Forest dynamics: Space-time patterns of biodiversity under changing management

Aims: We aimed to enhance the conservation of forest biodiversity investigating: (i) The suitability of sampling methods for assessing patterns and trends of plant diversity; (ii) The effects of forest management and abandonment on biodiversity. Main study area: Foreste Casentinesi National Park (Italy). Methods: (i) We generated a georeferenced data set by assembling the available forest vegetation data for the study area, to investigate their spatial and temporal patterns. Then, we analyzed the consistency between preferential and probabilistic samplings. Further, we performed a resurvey study based on the oldest vegetation data in the data set. (ii) We analyzed the effects of management vs. abandonment of mountain beech forests on vascular plants and epiphytes. Finally, we compared richness and functional diversity metrics in capturing the effects of management-related habitat factors on biodiversity, analyzing European beech forests in Denmark. Results: (i) The preferential survey provides a biased estimation of patterns and trends of plant diversity, while a probabilistic method is more statistically representative, but it may fail to record important biodiversity features. Therefore, both sources of information should be considered to maximize the effectiveness of plant diversity assessment and monitoring. Structural and compositional dynamics assessed in the resurvey study reflect a widespread process of abandonment of mountains in the second half of 20th century. (ii) Different species groups show contrasting responses to management and abandonment and at present the occurrence of conservation-relevant species results a relevant metric for planning and evaluating conservation actions, especially for less studied organism groups. Conclusions: The use of proper, and standardized, sampling methods and metrics for biodiversity assessment is baseline for an effective conservation planning. A multi-taxon approach is highly recommended to avoid misleading conclusion for conservation. Further studies to identify suitable indicators of overall biodiversity may support rapid assessment methods for practical conservation

Dynamical signature of a stellar bulge in a quasar host galaxy at z≃6z\simeq 6

We present a dynamical analysis of a quasar-host galaxy at $z\simeq 6$ (SDSS J2310+1855) using a high-resolution ALMA observation of the [CII] emission line. The observed rotation curve was fitted with mass models that considered the gravitational contribution of a thick gas disc, a thick star-forming stellar disc, and a central mass concentration, which is likely due to a combination of a spheroidal component (i.e. a stellar bulge) and a supermassive black hole (SMBH). The SMBH mass of $5\times 10^9\ \rm M_{\odot}$, previously measured using the CIV and MgII emission lines, is not sufficient to explain the high velocities in the central regions. Our dynamical model suggests the presence of a stellar bulge with a mass of $\rm M_{bulge}\sim 10^{10}\ \rm M_{\odot}$ in this object, when the Universe was younger than 1 Gyr. To finally be located on the local $M_{\rm SMBH}-M_{\rm bulge}$ relation, the bulge mass should increase by a factor of $\sim$40 from $z=6$ to 0, while the SMBH mass should grow by a factor of 4 at most. This points towards asynchronous galaxy-BH co-evolution. Imaging with the JWST will allow us to validate this scenario.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables. Accepted by A&

Exploring patterns of beta‐diversity to test the consistency of biogeographical boundaries: A case study across forest plant communities of Italy

Aim To date, despite their great potential biogeographical regionalization models have been mostly developed on descriptive and empirical bases. This paper aims at applying the beta-diversity framework on a statistically representative data set to analytically test the consistency of the biogeographical regionalization of Italian forests. Location Italy. Taxon Vascular plants. Methods Forest plant communities were surveyed in 804 plots made in a statistically representative sample of forest communities made by 201 sites of Italian forests across the three biogeographical regions of the country: Alpine, Continental, and Mediterranean. We conducted an ordination analysis and an analysis of beta-diversity, decomposing it into its turnover and nestedness components. Results Our results provide only partial support to the consistency of the biogeographical regionalization of Italy. While the differences in forest plant communities support the distinction between the Alpine and the other two regions, differences between Continental and Mediterranean regions had lower statistical support. Pairwise beta-diversity and its turnover component are higher between- than within-biogeographical regions. This suggests that different regional species pools contribute to assembly of local communities and that spatial distance between-regions has a stronger effect than that within-regions. Main conclusions Our findings confirm a biogeographical structure of the species pools that is captured by the biogeographical regionalization. However, nonsignificant differences between the Mediterranean and Continental biogeographical regions suggest that this biogeographical regionalization is not consistent for forest plant communities. Our results demonstrate that an analytical evaluation of species composition differences among regions using beta-diversity analysis is a promising approach for testing the consistency of biogeographical regionalization models. This approach is recommended to provide support to the biogeographical regionalization used in some environmental conservation polices adopted by EU

Novel mutation in the ligand‐binding domain of the androgen receptor gene (1790p) associated with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome

Mutations in the X-linked androgen receptor (AR) gene cause androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), resulting in an impaired embryonic sex differentiation in 46,XY genetic men. Complete androgen insensitivity (CAIS) produces a female external phenotype, whereas cases with partial androgen insensitivity (PAIS) have various ambiguities of the genitalia. Mild androgen insensitivity (MAIS) is characterized by undermasculinization and gynecomastia. Here we describe a 2-month-old 46,XY female patient, with all of the characteristics of CAIS. Defects in testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) synthesis were excluded. Sequencing of the AR gene showed the presence in exon 6 of a T to C transition in the second base of codon 790, nucleotide position 2369, causing a novel missense Leu790Pro mutation in the ligand-binding domain of the AR protein. The identification of a novel AR mutation in a girl with CAIS provides significant information due to the importance of missense mutations in the ligand-binding domain of the AR, which are able to induce functional abnormalities in the androgen binding capability, stabilization of active conformation, or interaction with coactivators

Arbovirus Screening in Mosquitoes in Emilia-Romagna (Italy, 2021) and Isolation of Tahyna Virus

Several viruses can be transmitted by mosquitoes. We searched some of these viruses in 20,778 mosquitoes, collected in 95 traps on the plains of Emilia-Romagna (North of Italy) in 2021. We detected West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in pools of Culex (Cx.) pipiens. In addition, we detected two insect-specific flaviviruses in three pools of Aedes (Ae.) caspius and in two of Ae. vexans. Tahyna virus (TAHV) was detected in six pools, three of Ae. caspius and three of Cx. pipiens, and one isolated strain was obtained from one of the Ae. caspius pools. Moreover, we detected TAHV in pools of several mosquito species (Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles maculipennis s.l.) collected in the previous year of surveillance. Our data indicate Ae. caspius as the species most infected with TAHV in the surveyed area. Together with the likely plasticity of the cycle, we reported strong genome stability of the TAHV, probably linked to a successful adaptation of the virus to its ecological niche. Interestingly, in six pools of Cx. pipiens we detected two associated viruses among USUV, WNV, TAHV and all the three viruses in two pools. This result allows us to assume the presence of particular conditions that prompt the circulation of arboviruses, creating the conditions for viral hot spots. While no human diseases related to Tahyna virus were reported in Italy, its detection over the years suggests that it is worth investigating this virus as a potential cause of disease in humans in order to assess its health burden. IMPORTANCE We reported in this work the detection of three Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne viruses) in mosquitoes collected in Emilia-Romagna in 2021. In addition to West Nile and Usutu viruses, which were reported from more than 10 years in the study area, we detected and isolated Tahyna virus (TAHV). We also reported detections of TAHV obtained in previous years of surveillance in different species of mosquitoes. TAHV is the potential causative agent of summer influenza-like diseases and also of meningitis. Even if human cases of disease referable to this virus are not reported in Italy, its relevant presence in mosquitoes suggests investigating the possibility they could

A novel phage-library-selected peptide inhibits human TNF-α binding to its receptors

We report the identification of a new human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) specific peptide selected by competitive panning of a phage library. Competitive elution of phages was obtained using the monoclonal antibody adalimumab, which neutralizes pro-inflammatory processes caused by over-production of TNF-α in vivo, and is used to treat severe symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The selected peptide was synthesized in monomeric and branched form and analyzed for binding to TNF-α and competition with adalimumab and TNF-α receptors. Results of competition with TNF-α receptors in surface plasmon resonance and melanoma cells expressing both TNF receptors make the peptide a candidate compound for the development of a novel anti-TNF-α drug

Reconstructing the recent West Nile virus lineage 2 epidemic in Europe and Italy using discrete and continuous phylogeography

West Nile virus lineage 2 (WNV-2) was mainly confined to sub-Saharan Africa until the early 2000s, when it was identified for the first time in Central Europe causing outbreaks of human and animal infection. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the origin and dispersion of WNV-2 in Central Europe and Italy on a phylodynamic and phylogeographical basis. To this aim, discrete and continuous space phylogeographical models were applied to a total of 33 newly characterised full-length viral genomes obtained from mosquitoes, birds and humans in Northern Italy in the years 2013-2015 aligned with 64 complete sequences isolated mainly in Europe. The European isolates segregated into two highly significant clades: a small one including three sequences and a large clade including the majority of isolates obtained in Central Europe since 2004. Discrete phylogeographical analysis showed that the most probable location of the root of the largest European clade was in Hungary a mean 12.78 years ago. The European clade bifurcated into two highly supported subclades: one including most of the Central/East European isolates and the other encompassing all of the isolates obtained in Greece. The continuous space phylogeographical analysis of the Italian clade showed that WNV-2 entered Italy in about 2008, probably by crossing the Adriatic sea and reaching a central area of the Po Valley. The epidemic then spread simultaneously eastward, to reach the region of the Po delta in 2013, and westward to the border area between Lombardy and Piedmont in 2014; later, the western strain changed direction southward, and reached the central area of the Po valley once again in 2015. Over a period of about seven years, the virus spread all over an area of northern Italy by following the Po river and its main tributaries

CONJUGATED BRANCHED PEPTIDES AS TARGETING AGENTS FOR TUMOR IMAGING AND THERAPY

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AMS-VegBank: a new database of vegetation plots for the Italian territory

The importance of collection, storage and exchange of georeferenced vegetation plot-based data has significantly grown in the recent decades, because of the new potentialities offered by ecoinformatics. In this article we introduce the Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna vegetation database (AMS-VegBank; GIVD code EU-IT-021) compiling 17,505 georeferenced vegetation-plot observations within a time span of 90 years. This database includes 337,799 occurrence data of vascular plant species, belonging to many different habitat types. The historical relevance of the presented database is highlighted by the presence of some of the most ancient vegetation-plot observations in Europe (years 1930–1938). The geographic coverage of the database is mostly for Italian territory but it includes also data from other countries. The thematic focuses represented in the database are various, such as small Mediterranean islands, the Dolomite Mountains and the Italian National Parks. The large amount of historical plots available for the country not previously included in existing databases, combined with the constant action to improve the georeferencing of existing data and the addition of new data, highlight the uniqueness of this database. AMS-VegBank represents thus an important tool for studying plant biodiversity within the context of continental and global vegetation plot databases