gstop a new tool for3d geomorphological survey and mapping

In geological mapping activities, geomatics can facilitate data collection during field survey and avoid practical problems related to the transposition of these data onto maps for GIS production. The Solid True Orthophoto (STOP) can reduce these difficulties using a dedicated instrument developed by the Authors called GSTOP. It can run on laptops or tablets, managing a direct connection with low cost navigation sensors in real time, to define its location and attitude. The user can produce a 3D solid image in order to compare the effective scene to record notes and to acquire evidence. GSTOP has been used to produce a geomorphological map of the Rodoretto Valley (Germanasca Valley, NW Italy), reconstructing its Quaternary evolutio

Investigation into Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalve mollusks farmed in Sardinia region and destined for human consumption

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites transmitted by fecal-oral ingestion of (oo)cysts, and are responsible for enteritis in several animal species and humans worldwide. These (oo)cysts can survive for over a year in aquatic environments and can accumulate in bivalve mollusks, which filter large volumes of water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the natural occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination in different specimens of edible bivalves mollusks from farming sites of the western and north-eastern coasts of Sardinia. From April 2011 to February 2012, 1095 specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis and 240 of Crassostrea gigas were sampled from Olbia and Oristano gulf and San Teodoro pond. Hepatopancreas and gills, including the labial palp, were examined for oocysts and cysts after pooling and homogenisation using different techniques: i) staining for light and fluorescence microscopy; ii) direct immunofluorescence (IF) Merifluor® test Cryptosporidium/ Giardia (Meridian Bioscience Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA); and iii) molecular procedures. However, in the context under study, all mollusks examined with the three main diagnostic techniques were negative for both parasites pointing out the hypothetically low zoonotic risk related to Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalves, especially Mytilus galloprovincialis and Crassostrea gigas

Glutamine Starvation Affects Cell Cycle, Oxidative Homeostasis and Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer Cells

Cancer cells adjust their metabolism to meet energy demands. In particular, glutamine addiction represents a distinctive feature of several types of tumors, including colorectal cancer. In this study, four colorectal cancer cell lines (Caco-2, HCT116, HT29 and SW480) were cultured with or without glutamine. The growth and proliferation rate, colony-forming capacity, apoptosis, cell cycle, redox homeostasis and metabolomic analysis were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test (MTT), flow cytometry, high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques. The results show that glutamine represents an important metabolite for cell growth and that its deprivation reduces the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. Glutamine depletion induces cell death and cell cycle arrest in the GO/G1 phase by modulating energy metabolism, the amino acid content and antioxidant defenses. Moreover, the combined glutamine starvation with the glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose exerted a stronger cytotoxic effect. This study offers a strong rationale for targeting glutamine metabolism alone or in combination with glucose metabolism to achieve a therapeutic benefit in the treatment of colon cancer

Assessment of the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain in operating room health workers: An observational study in Italy

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among healthprofessionals and the possible risk factors. Methods: The study was carried out from April 2018 to October 2018 among all health workers of the Orthopaedic Clinic and the Emergency Department of “Policlinico Umberto I” in Rome. LBP was assessed using the Nordic Questionnaire Musculoskeletal Disorders in the section on lumbar pain. The type of physical activity carried out as prevention was investigated by use of the International Physical Activity Questionnaires. The overall state of health and lifestyle was deter- mined by the Short Form 12-item Health Survey. Job satisfaction and perceived work stress were assessed through the 15-questions of Karasek’s Questionnaire. The intensity of the low back pain was assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale. A univariate analysis was conducted to assess the associations between socio-demographic and working variables. Multiple logistic regression mod- els were used to assess independent correlates of LBP. Results: One hundred thirteen subjects were enrolled, 52 women and 61 men. The annual period- prevalence of lumbar musculoskeletal disorder was found on 79.6% of participants with LBP. Mean value evidence of NRS was 2.66. The highest LBP risk over the 12 months was found in groups with high job demand (OR = 1.18; 95%CI: 1.01 – 1.38), low decision-making opportunities (for decision latitude OR = 0.87; (0-76 – 1.0), and low levels of physical activity (OR = 0.75; 95%CI: 0.64 – 0.89). Conclusion: The working environment is a potential risk factor for the development of LBP and is suitable for prevention programmes. The protective effect of physical activity and work-related stress management indicate room for improvements for the prevention of LBP in these HCWs. Conflicts of interest: None declared

Assessment of the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain in operating room health workers: An observational study in Italy

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) among healthprofessionals and the possible risk factors. Methods: The study was carried out from April 2018 to October 2018 among all health workers of theOrthopaedic Clinic and the Emergency Department of “Policlinico Umberto I” in Rome. LBP wasassessed using the Nordic Questionnaire Musculoskeletal Disorders in the section on lumbar pain.The type of physical activity carried out as prevention was investigated by use of theInternational Physical Activity Questionnaires. The overall state of health and lifestyle wasdeter- mined by the Short Form 12-item Health Survey. Job satisfaction and perceived work stresswere assessed through the 15-questions of Karasek’s Questionnaire. The intensity of the low backpain was assessed using a Numerical Rating Scale. A univariate analysis was conducted to assess theassociations between socio-demographic and working variables. Multiple logistic regression mod- elswere used to assess independent correlates of LBP. Results: One hundred thirteen subjects were enrolled, 52 women and 61 men. The annual period-prevalence of lumbar musculoskeletal disorder was found on 79.6% of participants with LBP.Mean value evidence of NRS was 2.66. The highest LBP risk over the 12 months was found in groupswith high job demand (OR = 1.18; 95%CI: 1.01 – 1.38), low decision-making opportunities (fordecision latitude OR = 0.87; (0-76 – 1.0), and low levels of physical activity (OR = 0.75; 95%CI:0.64 – 0.89). Conclusion: The working environment is a potential risk factor for the development of LBP and issuitable for prevention programmes. The protective effect of physical activity and work-relatedstress management indicate room for improvements for the prevention of LBP in these HCWs. Conflicts of interest: None declared

GRIDA3—a shared resources manager for environmental data analysis and applications

GRIDA3 (Shared Resources Manager for Environmental Data Analysis and Applications) is a multidisciplinary project designed to deliver an integrated system to forge solutions to some environmental challenges such as the constant increase of polluted sites, the sustainability of natural resources usage and the forecast of extreme meteorological events. The GRIDA3 portal is mainly based on Web 2.0 technologies and EnginFrame framework. The portal, now at an advanced stage of development, provides end-users with intuitive Web-interfaces and tools that simplify job submission to the underneath computing resources. The framework manages the user authentication and authorization, then controls the action and job execution into the grid computing environment, collects the results and transforms them into an useful format on the client side. The GRIDA3 Portal framework will provide a problem-solving platform allowing, through appropriate access policies, the integration and the sharing of skills, resources and tools located at multiple sites across federated domains

Identification and quantification of potential microplastics in shellfish harvested in Sardinia (Italy) by using transillumination stereomicroscopy

Plastics are non-biodegradable polymers made up of different groups of petrochemical materials. Several biotic and abiotic factors can change the density of plastic fragmenting it and originating microplastics (MPs). MPs have been defined as small pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size. Due to their small size, they are an emerging concern in the marine environment since they can be ingested by aquatic organisms, especially filter-feeding organisms, such as bivalve mollusks. Impacts of MPs exposure have been shown at various levels of biological organization, from cellular to tissue to individual and population levels. For example, oxidative stress and inflammation have been observed in copepods and mussels, obstruction and physical damage of the digestive tract were found in fish and swimming behavior alterations, disruption of foraging and feeding behavior and overall reduced fitness and survival were observed in fish and oysters. In addition, MPs can act as a vector for the transfer of chemicals to marine biota. The aim of the present study was the identification and quantification of potential MPs in shellfish harvested in Sardinia (Italy) by using transillumination stereomicroscopy. Bivalves were collected from 4 of the main production areas located along the Sardinian coast and selected according to the principles of the risk assessment. The results of the present study demonstrated the presence of potential MPs in 70% of the analyzed samples: the presence of MPs in bivalve mollusks may pose a threat to food safety, and there is an urgent need to evaluate the potential risks of MPs to human health

New evidence of pectenotoxins in farmed bivalve molluscs from Sardinia (Italy)

Several planktonic dinoflagellates can produce lipophilic phycotoxins that represent a significant threat to public health as well as to shellfish and fish farming. Poisoning related to some of these toxins is categorised as diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. We analysed 975 shellfish samples from Tortolì in the central-eastern region of Sardinia (Italy) from January 2016 to March 2020, to investigate the prevalence of different lipophilic marine biotoxins in mollusc bivalves. The results highlighted the predominant presence of toxins belonging to the okadaic acid group in all samples with toxin concentrations exceeding legal limits, and revealed the new occurrence of pectenotoxins in oysters and clams with a winter seasonality in recent years. The origin of shellfish toxicity was associated with the same Dinophysis species, mainly D. acuminata. Based on both these results and other precedents, monitoring and recording systems are strongly recommended