CARATTERIZZAZIONE QUALITATIVA E QUANTITATIVA DELLO SCARTO NELLA PESCA A STRASCICO DEL MAR TIRRENO SETTENTRIONALE

Nella pesca commerciale, la cattura non intenzionale di pesci ed invertebrati, e in minima parte di mammiferi marini, tartarughe e uccelli, è un problema che ha suscitato un crescente interesse scientifico negli ultimi decenni. Con il termine scarto si intendono tutti quegli organismi marini catturati durante l’azione di pesca e successivamente rigettati in mare; le specie che compongono lo scarto sono specie prive di valore economico perchè non edibili o perchè danneggiate durante l’attività di pesca e specie di interesse commerciale ma di taglia inferiore a quella minima legale, che quindi non possono essere sbarcate e vendute. La pesca incidentale costituisce un serio problema di conservazione non solo poiché popolazioni di specie a rischio sono minacciate e stock ittici già pesantemente sfruttati sono ulteriormente colpiti, ma anche per l’impatto ecologico sull’ecosistema marino. La rimozione di individui di molte specie dall’ecosistema,che vanno ad aumentare la biomassa scartata, può alterare la struttura delle comunità marine e la normale catena trofica. La rete a strascico, ampiamente utilizzata nel Mediterraneo, dove effettua una pesca di tipo multispecifico, è un attrezzo non selettivo che comporta i maggiori tassi di scarto a livello mondiale. Il presente elaborato di tesi affronta il tema dello scarto con un approccio ecologico, al fine di fornire le basi per una valutazione dell’impatto della pesca a strascico sull’ecosistema marino. Oltre alla sua caratterizzazione quantitativa e qualitativa si ricercano eventuali differenze nella composizione specifica dello scarto secondo gradienti come quello batimetrico ed eventuali variazioni stagionali ed annuali, al fine di discriminare le diverse comunità demersali oggetto di pesca incidentale. I dati di scarto utilizzati sono stati raccolti durante osservazioni e campionamenti effettuati a bordo di pescherecci a strascico della marineria di Porto Santo Stefano e Castiglion della Pescaia negli anni 2003 e 2006-2009 e si riferiscono a 115 cale tra i 50 e i 580 metri di profondità. In queste 115 cale, 230 specie sono state scartate, di cui 91 solo di osteitti, 50 di crostacei, 21 di cefalopodi, 9 di condroitti e le restanti di invertebrati inferiori. Le specie scartate nei quantitativi maggiori sono Trachurus trachurus e merluccius merluccius tra gli osteitti, il condroitta Galeus melastum, i gamberetti del genere Plesionika e Solenocera membranacea per i crostacei e Alloteuthis spp e Illex coindetii tra i cefalopodi. Per quanto riguarda le biocenosi sono stati rilevati nello scarto grandi quantitativi del crinoide Leptometra phalangium. I dati di biomassa (kg/h) e di densità (numero di esemplari /h ) per ciascuna specie sono stati analizzati con metodi statistici multivariati utilizzando il programma PRIMER. Le analisi sono state effettuate sull’insieme di tutte le specie scartate, su ogni gruppo tassonomico principale e sull’insieme delle sole specie bersaglio della pesca. La composizione faunistica qualitativa e quantitativa di ciascuna cala è stata confrontata attraverso l’analisi dei cluster costruiti sulla matrice di similarità di Bray-Curtis al fine di individuare raggruppamenti con caratteristiche simili. I risultati della matrice di similarità sono stati ordinati anche mediante MDS. La profondità è il fattore che ha determinato l’ordinamento delle cale sia nei cluster che nell’MDS, mentre non sono risultati raggruppamenti in base alle stagioni o agli anni. Per ogni insieme di specie considerato , le cale si sono distribuite in due grandi gruppi: un gruppo relativo alla piattaforma continentale tra 50 e 230 metri e uno della scarpata tra 308 e 580 metri. Analizzando l’insieme completo di tutte le specie scartate, i dati di abbondanza si sono rivelati più efficaci di quelli di biomassa nel discernere ulteriori sottogruppi, definiti dai seguenti intervalli di profondità 50 – 80 m, 80 – 130 m, 130 – 230 m e 308 – 510 m , 505 – 580 m. Tale suddivisione è dovuta principalmente ai pesci, infatti non si mantiene quando si considerano solo i crostacei e i cefalopodi. Le analisi Simper hanno determinato le principali specie caratterizzanti di ciascun cluster, e quelle discriminatorie dei gruppi. Questo studio vuole dare un contributo alla caratterizzazione dello scarto nel Mar Tirreno settentrionale che è il primo passo da compiere per individuare adeguate linee di intervento e gestione volte a ridurre questo problema

Ricostruzione paleoclimatica e paleoambientale del lago dell'Accesa (Toscana meridionale) durante l'Olocene: risultati isotopici

Il lavoro svolto ha come scopo lo studio geochimico e isotopico di sedimenti lacustri provenienti dal lago dell’Accesa (Toscana meridionale) al fine di ricostruire le variazioni ambientali e climatiche durante l’Olocene. Per effettuare il suddetto lavoro sono stati utilizzati tre diversi intervalli della carota AC05-B1, prelevata dal gruppo francese del CNRS (responsabile B. Vannière) nel 2005 e che hanno ottenuto le datazioni radiometriche utilizzate in questo lavoro. Al fine di caratterizzare l’ambiente lacustre è stata effettuata una campagna di campionamento delle acque durante il marzo 2012. Le analisi geochimiche e isotopiche condotte sui carbonati lacustri e sulla materia organica della carota AC05-B1 sono state svolte presso l’Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse del CNR di Pisa. Le analisi effettuate sono state le seguenti: - analisi isotopiche, del carbonio della materia organica e del carbonato e dell’ossigeno del carbonato mediante spettrometria di massa per la misura del rapporto isotopico (IRMS) Quelle effettuate sulle acque del lago sono state: - misura di pH, alcalinità, conducibilità, temperatura, Ossigeno disciolto (direttamente in campo) - analisi degli anioni maggiori mediante cromatografia ionica e dei cationi maggiori mediante Assorbimento Atomico - analisi isotopiche dell’ossigeno e del deuterio delle acque Le analisi sopra citate hanno avuto come fine ultimo, quindi, lo studio delle caratteristiche del carbonio inorganico e di quello della materia organica , allo scopo di comprendere come i loro apporti e le loro fonti nell'ambiente lacustre si siano modificati nel tempo. In questo modo, confrontando tali analisi con le condizioni attuali del lago, è stato possibile comprendere cambiamenti ambientali e climatici che hanno interessato il lago durante gli ultimi 12 mila anni

Dynamic calibration system for seismometers: Traceability from 0.03 Hz up to 30 Hz

Mechanical calibration and traceability of seismometers in operating conditions are still a technical challenge, since very low-frequency ranges (below 0.1 Hz) are involved, and sensors under investigation are generally heavy and bulky. Recently, within the vibration metrology field, some pioneering works proposed to evaluate the seismometers’ sensitivity by applying laboratory mechanical calibration procedures, against primary or secondary standards, according to the ISO 16063 methods. By following this path, at INRIM, it has been developed a suitable system for short period horizontal and vertical ground velocity calibration of 3-axis seismometers. The calibration system allows to directly evaluate the sensitivities of the 2 axes perpendicular to the gravity field, with respect to the horizontal ground velocity (S-waves), and to derive the sensitivity of the vertical axis, parallel to the gravity field, with respect to the vertical ground velocity (P-waves), in the frequency range between 0.03 Hz and 30 Hz

Post-marketing surveillance study of the DTaP2-IPV-HB-Hib (Hexyon) vaccine administered in preterm infants in the Apulia region, Italy, in 2017.

Recommendations in many countries state that preterm infants (PTIs) should receive the same routine immunization schedule and timing as for full-term births, according to their chronological age. Data regarding hexavalent vaccine safety in PTIs are still limited. We conducted a post-marketing surveillance study of the DTaP2-IPV-HB-Hib vaccine administered to PTIs in Apulia region, Italy. We identified PTIs by selecting the hospital discharge records of infants born between January and June 2017 using the DRG and ICD-9-CM codes for preterm birth, and we matched these data with records included in the regional immunization registry. We analyzed coverage and timeliness of vaccination. To investigate adverse events (AEs) after the first dose, we interviewed via phone the parents of PTIs vaccinated with at least one dose of the DTaP2-IPV-HB-Hib vaccine. At the time of our analysis (31.12.2017), 866/936 (92.5%) PTIs received the first dose of hexavalent vaccine and 539/936 (57.6%) were vaccinated by the third month of age, as recommended; 700/866 (80.8%) received the DTaP2-IPV-HB-Hib vaccine. The parents of 339 PTIs vaccinated with the DTaP2-IPV-HB-Hib vaccine reported local pain as the most common reaction (35.7% of the children). Erythema, swelling, induration and nodule were also reported in about 25% of the children. Systemic adverse events were generally rarer than local reactions. No serious AEs were reported. Our findings showed that more than 40% of PTIs received delayed hexavalent vaccination. This study showed a reassuring safety profile of the vaccine in the preterm population and may be considered as a pilot for further real-world studies

Systematic causality assessment of adverse events following HPV vaccines: Analysis of current data from Apulia region (Italy)

Since 2013, World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that adverse events following immuniza- tion (AEFIs) should be evaluated by a standardized algorithm for causality assessment, however the use of WHO procedure is rarely adopted. In Italy, AEFIs (classified only by temporal criteria) are registered in the National Drug Authority (AIFA) database, but causality assessment is not mandatory. Every year AIFA publishes the AEFIs report, that doesn’t contain information about causal correlation between events and vaccines. From AIFA database, we selected AEFIs following human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV) reported in Apulia (about 4,000,000 inhabitants) during 2008–2016. For serious AEFIs, we applied WHO causality assessment criteria; for cases hospitalized, we repeated the assessment getting additional information from health documentation. In 2008–2016, 100 HPV AEFIs (reporting rate: 17.8 per 100,000 doses) were registered of which 19 were serious (rate: 3.4 per 100,000 doses) and 12 led to hospitaliza- tion. After causality assessment, for 9 AEFIs the classification was ‘‘consistent causal association to immunization”, for 3 indeterminate, for 5 ‘‘inconsistent causal association to immunization” and for 2 not-classifiable. Among hospitalized patients, 5 AEFIs were consistent, 5 inconsistent, 1 not-classifiable and 1 indeterminate; adding information from health documentation, the results were similar except for indeterminate and not classifiable AEFIs that turned into ‘‘not consistent”. Only half of severe AEFIs could be associated with vaccination and this suggests that AIFA report provides a incomplete picture of HPV vaccine safety, with a risk for readers to confound ‘‘post hoc” and ‘‘propter hoc” approach without considering the causality assessment results. In the view of the systematic use of WHO causality assess- ment algorithm in the AEFI surveillance, the efforts of Public Health must be focused on the improvement of the quality of the information provided to reduce conclusions inter-observer variability; the routine follow-up of reports, also to collect additional information, must be guaranteed

Diabetes and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Acute bacterial skin and skin structures infections (ABSSSIs) are associated with high morbidity, costs and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Their appropriate management should include several figures and a well-organized approach. This review aims to highlight the interplay between diabetes and ABSSSIs and bring out the unmet clinical needs in this area. Pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the increased risk of ABSSSIs in diabetes mellitus are multifactorial: high glucose levels play a crucial pathogenetic role in the tissue damage and delayed clinical cure. Moreover, the presence of diabetes complications (neuropathy, vasculopathy) further complicates the management of ABSSSIs in patients with diabetes. Multidrug resistance organisms should be considered in this population based on patient risk factors and local epidemiology and etiological diagnosis should be obtained whenever possible. Moreover, drug-drug interactions and drug-related adverse events (such as nephrotoxicity) should be considered in the choice of antibiotic therapy. Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and prolonged length of hospital stay is of primary importance now, more than ever. To achieve these objectives, a better knowledge of the interplay between acute and chronic hyperglycemia, multidrug resistant etiology, and short and long-term outcome is needed. Of importance, a multidisciplinary approach is crucial to achieve full recovery of these patients

Effects of chrysotile exposure in human bronchial epithelial cells: Insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of asbestos-related diseases

BACKGROUND: Chrysotile asbestos accounts for > 90% of the asbestos used worldwide, and exposure is associated with asbestosis (asbestos-related fibrosis) and other malignancies; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. A common pathogenic mechanism for these malignancies is represented by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), through which epithelial cells undergo a morphological transformation to assume a mesenchymal phenotype. In the present work, we propose that chrysotile asbestos induces EMT through a mechanism involving a signaling pathway mediated by tranforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). OBJECTIVES: We investigated the role of chrysotile asbestos in inducing EMT in order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in this event. METHODS: Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were incubated with 1 μg/cm2 chrysotile asbestos for ≤ 72 hr, and several markers of EMT were investigated. Experiments with specific inhibitors for TGF-β, glycogen synthase kinase–3β (GSK-3β), and Akt were performed to confirm their involvement in asbestos-induced EMT. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blotting, and gelatin zymography were performed to detect mRNA and protein level changes for these markers. RESULTS: Chrysotile asbestos activated a TGF-β–mediated signaling pathway, implicating the contributions of Akt, GSK-3β, and SNAIL-1. The activation of this pathway in BEAS-2B cells was associated with a decrease in epithelial markers (E-cadherin and β-catenin) and an increase in mesenchymal markers (α-smooth muscle actin, vimentin, metalloproteinases, and fibronectin). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that chrysotile asbestos induces EMT, a common event in asbestos-related diseases, at least in part by eliciting the TGF-β–mediated Akt/GSK-3β/SNAIL-1 pathway. CITATION: Gulino GR, Polimeni M, Prato M, Gazzano E, Kopecka J, Colombatto S, Ghigo D, Aldieri E. 2016. Effects of chrysotile exposure in human bronchial epithelial cells: insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of asbestos-related diseases. Environ Health Perspect 124:776–784; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.140962

Oxygen-loaded nanodroplets effectively abrogate hypoxia dysregulating effects on secretion of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 by human monocytes

Monocytes play a key role in the inflammatory stage of the healing process. To allow monocyte migration to injured tissues, the balances between secreted matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) must be finely modulated. However, a reduction of blood supply and local oxygen tension can modify the phenotype of immune cells. Intriguingly, hypoxia might be targeted by new effective oxygenating devices such as 2H,3H-decafluoropentane- (DFP-) based oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (OLNs). Here, hypoxia effects on gelatinase/TIMP release from human peripheral monocytes were investigated, and the therapeutic potential of dextran-shelled OLNs was evaluated. Normoxic monocytes constitutively released ~500 ng/mL MMP-9, ~1.3 ng/mL TIMP-1, and ~0.6 ng/mL TIMP-2 proteins. MMP-2 was not detected. After 24 hours, hypoxia significantly altered MMP-9/TIMP-1 balance by reducing MMP-9 and increasing TIMP-1, without affecting TIMP-2 secretion. Interestingly OLNs, not displaying toxicity to human monocytes after cell internalization, effectively counteracted hypoxia, restoring a normoxia-like MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio. The action of OLNs was specifically dependent on time-sustained oxygen diffusion up to 24 h from their DFP-based core. Therefore, OLNs appear as innovative, nonconventional, cost-effective, and nontoxic therapeutic tools, to be potentially employed to restore the physiological invasive phenotype of immune cells in hypoxia-associated inflammation