoxia. In this study, the influence of CoCl2 on the chondrogenic potential of human MSCs, isolated from dental pulp, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue, was investigated. Cells were treated with concentrations of CoCl2 ranging from 50 to 400 μM. Cell viability, HIF-1α protein synthesis, and the expression of the chondrogenic markers were analyzed. The results showed that the CoCl2 supplementation had no effect on cell viability, while the upregulation of chondrogenic markers such as SOX9, COL2A1, VCAN, and ACAN was dependent on the cellular source. This study shows that hypoxia, induced by CoCl2 treatment, can differently influence the behavior of MSCs, isolated from different sources, in their chondrogenic potential. These findings should be taken into consideration in the treatment of cartilage repair and regeneration based on stem cell therapies

The hypoxia-mimetic agent cobalt chloride differently affects human mesenchymal stem cells in their chondrogenic potential

Adult stem cells are a promising cell source for cartilage regeneration. They resided in a special microenvironment known as the stem-cell niche, characterized by the presence of low oxygen concentration. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) imitates hypoxia in vitro by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha (HIF-1\ue1), which is the master regulator in the cellular adaptive response to hypoxia. In this study, the influence of CoCl2 on the chondrogenic potential of human MSCs, isolated from dental pulp, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue, was investigated. Cells were treated with concentrations of CoCl2 ranging from 50 to 400 \uecM. Cell viability, HIF-1\ue1 protein synthesis, and the expression of the chondrogenic markers were analyzed. The results showed that the CoCl2 supplementation had no effect on cell viability, while the upregulation of chondrogenic markers such as SOX9, COL2A1, VCAN, and ACAN was dependent on the cellular source. This study shows that hypoxia, induced by CoCl2 treatment, can differently influence the behavior of MSCs, isolated from different sources, in their chondrogenic potential. These findings should be taken into consideration in the treatment of cartilage repair and regeneration based on stem cell therapies

Optimization of low-carbon multi-energy systems with seasonal geothermal energy storage: The Anergy Grid of ETH Zurich

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Indium selenide: An insight into electronic band structure and surface excitations

We have investigated the electronic response of single crystals of indium selenide by means of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy and density functional theory. The loss spectrum of indium selenide shows the direct free exciton at similar to 1.3 eV and several other peaks, which do not exhibit dispersion with the momentum. The joint analysis of the experimental band structure and the density of states indicates that spectral features in the loss function are strictly related to single-particle transitions. These excitations cannot be considered as fully coherent plasmons and they are damped even in the optical limit, i.e. for small momenta. The comparison of the calculated symmetry-projected density of states with electron energy loss spectra enables the assignment of the spectral features to transitions between specific electronic states. Furthermore, the effects of ambient gases on the band structure and on the loss function have been probed

Increased MG-63s invasion potential mediated by HFs

During a malignant transformation, the crosstalk between the stroma and the cancer cells is described as a growing network of physical and paracrine signals, and it seems to have a direct influence on the phenotypic, genetic and epigenetic changes that affect the cells (1). In order to invade and metastasize to distant tissues, cancer cells transform themselves via ECM, induce tumor angiogenesis as well as undergo proliferation, detachment, migration, and invasion through secretion of various tumor derived factors (2). In this study we decided to analyze morphological and molecular aspects due to the coexistence between tumor cells MG-63s and fibroblasts HFs, verifying in particular the ability of MG-63s of invasion and microenvironment modulation. Monolayers of co-cultured cells were morphologically analyzed in time-laps by HR-SEM microscopy and a trans-well migration assay was performed over 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h. The expression of several proteins, focusing on those involved in cancer cell invasion, inflammatory responses, and angiogenesis (TNF alpha, IL-6, YKL-40, MMP-1, MMP-9, and VEGF) was validated by Western blotting analysis. The images in time-laps for HR - SEM showed that fibroblasts in contact with MG-63 lost their spatial orientation, while the MG-63 quickly reached the confluence advancing towards HF cells, invading their space and overlying them. The increased MG-63s invasion mediated by the coexistence with HFs was confirmed by invasion assays in transwell co-culture. The protein levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, YKL-40 and VEGF confirmed that tumor cells can regulate the development of a “tumor-stroma” via the aberrant expression of growth factors in the stromal compartment. Our results showed how tumor-stroma interactions play a significant role in tumor development and progression

Effect of hypoxia-inducing ions on chondrogenic differentiation in adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells within alginate matrix

Cartilage is a highly organized tissue with complex biomechanical properties, but since it has a poor intrinsic capacity of self-healing, injuries at this site usually lead to several problems, often ending in disabling symptoms. Although, different approaches have been proposed, even now cartilage repair represents a great challenge for orthopaedic surgeons (1, 2). One of the promising approach is given from tissue engineering, employing the combination of biomaterials and cell therapy to develop new therapeutic strategies. In this paper, we describe the behaviour of human adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells encapsulated into Ca/Co alginate beads as potential chondrogenic inducing biomaterial tacking advance on the synergy between alginate matrix and Co+2 ions without employing other expensive growth factors such as TGFbs or BMPs. The expression of chondrogenic markers such as sox9, collagen type II, and versican was investigated by Real Time PCR and Western blotting analysis. The expression of hif1mRNA was investigated to check the capability of Co+2 ions to induce a chemical hypoxia. Real Time PCR and WB data reveal a different cells behaviour on chondrogenic marker expression. In conclusion, the synergic effect of alginate and Co+2 ions can represent a valid strategy for chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells

Changes in the gene expression of co-cultured human fibroblast cells and osteosarcoma cells: the role of microenvironment

The progression of malignant tumors does not depend exclusively on the autonomous properties of cancer cells; it is also influenced by tumor stroma reactivity and is under strict microenvironmental control. By themselves, stromal cells are not malignant, and they maintain normal tissue structure and function. However, through intercellular interactions or by paracrine secretions from cancer cells, normal stromal cells acquire abnormal phenotypes that sustain cancer cell growth and tumor progression. In their dysfunctional state, fibroblast and immune cells produce chemokines and growth factors that stimulate cancer cell growth and invasion. In our previous work (1), we established an in vitro model based on a monolayer co-culture system of healthy human fibroblasts (HFs) and human osteosarcoma cells (the MG-63 cell line) that simulates the microenvironment of tumor cells and healthy cells. The coexistence between MG-63 cells and HFs allowed us to identify the YKL-40 protein as the main marker for verifying the influence of tumor cells grown in contact with healthy cells. In this study, we evaluated the interactions of HFs and MG-63 cells in a transwell co-culture system over 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h. We analyzed the contributions of these populations to the tumor microenvironment during cancer progression, as measured by multiple markers. We examined the effect of siRNA knockdown of YKL- 40 by tracking the subsequent changes in gene expression within the co-culture. We validated the expression of several genes, focusing on those involved in cancer cell invasion, inflammatory responses, and angiogenesis: TNF alpha, IL-6, MMP-1, MMP- 9, and VEGF. We compared the results to those from a transwell co-culture without the YKL-40 knockdown. In a pro-inflammatory environment promoted by TNF alpha and IL-6, siRNA knock- down of YKL-40 caused a down-regulation of VEGF and MMP-1 expression in HFs. These results suggest that the tumor microenvironment has an influence on the protein expression of healthy surrounding tissues and on the process of tumorigenicity. The mechanisms of the microenvironment are emerging as attractive targets for therapeutic strategies

Collezioni malacologiche e monitoraggi delle comunità di molluschi terrestri del Delta del Po e della Pianura Padana orientale: il Progetto CoSMoS – Collecting Snails, Monitoring Snails

The CoSMoS project is an initiative of Citizen Science with teaching and educational modules for students and citizens. The project examines the terrestrial molluscs (gastropods) in seven sites in the Po Delta and in the Eastern Po Valley (3 in the province of Ravenna and 4 in the province of Ferrara) and considers the monitoring and the comparison of current and historical faunal data. The latter can be derived from the malacological collection “Giorgio Lazzari” of the Natural History Museum of Ferrara. 51 species were collectively assessed, 44 of which were present in the historical surveys. Almost all species found are indigenous: only three are alien. From an ecological point of view, species closely linked to forest environments prevail, but there are also typical entities of other environments or very adaptable entities. From the biogeographical point of view, the most interesting result is the discovery, south of the Po, of two entities (Fruticicola fruticum and Monachoides incarnatus) which have a European distribution and in our country usually occur in Alpine and pre-Alpine area