Unexpected Records of Newborn and Young Sharks in Ligurian and North Tyrrhenian Seas (North-Western Mediterranean Basin)

Between 2007 and 2022, 112 specimens of newborn and young pelagic sharks were recorded in the waters of Tuscany Region, in the South Ligurian–North Tyrrhenian Seas (north-western Mediterranean basin). The sharks belonged to the Carcharhinus plumbeus (n = 14), Prionace glauca (n = 66), Isurus oxyrinchus (n = 16), Mobula mobular (n = 5) Alopias vulpinus (n = 7) and Hexanchus griseus (n = 4) species. Each animal was correctly identified thanks to the photographs or videos collected. All specimens were incidentally captured with set nets in inshore shallow waters, except bluntnose six-gill sharks, which were bycatch of deep-water bottom-trawl fishery. Body mass, sex, total length and biometric measurements were recorded in 34 baby sharks following the Mediterranean Large Elasmobranches Monitoring (MEDLEM) protocol. The presence of very evident and often non-healed umbilical scar confirmed that some of the sample specimens were newborn. Further confirmation came from the comparison between the total length observed and the size at birth known for the sampled species as reported in the literature. Some baby sharks were preserved in the Museums of Natural History of Pisa and Florence University collections. The importance of the coastal area studied as a possible shark nursery is discussed

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

Diet of Bottlenose Dolphin, <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> (Montagu, 1821), in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea

Cetaceans can be considered good natural samplers of biodiversity due to the different hunting strategies they adopt. In this study, the stomach contents of 28 Tursiops truncatus (15 females and 13 males), stranded along Tuscany coasts, NW Mediterranean, between 2008 and 2021, were analyzed. The prey items were identified at the lowest taxonomic level possible, and assessed in terms of abundance, weight, and frequency of occurrence. The index of relative importance (IRI) was also computed. Overall, 2201 bony fishes and 406 cephalopods were identified. The trophic spectrum resulted in high diversity (69 taxa) and the prey species, 53 fishes and 16 cephalopods, live at different levels of the water column. Predation was mainly based on European hake, Merluccius merluccius (%IRI 26.9), and conger eel, Conger conger (%IRI 25.1). The abundant presence of nocturnal species, such as Conger and Ophidion, indicates the nocturnal hunting activity of the bottlenose dolphin. Furthermore, evidence is presented of the dolphins’ ability to capture fish at night, taking advantage of the sound produced by these fish to locate them. Diet did not show any statistical differences among sexes, except that females preyed upon a significantly higher quantity of octopods than males

Distribution, abundance and biological features of anglerfish (Lophius piscatoirus and Lophhius budegassa) (Osteichthyes: Lphiiformes) 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 macro-area 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. budegassa.No disponibl

Tubeless biochip for chemical stimulation of cells in closed-bioreactors: anti-cancer activity of the catechin\u2013dextran conjugate

The most exciting promise of cell micro-bioreactors is their expected ability to reproduce specific aspects of physiological environments in vitro, singularly or in combination, and to perform advanced biological studies to unravel novel interaction mechanisms; but this challenge is formidable. Moreover, the use of microfluidics is limited by the difficulty to adapt standard tissue culture protocols to miniaturised biochips and by the need of bulky external equipment such as liquid pumping systems. Here, we introduce an original microfluidic gradient generator for culturing cells in closed microchambers, based on: (1) automatic cell valving, (2) hydrostatic-pressure pumping, and (3) on-chip liquid reservoirs. The biochip is designed to be fully compatible with standard biological procedures and to operate with no external control units or cumbersome ancillary components. Remarkably, the use of integrated liquid reservoirs prevents air bubble formation and associated channel clogging. We detail the rationale behind the fluidic design, simulate and measure the chip fluid-dynamics by finite element simulations and microflow velocimetry, respectively. We finally exploit our chip to study the kinetics of an anti-cancer molecule, the catechin-dextran conjugate, on HeLa cells, demonstrating a very fast action. We argue that the presented fluidic concept and architecture are not limited to the present realization, but can be easily applied to other chip geometries and adapted to a number of biological studies

Peptide-Based Stealth Nanoparticles for Targeted and pH-Triggered Delivery

Stealth agents are extensively investigated as a means by which to prolong nanostructure residence time in the bloodstream by avoiding uptake by the reticuloendothelial system. Unfortunately, commonly used agents such as poly­(ethylene glycol) can adversely impact targeting efficiency and promote immune reaction by the host organism. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in developing biocompatible, non-PEGylated organic nanostructures able to perform targeted delivery to increase the efficacy of liposomal technology. Here, a lipopeptide is presented that can be mixed with lipids commonly used in liposomal formulations in percentages ranging from 20% to 60% w/w. The resulting vesicles are thermally and chemically stable. The peptide coating limits serum-protein adsorption even upon prolonged incubation in pure serum in physiological conditions, outperforming PEGylated liposomes. This architecture can be easily modified to allow straightforward derivatization by standard bio-orthogonal conjugation. Upon derivatization with an anti-transferrin receptor aptamer, these vesicles show highly selective cellular internalization with minimal nonspecific uptake and pH-triggered doxorubicin release

Spatial and temporal trend in the abundance and distribution of gurnards (Pisces: Triglidae) in the northern Mediterranean Sea

In this study we investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of gurnards (8 species of Triglidae and one species of Peristediidae) in the northern Mediterranean Sea using 22 years of MEDITS bottom trawl survey data (1994-2015). Gurnards showed significant differences in terms of abundance, dominance and composition among geographical sub-areas and ecoregions, with the highest relative biomass (BIy) being found in Malta, eastern Corsica, the Balearic Islands and the eastern Ionian Sea. The lowest gurnards BIy were observed in the highly exploited areas of the western Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea, where the largest number of species with a negative linear trend in BIy was also found. The temporal trends in species abundances highlighted a general decrease for the coastal species (C. lucerna, C. lastoviza, C. obscurus) as compared with the species inhabiting the deep continental shelf and slope (T. lyra, P. cataphractum). The results provide for the first time an overview of the spatiotemporal trend in the abundance of gurnards over the wide spatial scale of the northern Mediterranean Sea, also suggesting the possible use of these species as indicators for monitoring the impact of fishing pressure on demersal fish assemblages.  En este estudio hemos investigado la distribución espacio-temporal de los gurnardos (8 especies de Triglidae y 1 especie de Peristediidae) en el norte del Mediterráneo usando 22 años de datos de la campaña de pesca de arrastre MEDITS (1994-2015). Los gurnardos mostraron diferencias significativas en la abundancia, dominancia y composición entre las distintas sub-areas geográficas (GSAs) y las ecoregiones, encontrándose las mayores biomasas relativas (BIy) en Malta, el este de Córcega, las Islas Baleares y el oeste del mar Jónico. Por otro lado, los menores valores de BIy fueron observados en las áreas más explotadas del oeste del Mediterráneo y del Mar Adriático, donde también se observó el mayor número de especies con una tendencia lineal negativa en relación a BIy. La tendencia temporal en la abundancia de especies evidenció una disminución general en las especies costeras (C. lucerna, C. lastoviza, C. obscurus) respecto a las especies que habitan la profunda plataforma y pendiente continentales (T. lyra, P. cataphractum). Los resultados proporcionan por primera vez una visión general de las tendencias espacio-temporales en la abundancia de los gurnardos en la amplia escala espacial del norte del Mediterráneo, sugiriendo también la posibilidad de usar estas especies como indicadores para monitorear el impacto de la presión de pesca sobre los ensamblajes de peces demersales

Biodegradable Ultrasmall-In-Nano Architectures Loaded with Cisplatin Prodrug in Combination with Ionizing Radiation Induces DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Considering the dismal survival rate, novel therapeutic strategies are warranted to improve the outcome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Combining nanotechnology for delivery of chemotherapeutics—preferably radiosensitizing agents—is a promising approach to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of chemoradiation. We assessed the effect of biodegradable ul-trasmall-in-nano architectures (NAs) containing gold ultra-small nanoparticles (USNPs) enclosed in silica shells loaded with cisplatin prodrug (NAs-cisPt) combined with ionizing radiation (IR). The cytotoxic effects and DNA damage induction were evaluated in PDAC cell lines (MIA PaCa2, SUIT2-028) and primary culture (PDAC3) in vitro and in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) in ovo model. Unlike NAs, NAs-cisPt affected the cell viability in MIA PaCa2 and SUIT2-028 cells. Furthermore, NAs-cisPt showed increased γH2AX expression up to 24 h post-IR and reduced β-globin amplifications resulting in apoptosis induction at DNA and protein levels. Similarly, combined treatment of NAs-cisPt + IR in PDAC3 and SUIT2-028 CAM models showed enhanced DNA damage and apoptosis leading to tumor growth delay. Our results demonstrate an increased cyto-toxic effect of NAs-cisPt, particularly through its release of the cisplatin prodrug. As cisplatin is a well-known radiosensitizer, administration of cisplatin prodrug in a controlled fashion through en-capsulation is a promising new treatment approach which merits further investigation in combination with other radiosensitizing agents

Organic Selenium induces ferroptosis in pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) cells reprogram both mitochondrial and lysosomal functions to support growth. At the same time, this causes significant dishomeostasis of free radicals. While this is compensated by the upregulation of detoxification mechanisms, it also represents a potential vulnerability.Here we demonstrate that PDA cells are sensitive to the inhibition of the mevalonate pathway (MVP), which supports the biosynthesis of critical antioxidant intermediates and protect from ferroptosis. We attacked the susceptibility of PDA cells to ferroptotic death with selenorganic compounds, including dibenzyl diselenide (DBDS) that exhibits potent pro-oxidant properties and inhibits tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. DBDS treatment induces the mobilization of iron from mitochondria enabling uncontrolled lipid peroxidation. Finally, we showed that DBDS and statins act synergistically to promote ferroptosis and provide evidence that combined treatment is a viable strategy to combat PDA