Dnevna slika migriranja kratkorepog raka, Maja crispata, Risso 1827 (Brachyura, Majidae)

Occurrence, distribution, and assemblage of crustaceans in the southern Adriatic Sea were determined from data collected during five seasonal (summer) trawl surveys carried out during 1996-2000. Trawls were conducted at a bathymetric range of 10-800 m, by the same vessel and same sampling gear in the framework of the E.U. Project, MEDITS. Fifty-two benthic-epibenthic, and nektonic species (three stomatopods, 49 decapods) were caught. Species density data (individuals per km2) were processed according to multivariate techniques to describe the composition and distribution of main pecies assemblages. The assemblages were consistent throughout the surveyed area with some differences between the western and eastern zones, mostly those found on shelf bottoms. The influence of oceanographic features, other than depth, is discussed.U sjevernom Jadranu su promatrana dnevna pomicanja populacije brahiurnog raka, Maja crispata. Odnos spolova, mužjaka prema ženkama, iznosio je 3:2. Mužjaci su imali maksimalnu dužinu oklopa 91 mm, a ženke 74 mm. Maja crispata češće se nalazila na šljunkovitom dnu nego na bilo kojem drugom habitatu. Sedmero promatranih primjeraka nije se pomicalo prema nekom određenom području, nego se zadržavalo većim dijelom na tvrdom supstratu, između 0,8 i 3,5 m dubine. Maksimalna udaljenost od početnog položaja postignuta je u 9 dana, a iznosila je 16 metara

Comparison of Surgical Outcomes between Canaloplasty and Schlemm’s Canal Scaffold at 24 Months’ Follow-Up

The results of canaloplasty (CP) and Hydrus Microstent (HM) implantation were retrospectively compared at 24 months' follow-up in a cohort of subjects referred to our Institution for uncontrolled IOP in primary or secondary (e.g., pseudoexfoliative and pigmentary) open-angle glaucoma. The outcome was labelled as "complete" success, "qualified" success, or "failure" if, two years after surgery, the eyes operated on needed "no" hypotensive medications, "some" hypotensive medications, or further glaucoma surgery to attain the target IOP, respectively. Both CP and HM implant allowed significant IOP reductions, with comparable rate of clinical success and safety profile. A slightly (albeit not significant) better trend for a "complete" clinical success was observed in the CP group

Improvement of spatial contrast sensitivity threshold after surgical reduction of intraocular pressure in unilateral high-tension glaucoma.

PUKPOSE. To measure the effect of a surgical reduction of IOP on the spatial contrast sensitivity threshold in eyes showing a considerably increased IOP but no glaucomatous visual field defect, on white-on-white computer-assisted static perimetry. METHODS. Prospective clinical trial, lasting 36 months; 10 consecutive subjects with untreated IOP ≥ 30 mm Hg in one eye and <18 mm Hg in the fellow eye, no evidence of field damage in both eyes, best corrected visual acuity ≥ 20/20 in both eyes, and scheduled for a primary trabeculectomy in the eye showing a high IOP. The spatial contrast sensitivity threshold was measured before surgery and at each follow-up visit. RESULTS. Preoperative spatial contrast sensitivity was worse in those eyes bearing a high IOP relative to the normal fellow eyes (paired samples t-test, P < 0.0005). An improvement of contrast sensitivity threshold, exceeding the 95% confidence limits of the preoperative test-retest variability, was observed at 3, 6, and 12 cyc/deg in each surgical eye at the end of follow-up. No change was observed in the fellow untreated normal eyes. The improvement correlated directly with the amount of decrease in pressure obtained by surgery. CONCLUSIONS. Eyes with no field defects on white-on-white computer-assisted static perimetry, but bearing a IOP ≥ 30 mm Hg, show a decreased spatial contrast sensitivity. A surgically obtained reduction of IOP is paralleled by an improvement of spatial contrast sensitivity

Novel Findings into AIRE Genetics and Functioning: Clinical Implications

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), formerly known as autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1, is a paradigm of a monogenic autoimmune disease caused by mutations of a gene, named autoimmune regulator (AIRE). AIRE acts as a transcription regulator that promotes immunological central tolerance by inducing the ectopic thymic expression of many tissue-specific antigens. Although the syndrome is a monogenic disease, it is characterized by a wide variability of the clinical expression with no significant correlation between genotype and phenotype. Indeed, many aspects regarding the exact role of AIRE and APECED pathogenesis still remain unraveled. In the last decades, several studies in APECED and in its mouse experimental counterpart have revealed new insights on how immune system learns self-tolerance. Moreover, novel interesting findings have extended our understanding of AIRE's function and regulation thus improving our knowledge on the pathogenesis of APECED. In this review, we will summarize recent novelties on molecular mechanisms underlying the development of APECED and their clinical implications

Rhodolith Beds Heterogeneity along the Apulian Continental Shelf (Mediterranean Sea)

Rhodolith beds represent a key habitat worldwide, from tropical to polar ecosystems. Despite this habitat is considered a hotspot of biodiversity, providing a suite of ecosystem goods and services, still scarce quantitative information is available thus far about rhodolith beds occurrence and ecological role, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. This study reports the composition and patterns of distribution of rhodolith assemblages found in four study areas along ca. 860 km of coast in the Central Mediterranean Sea. These rhodolith beds were studied for the first time and significant differences at all spatial scales have been highlighted, documenting the high variability of this habitat. Rhodolith species composition, morphology and distribution have been discussed considering the potential role of environmental factors in driving these patterns. The need for improving their protection is discussed to complement present conservation and management initiatives, particularly in the frame of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Resistance and resilience of ecosystem descriptors and properties to dystrophic events: a study case in a Mediterranean lagoon

Mediterranean lagoons are naturally exposed, during the dry season, to dystrophic and hypoxic events determining dis-equilibrium conditions along temporal and spatial scales, which are linked to metabolism and life cycle of the biotic components. In summer 2008, Lesina lagoon (SE Italian coastline) was interested by a geographically localized dystrophic crisis which affected up to 8% of the total lagoon surface. Temporal dynamics of principal descriptors of abiotic (water, sediment) and biotic (phytoplankton, benthic macroinvertebrate) compartments have been followed during the 2008 by collecting data inside stressed and control lagoon areas before a dystrophic event and in the six months after the dystrophic event. The aim of the study was to analyse the pathways of ecosystem responses to dystrophic stress, searching for the characteristic scales of ecosystem compartment resistance and resilience. The characteristic time-scale of abiotic and biotic component time responses varied from days, for the selected markers of the water column, to year, for the benthic ones. Short-term biotic and abiotic responses in the water column were strongly coupled while biotic and abiotic responses at the sediment level were remarkably un-coupled. Dynamics and recovery time of water column and benthic components do not match in Lesina following the dystrophic crisis, highlighting an intrinsic individualistic behavior within the lagoon community driving ecosystem processes and ecosystem level responses. Taxonomic and non-taxonomic descriptors of both phytoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates showed different response patterns as early warning signals and overall resilience. The emphasized differences in the stability components, i.e., resistance and resilience, of water column and sediment abiotic and biotic characteristics as well as of taxonomic and non-taxonomic descriptors has key implication in planning monitoring strategies and programs for transitional waters in the Mediterranean and Black Sea EcoRegions

Distribution, abundance and biological features of anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and Lophius budegassa) (Osteichthyes: Lophiiformes) in the Mediterranean Sea

The distribution and biological features of anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and L. budegassa) in the Mediterranean Sea were analysed from trawl surveys data (MEDITS project, years 1994-1999). The above-mentioned species were widely distributed in the Mediterranean, but differences in abundance were found according to geographic sectors and depths. Most of the collected specimens belonged to the first length cohorts and length distributions also differed at macroarea levels. Mean sizes at female sexual maturity were estimated at 68.5 cm and 66.2 cm total length, respectively for L. piscatorius and L. budegassaPublicado

Assisting PNA transport through cystic fibrosis human airway epithelia with biodegradable hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticles

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by an airway obstruction caused by a thick mucus due to a malfunctioning Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein. The sticky mucus restricts drugs in reaching target cells limiting the efficiency of treatments. The development of new approaches to enhance drug delivery to the lungs represents CF treatment's main challenge. In this work, we report the production and characterization of hybrid core-shell nanoparticles (hNPs) comprising a PLGA core and a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) shell engineered for inhalation. We loaded hNPs with a 7-mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) previously considered for its ability to modulate the post-transcriptional regulation of the CFTR gene. We also investigated the in vitro release kinetics of hNPs and their efficacy in PNA delivery across the human epithelial airway barrier using an ex vivo model based on human primary nasal epithelial cells (HNEC) from CF patients. Confocal analyses and hNPs transport assay demonstrated the ability of hNPs to overcome the mucus barrier and release their PNA cargo within the cytoplasm, where it can exert its biological function

Large-scale testing of phytoplankton diversity indices for environmental assessment in Mediterranean sub-regions (Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas)

Abstract According to the methodological standards established by Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the assessment for the pelagic habitat under the Biodiversity Descriptor should be carried out at the regional or sub-regional level. In the case of Mediterranean Sea, the sub-regional assessment seems optimal to take into account biogeographic differences in species composition and functional characteristics. Previous research has shown that phytoplankton diversity indicators are efficient for reliable environmental assessments, although more effort has been recommended to test these indicators on a wide spatial scale to cover wider gradients of natural and anthropogenic pressures. In this work, a set of eight diversity indices was tested against the pressure levels within a common data set of the structure and abundance of phytoplankton communities from the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas. Expert knowledge was used to define four categories of impacts that take into account partial pressures, such as point and non-point pollution, industry, ports and fisheries. At the level of the common data set, most of the diversity, evenness and dominance indices could only distinguish between the highest level of impact and the rest of impact categories. These indices maintained the distinction between two levels of subsequently dichotomised impacts (no to low impact vs. high impact) across latitudinal and longitudinal gradients. On average, the indices were less sensitive to impacts in the northernmost and westernmost areas than in the southernmost and easternmost areas, although they still showed a significant response. The results also suggest that phytoplankton communities become more uniform and less dominated by a single taxon as sampling depth increases at sites with low impact, while evenness and dominance at impacted sites remain similar at all depths. In order to establish meaningful definitions of good environmental status and targets for pelagic habitats in the Mediterranean Sea, it is necessary to establish spatially specific thresholds by additional examination of indices of good performance

Exclusive Photoproduction of the Cascade (Xi) Hyperons

We report on the first measurement of exclusive Xi-(1321) hyperon photoproduction in gamma p --> K+ K+ Xi- for 3.2 < E(gamma) < 3.9 GeV. The final state is identified by the missing mass in p(gamma,K+ K+)X measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory. We have detected a significant number of the ground-state Xi-(1321)1/2+, and have estimated the total cross section for its production. We have also observed the first excited state Xi-(1530)3/2+. Photoproduction provides a copious source of Xi's. We discuss the possibilities of a search for the recently proposed Xi5-- and Xi5+ pentaquarks.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.