A Hybrid-Electric Passenger Vessel for Inland Waterway

The problem of air pollution is one of the biggest issues discussed worldwide: due to this reason, various measures to reduce global pollution, especially CO2 emissions, are being taken by Governments. One of the main causes of pollution is represented by the transport sector, which includes also maritime transport. Therefore, it is necessary to study and find new types of propulsion that ensure a reduction of pollutant emissions. A way to achieve this aim is represented by hybrid-electric propulsion systems, capable of ensuring a good range in ZEM - Zero Emission Mode - navigation. In this paper, the application of hybrid-electric propulsion on a small boat for passenger transport in inland waters has been analysed. Based on the results of preliminary studies, a prototype of the vessel was built; the boat has been a useful and remarkable test bench to validate such a technology, in terms of eco-friendliness, energy efficiency, and reliability. Here, the theoretical estimates carried out in the early stage of design have been compared with the experimental data obtained on the prototype during a sea trials campaign carried out in a real operative environment

Feasibility study of a hybrid-electric multipurpose craft for coastal sustainable navigation

The importance of reducing polluting emissions of small crafts operating in coastal areas is also linked to the concept of preserving the marine and coastal environment. So, nowadays the need to reduce as far as possible the pollutants' emissions is a primary objective that must be considered in the design of any type of vessel. This paper illustrates the design of a small vessel conceived with two different operational conditions: passenger transport and research support unit. In particular, the hybrid-electric power system was designed to guarantee ZEM (Zero Emission Mode) navigation, even in protected areas where usually navigation is not allowed, such as natural reserves

Shotgun sequencing of honey DNA can describe honey bee derived environmental signatures and the honey bee hologenome complexity

Honey bees are large-scale monitoring tools due to their extensive environmental exploration. In their activities and from the hive ecosystem complex, they get in close contact with many organisms whose traces can be transferred into the honey, which can represent an interesting reservoir of environmental DNA (eDNA) signatures and information useful to analyse the honey bee hologenome complexity. In this study, we tested a deep shotgun sequencing approach of honey DNA coupled with a specifically adapted bioinformatic pipeline. This methodology was applied to a few honey samples pointing out DNA sequences from 191 organisms spanning different kingdoms or phyla (viruses, bacteria, plants, fungi, protozoans, arthropods, mammals). Bacteria included the largest number of species. These multi-kingdom signatures listed common hive and honey bee gut microorganisms, honey bee pathogens, parasites and pests, which resembled a complex interplay that might provide a general picture of the honey bee pathosphere. Based on the Apis mellifera filamentous virus genome diversity (the most abundant detected DNA source) we obtained information that could define the origin of the honey at the apiary level. Mining Apis mellifera sequences made it possible to identify the honey bee subspecies both at the mitochondrial and nuclear genome levels

Whole genome sequencing identifies candidate genes and mutations that can explain diluted and other colour varieties of domestic canaries (Serinus canaria)

The domestic canary (Serinus canaria) is one of the most common pet birds and has been extensively selected and bred over the last few centuries to constitute many different varieties. Plumage pigmentation is one of the main phenotypic traits that distinguish canary breeds and lines. Feather colours in these birds, similarly to other avian species, are mainly depended on the presence of two major types of pigments: carotenoids and melanins. In this study, we exploited whole genome sequencing (WGS) datasets produced from five canary lines or populations (Black Frosted Yellow, Opal, Onyx, Opal × Onyx and Mogno, some of which carrying different putative dilute alleles), complemented with other WGS datasets retrieved from previous studies, to identify candidate genes that might explain pigmentation variability across canary breeds and varieties. Sequencing data were obtained using a DNA pool-seq approach and genomic data were compared using window-based FST analyses. We identified signatures of selection in genomic regions harbouring genes involved in carotenoid-derived pigmentation variants (CYP2J19, EDC, BCO2 and SCARB1), confirming the results reported by previous works, and identified several other signatures of selection in the correspondence of melanogenesis-related genes (AGRP, ASIP, DCT, EDNRB, KITLG, MITF, MLPH, SLC45A2, TYRP1 and ZEB2). Two putative causative mutations were identified in the MLPH gene that may explain the Opal and Onyx dilute mutant alleles. Other signatures of selection were also identified that might explain additional phenotypic differences between the investigated canary populations

Carbon nanodots for on demand chemophotothermal therapy combination to elicit necroptosis: Overcoming apoptosis resistance in breast cancer cell lines

Background: Engineered luminescent carbon nanodots (CDs) are appealing nanomaterials for cancer image-guided photothermal therapy combining near infrared (NIR)–triggered hyperthermia, imaging, and drug delivery in a single platform for efficient killing of cancer cells. This approach would allow eliciting synergistic regulated cell death (RCD) routes such as necroptosis, targeting breast cancer cells refractory to apoptosis, thus overcoming drug resistance. Methods: We report the preparation of CDs bearing biotin as a targeting agent (CDs-PEG-BT), which are able to load high amounts of irinotecan (23.7%) to be released in a pulsed on-demand fashion. CDs-PEG-BT have narrow size distribution, stable red luminescence, and high photothermal conversion in the NIR region, allowing imaging of MDA-MB231 and MCF-7 cancer cells and killing them by photothermal and chemotherapeutic insults. Results: Cellular uptake, viability profiles, and RCD gene expression analyses provided insights about the observed biocompatibility of CDs-PEG-BT, indicating that necroptosis can be induced on-demand after the photothermal activation. Besides, photothermal activation of drug-loaded CDs-PEG-BT implies both necroptosis and apoptosis by the TNFα and RIPK1 pathway. Conclusions: The controlled activation of necroptosis and apoptosis by combining phototherapy and on-demand release of irinotecan is the hallmark of efficient anticancer response in refractory breast cancer cell lines in view of precision medicine applications

Single-marker and haplotype-based genome-wide association studies for the number of teats in two heavy pig breeds

The number of teats is a reproductive-related trait of great economic relevance as it affects the mothering ability of the sows and thus the number of properly weaned piglets. Moreover, genetic improvement of this trait is fundamental to parallelly help the selection for increased litter size. We present the results of single-marker and haplotypes-based genome-wide association studies for the number of teats in two large cohorts of heavy pig breeds (Italian Large White and Italian Landrace) including 3990 animals genotyped with the 70K GGP Porcine BeadChip and other 1927 animals genotyped with the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. In the Italian Large White population, genome scans identified three genome regions (SSC7, SSC10, and SSC12) that confirmed the involvement of the VRTN gene (as we previously reported) and highlighted additional loci known to affect teat counts, including the FRMD4A and HOXB1 gene regions. A different picture emerged in the Italian Landrace population, with a total of 12 genome regions in eight chromosomes (SSC3, SSC6, SSC8, SSC11, SSC13, SSC14, SSC15, and SSC16) mainly detected via the haplotype-based genome scan. The most relevant QTL was close to the ARL4C gene on SSC15. Markers in the VRTN gene region were not significant in the Italian Landrace breed. The use of both single-marker and haplotype-based genome-wide association analyses can be helpful to exploit and dissect the genome of the pigs of different populations. Overall, the obtained results supported the polygenic nature of the investigated trait and better elucidated its genetic architecture in Italian heavy pigs

Application of next generation semiconductor-based sequencing for the identification of apis mellifera complementary sex determiner (Csd) alleles from honey dna

The complementary sex determiner (csd) gene plays an essential role in the sex determination of Apis mellifera L. Females develop only if fertilized eggs have functional heterozygous genotypes at this gene whereas males, being haploids, are hemizygous. Two identical csd alleles produce non vital males. In light of the recent decline in honey bee populations, it is therefore important to monitor the allele variability at this gene. In this study, we tested the application of next generation semiconductor-based sequencing technology (Ion Torrent) coupled with environmental honey DNA as a source of honey bee genome information to retrieve massive sequencing data for the analysis of variability at the hypervariable region (HVR) of the csd gene. DNA was extracted from 12 honey samples collected from honeycombs directly retrieved from 12 different colonies. A specifically designed bioinformatic pipeline, applied to analyze a total of about 1.5 million reads, identified a total of 160 different csd alleles, 55% of which were novel. The average number of alleles per sample was compatible with the number of expected patrilines per colony, according to the mating behavior of the queens. Allele diversity at the csd could also provide information useful to reconstruct the history of the honey

Ancient DNA re-opens the question of the phylogenetic position of the Sardinian pika Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), an extinct lagomorph

Palaeogenomics is contributing to refine our understanding of many major evolutionary events at an unprecedented resolution, with relevant impacts in several fields, including phylogenetics of extinct species. Few extant and extinct animal species from Mediterranean regions have been characterised at the DNA level thus far. The Sardinian pika, Prolagus sardus (Wagner, 1829), was an iconic lagomorph species that populated Sardinia and Corsica and became extinct during the Holocene. There is a certain scientific debate on the phylogenetic assignment of the extinct genus Prolagus to the family Ochotonidae (one of the only two extant families of the order Lagomorpha) or to a separated family Prolagidae, or to the subfamily Prolaginae within the family Ochotonidae. In this study, we successfully reconstructed a portion of the mitogenome of a Sardinian pika dated to the Neolithic period and recovered from the Cabaddaris cave, an archaeological site in Sardinia. Our calibrated phylogeny may support the hypothesis that the genus Prolagus is an independent sister group to the family Ochotonidae that diverged from the Ochotona genus lineage about 30 million years ago. These results may contribute to refine the phylogenetic interpretation of the morphological peculiarities of the Prolagus genus already described by palaeontological studies