Refinement of the NISECI ecological index reference conditions for Italian freshwater fish communities in the eastern Emilia-Romagna region

Following the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/CE (WFD), each member state of the European Union must monitor compliance of its rivers with ecological quality standards through biological quality indicators. The New Italian Index of the Ecological State of Fish Communities (NISECI) was developed in 2017 for the assessment of fish communities, as directed by the WFD in Italian freshwater habitats. According to the WFD, the general reference conditions (GRCs) of NISECI must be refined on a regional scale through new calculation of its metrics and sub-metrics. In the present study we used environmental and ichthyological data from 457 fish samplings distributed among 299 sampling sites within 84 different water bodies collected from 1995 to 2012 to develop: 1) new lists of expected species for six homogeneous zones identified in the Reno basin (Italy) and in the eastern regional basins of the Emilia-Romagna region; and 2) the threshold values for their species-specific abundance. Results were set as refined reference conditions (RRCs) for two of the metrics used in the application of the NISECI index in the study area (i.e. X1, relating to indigenous species and X2,b, for the abundance of expected species). The RRCs were tested by applying NISECI to 24 monitoring sites of the regional surface water monitoring network (i.e., ARPAE) and comparing the results with the application of NISECI using the GRCs. Furthermore, the analytical power of the refined NISECI was evaluated by relating the findings to three expertbased blind assessments of fish community ecological status. The results confirmed an increase in refined NISECI values and its higher consistency with expert-based assessment, supporting the validity of the presented method for RRC development and its potential for application in other regions

Whole mitochondrial genome sequencing provides new insights into the phylogeography of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea

Population structure and phylogeography of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) have so far been assessed mainly by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) single-gene sequencing studies. However, phylogenetic relationships amongst matrilines, genetic characterisation of rookeries and mixed-stock analyses have suffered from the limited resolution obtained by comparison of relatively short sequences such as from the mtDNA control region. Whole mitogenome sequencing can significantly improve population genetics, particularly in marine organisms showing female natal philopatry. Despite mitogenomics becoming increasingly common in biodiversity monitoring and conservation, only a few complete mitogenomes are available for C. caretta. In this study, we sequenced the complete mtDNA of 61 loggerhead turtles sampled between 2008 and 2021 along the Italian coastline and central Mediterranean Sea. We assigned complete mtDNA haplotypes to dead embryos and bycatch samples, and introduced a first nomenclature for loggerhead mitogenomes. Analysis of mtDNA diversity, Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction allowed improved resolution of lineages with respect to studies reporting on partial mtDNA control region sequence comparisons, and we were able to further inform previous analyses on loggerhead ancestry based on control region haplogroups. Overall, whole mitogenome analysis has potential for considerable improvement of evolutionary history and phylogeographic investigations as well as mixed-stock surveys of loggerhead turtles

Threatened and extinct amphibians and reptiles in Italian natural history collections are useful conservation tools

Natural history museums are irreplaceable tools to study and preserve the biological diversity around the globe and among the primary actors in the recognition of species and the logical repositories for their type specimens. In this paper we surveyed the consistency of the preserved specimens of amphibians and reptiles housed in the major Italian scientific collections, and verified the presence of threatened species according to the IUCN Red List, includ-ing the Extinct (EX), Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU) categories. Altogether, we analyzed 39 Italian zoological collections. We confirmed the presence of one extinct reptile (Chioninia coctei) and five extinct or extinct in the wild amphibian species (Atelopus longirostris, Nectophrynoides asperginis, Pseudophilautus leucorhinus, P. nasutus, and P. variabilis). Seven CR amphibians, fourteen CR reptile species and the extinct skink C. coctei are shared by more than one institution. Museums which host the highest number of threatened and extinct amphibian species are respectively Turin (17 CR and 1 EX), Florence (13 CR and 1 EX), and Trento (15 CR and 1 EW), while for reptiles the richest museums are those from Genoa (15 CR and 1 EX), Florence (11 CR and 1 EX), and Pisa (7 CR). Finally, we discussed the utility of natural history museums and the strategies to follow for the implementation of their functionality. © Firenze University Press

Preserving Modes and Messages via Diverse Particle Selection

In applications of graphical models arising in domains such as computer vision and signal processing, we often seek the most likely configurations of high-dimensional, continuous variables. We develop a particle-based max-product algorithm which maintains a diverse set of posterior mode hypotheses, and is robust to initialization. At each iteration, the set of hypotheses at each node is augmented via stochastic proposals, and then reduced via an efficient selection algorithm. The integer program underlying our optimization-based particle selection minimizes errors in subsequent max-product message updates. This objective automatically encourages diversity in the maintained hypotheses, without requiring tuning of application-specific distances among hypotheses. By avoiding the stochastic resampling steps underlying particle sum-product algorithms, we also avoid common degeneracies where particles collapse onto a single hypothesis. Our approach significantly outperforms previous particle-based algorithms in experiments focusing on the estimation of human pose from single images

A neuropsychological instrument adding to the description of patients with suspected cortical dementia: the Milan overall dementia assessment

A new, short, neuropsychologically oriented test for dementia assessment-the Milan Overall Dementia Assessment (MODA)-is described. Age and education adjusted norms based on 217 healthy controls are given. A validation study on 312 outpatients suspected of dementia (121 with probable Alzheimer's disease) showed that the MODA differentiated patients with cognitive impairment from normal subjects more effectively than did the DSM III-R. The correlation between the MODA and the mini mental state examination was 0-63 in controls and 0*84 in patients with Alzheimer's dementia. The MODA test-retest reliability was 083. The test proved to be well suited to longitudinal studies

Clinical Perception and Treatment Options for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in Italy

BackgroundBehavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have a high prevalence, and their presence is associated with a severe impact in terms of social costs. However, dedicated clinical tools or biomarkers to detect these symptoms are lacking. Thus, BPSD management in clinical settings is challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the perception and the treatment strategies for BPSD in Italian centers working in the dementia field. MethodsA multicenter, national survey was developed by BPSD Study Group of the Italian Neurological Society for Dementia (SINDEM). The survey consisted of a semi-structured questionnaire that was e-mailed to SINDEM members, dementia centers part of the national network of memory clinics (Centers for Cognitive Deterioration and Dementia [CDCD]), and clinicians working in dementia care settings. The questions were focused on (1) perceived global frequency and relevance of BPSD; (2) tools used to assess BPSD; (3) pharmacological treatment for psychosis, apathy, agitation, aggression, depression, anxiety, sleep, and nutrition disturbances; (4) non-pharmacological treatments; (5) drugs side effects. ResultsOne-hundred and thirty-six clinicians participated in this study. Seventy-nine participants worked in a CDCD and 57 in other settings. The perceived frequency of BPSD was 74%. BPSD are detected by means of a clinical assessment for 96.3% or a caregiver interview for 97%. For psychosis treatment the first choice was atypical antipsychotics (83.3%), followed by typical antipsychotic (8.9%) and antidepressants (4.8%). For agitation, atypical antipsychotics were the first-choice treatment in 64% of cases and antidepressants in 16.1%. For aggression, the most used drugs were atypical antipsychotics (82.9%). For anxiety, 55.2% use antidepressants, 17.9% use atypical antipsychotics, and 16.9% use benzodiazepines. Interestingly, most of the centers apply non-pharmacological treatments for BPSD. Some differences emerged comparing the responses from CDCD and other care settings. ConclusionThe survey results revealed many differences in BPSD perception, treatment options, and observed side effect according to the clinical setting. This variability can be explained by the absence of clear guidelines, by differences in patients' characteristics, and by clinical practice based on subjective experience. These results suggest that producing guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of BPSD is a major need

Reproductive strategies and body shape in the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) from contrasting habitats in Italy

Comparisons within and among populations offer important insights into variation in life-history traits and possible adaptive patterns to environmental conditions. We present the results of observed differences in body size, body shape and patterns of reproduction in four separate populations of the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis in central and southern Italy – coastal (n=3) and mountainous (n=1) sites and pond (n=2) and canal (n=2) habitats – to determine whether phenotypic plasticity affects reproductive output. Although we did not find any significant latitudinal variation in body size, we observed significant differences in body shape between canal (rounded body shape) and pond (elongated body shape) systems and smaller size with rounded shape in the mountainous population. Reproductive output is similar among populations (median=5 eggs per clutch), whereas reproductive investment (relative clutch mass to maternal body mass) is higher in the mountain population (one clutch per year) than in coastal populations (two clutches per year), suggesting differential trade-offs between geographic locality, elevation and habitat type. Turtle shell shape and geographic location together affect reproductive output in E. orbicularis in Italy