Breeding site selection by olfactory cues in the threatened northern spectacled salamander Salamandrina perspicillata (Savi, 1821)

• 1. The conservation of small aquatic habitats is fundamental to preserving diversity in Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems. Amphibians are particularly endangered, as their chemical world, represented by both abiotic and biotic scent trails, is highly susceptible to environmental changes.
• 2. Breeding site fidelity in the northern spectacled salamander, Salamandrina perspicillata, an Italian endemic vertebrate, was investigated with respect to the ability of this species to locate its own home water rather than that from other places. The choice of aquatic habitat for spawning was investigated in dark conditions by comparing different types of experimental water (home breeding water vs. breeding water of allopatric populations vs. mineral water vs. distilled water). Fifty‐eight reproductive females were collected at four breeding sites in the Lepini Mountains (Latium, central Italy). The number of eggs spawned by each specimen in the different types of experimental water was counted.
• 3. The very large majority of the eggs were found in the home breeding water. When the eggs counted in the other types of water were compared, no differences were found.
• 4. These findings revealed that in the northern spectacled salamander the choice of spawning site was affected by the scent trail of its own aquatic habitat. This new information has improved knowledge of the auto‐ecology of S. perspicillata, thus contributing to strategies for its conservation.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LC/DAD/ESI/MS method for the determination of imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and spinosad in olives and olive oil after field treatment

The behavior in the field and the transfer from olives to olive oil during the technological process of imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and spinosad were studied. The extraction method used was effective in extracting the analytes of interest, and no interfering peaks were detected in the chromatogram. The residue levels found in olives after treatment were 0.14, 0.04, and 0.30 mg/kg for imidacloprid, thiacloprid, and spinosad, respectively, far below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) set for these insecticides in EU. At the preharvest interval (PHI), no residue was detected for imidacloprid and thiacloprid, while spinosad showed a residue level of 0.04 mg/kg. The study of the effect of the technological process on pesticide transfer in olive oil showed that these insecticides tend to remain in the olive cake. The LC/DAD/ESI/MS method showed good performance with adequate recoveries ranging from 80 to 119% and good method limits of quantitation (LOQs) and of determination (LODs). No matrix effect was detected.     

Magmatic gas composition reveals the source depth of slug-driven strombolian explosive activity

Strombolian-type eruptive activity, common at many volcanoes, consists of regular explosions driven by the bursting of gas slugs that rise faster than surrounding magma. Explosion quakes associated with this activity are usually localized at shallow depth; however, where and how slugs actually form remain poorly constrained. We used spectroscopic measurements performed during both quiescent degassing and explosions on Stromboli volcano (Italy) to demonstrate that gas slugs originate from as deep as the volcano-crust interface (approximately 3 kilometers), where both structural discontinuities and differential bubble-rise speed can promote slug coalescence. The observed decoupling between deep slug genesis and shallow (approximately 250-meter) explosion quakes may be a common feature of strombolian activity, determined by the geometry of plumbing systems.     

Wood hydraulic and mechanical properties induced by low water availability on two ornamental species Photinia × fraseri var. Red Robin and Viburnum opulus L.

Deficit irrigation at the nursery stage induces drought acclimation through the establishment of avoiding mechanisms and hardening processes. In this experiment, we hypothesized that water deficit would affect wood hydraulic conductivity and mechanical properties with effects on the leaf water potentials of two ornamental species, Photinia × fraseri var. Red Robin and Viburnum opulus L.The experiment was conducted in a nursery (Pistoia, Italy) during summer 2011. Individuals were arranged in three plots under three watering regimes. The control plot (C) received an amount of water replacing that lost via evapotranspiration, while two plots were maintained under severe water deficit (SWD = 33% C) and moderate water deficit (MWD = 66% C).Water deficits reduced stem diameter in both species without changing wood density (D). Concerning mechanical properties, stiffness (E) and strength (YS) of Photinia resulted higher in Photinia than in Viburnum, which did not show differences between treatments in either E or YS, whereas in Photinia, E was lower in SWD (P < 0.05) than in C. Photinia was also characterized by higher k without significant differences between treatments while Viburnum showed a lower conductivity and a significant reduction of k_h under SWD (P < 0.05). Despite this, in field conditions the two species had similar behaviour concerning the leaf water status, showing a reduction of Ψ under SWD.A longer acclimation period would probably be necessary to induce major changes in wood mechanical properties, but the similarity of responses on leaf water status in MWD and C might indicate that a reduction to 66% of water need might be sufficient to maintain the level of turgor necessary for plant physiological functioning.     

Effects of treatment with St. John's Wort on blood glucose levels and pain perceptions of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

This present study was undertaken to examine treating effects of St. John's Wort (SJW) extract on nociceptive perception of STZ-diabetic animals based on its potential antidiabetic and antinociceptive activities. One week administrations of SJW extract (125 and 250 mg/kg) induced significant decrease in high blood glucose levels of three weeks STZ-diabetic rats and improved their dysregulated metabolic parameters. In addition, SJW extract treatment caused restoration in the mechanical hyperalgesia of diabetic animals. These findings provide a rationale for the traditional use of SJW against diabetes and display the potential of this plant as a new drug candidate/source for the treatment of diabetic pain.     

Integration of biocontrol yeast and thiabendazole protects stored apples from fungicide sensitive and resistant isolates of Botrytis cinerea

Three selected biocontrol yeasts, known for their elevated antagonistic activity against several fungal pathogens, were tested in vitro for compatibility with common fungicides. The antagonists were resistant to several fungicides, but they were inhibited by triazoles and dithiocarbamates. The yeast isolate LS28 (Cryptococcus laurentii), which tolerated in vitro high rates of benzimidazoles, was tested, alone or in combination with a low dose (10% of the full label rate) of thiabendazole, against grey mould on stored apples. Wounded fruit were inoculated with thiabendazole resistant and sensitive isolates of Botrytis cinerea, applied separately or as a mixture. A more effective and prolonged control of fungal decay was always exerted by the biocontrol yeast applied together with thiabendazole at a low dose. This treatment provided synergistic effects and was markedly better than treatments applied separately, whereas the fungicide applied alone at the highest label dose was ineffective in the presence of the isolate of B. cinerea resistant to thiabendazole. The biocontrol yeast applied alone provided significant protection of apples stored for up to 12 days at 20 °C (from 39 to 81% less decay than untreated control), whereas the fungicide alone at low or high dose was always ineffective in the presence of the B. cinerea isolate resistant to benzimidazoles. The integrated treatment was highly effective and durable showing high reduction of decay (from 66 to 92%) even after 18 days of storage. This study suggests that the integration of a biocontrol agent with a low rate of fungicide may be a useful alternative strategy to manage both sensitive and resistant isolates of fungal pathogens efficiently and to reduce risks involved with extensive use of synthetic chemicals.     

Classification and class-modeling of "Riviera Ligure" extra-virgin olive oil using chemical-physical parameters

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) "Riviera Ligure" for extra-virgin olive oils from Liguria specifies three additional geographical mentions corresponding to three different geographical areas. To obtain a complete characterization of this typical Italian product, 217 samples of olive oils produced in this North Italian region during 1998/99 and 1999/2000 were analyzed. For each sample 31 variables were determined by chemical-physical analyses, and the data were subjected to a multivariate statistical analysis. For the 1998/99 crop, characterized by favorable climatic conditions, class-models of the three geographical areas were obtained with good predictive ability, also considering the influence of the month of olive harvesting. The oil samples from the 1999/2000 crop were similarly studied, but bad climatic conditions and a widespread Dacus oleae infestation leveled out the peculiar features of the oils produced in the three areas.     

Availability and speciation of cadmium added to a calcareous soil under various managements

Potential risks for human health and adverse effects on soil quality caused by accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in soil at concentrations around or exceeding current European Union (EU) permitted limits have long been recognized. We have assessed availability and partitioning of Cd in a Mediterranean calcareous soil under four management regimes. Cadmium was added as a single pulse of CdSO₄ at the maximum Cd concentration established by the EU for sludge‐amended agricultural soils and concentrations exceeding the mandatory limits. Soils were treated with 0, 3, 10 and 50 mg Cd kg^?1 soil, incubated moist and analysed at selected times up to 600 days. Cadmium availability and distribution in soil were studied by neutral electrolyte and sequential extractions. During the incubation, the availability of Cd was not strictly dependent on the amount of metal added as the exchangeable fractions were similar shortly after the additions of Cd regardless of its initial concentration. Sequential extractions showed that for concentrations of 3 and 10 mg Cd kg^?1 soil Cd was evenly distributed among the soil phases, and its mobility was reduced mainly by adsorption on carbonates. At Cd concentrations exceeding 10 mg Cd kg^?1 soil a residual fraction appeared, perhaps from precipitation of Cd. Most of the Cd was associated with carbonates; land management and organic matter content had no major effects on the Cd distribution among different soil phases. The extraction protocols were effective for studying the fate of Cd in this calcareous soil as almost all of the Cd added was recovered. However, the introduction of a preliminary step with buffered NH₄NO₃ improved the determination of the most labile pools. Availability of Cd in calcareous soils estimated with reference methods appeared to be very small even when its total concentration far exceeded the current EU limits.     

A geochemical analytical approach for the evaluation of heavy metal distribution in lagoon sediments

Background, Aim, and Scope  Italian lagoon environments are of great importance due either to their frequency and distribution along the coasts or to their management. Agriculture, urban and industrial activities in lagoon catchments can be sources of heavy metal (HM) pollution by direct waste dumping, atmospheric deposition of fumes or, simply, as a consequence of a lack of natural water recharge. HM concentration in lagoon sediments is a tool of HM monitoring in the surrounding environment. Application of sequential extraction procedures (SEP) to sediments makes it possible to study the HM distribution among the main geochemical phases and to assess their potential mobilization as a consequence of environmental condition variations. In the present study, the three-step SEP (0.11 m HOAc; 0.1 m NH₂OH·HCl; 8.8 m H₂O₂ and then 1 m NH₄OAc), developed by the Measurement and Testing Programme of the European Commission (BCR), was combined with information on the chemical and mineralogical properties of the sediments in order to assess the level and risk of mobility of HM (Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Zn) in sediments from the Fusaro volcanic coastal lagoon of southern Italy. The effect of sediment air drying and physico-chemical properties on the metal distribution in various geochemical forms and fractions was considered. Materials and Methods  Surface (5 cm depth) sediment samples were collected from twenty-one sites on the Fusaro lagoon. Moisture, pH, organic carbon, carbonates, particle-size distribution and HM total content were determined on the dried sediment samples. The mineralogy of the clay fraction was determined at room temperature on random and oriented samples. The different forms of Al, Si and Fe in the bulk sediment (< 2 mm) were analyzed after oxalate, dithionite-citrate and pyrophosphate extractions. The BCR-SEP was used to fractionate trace element chemical forms in nine selected sediment samples. Effects of sediment air-drying on HM fractionation were analyzed. Results  Middle (Cu, Cr) and low (Cd, Pb, Zn) concentrations of heavy metals in sediment samples from the deeper central part of the lagoon were observed. Cadmium resulted in mainly being associated with carbonate forms (∼60%), whereas Cr and Ni occurred primarily as residual mineral phases (>50%). Zn appeared uniformly distributed among the main geochemical forms. Considerable presence of Cr, Cu and Pb was found in the oxidizable fraction (∼50%), indicating organic matter and/or sulphides major sinks for these metals. Differences of heavy metal distribution among sediment samples were observed, depending on the total metal content and on sediment properties. Modifications in metal speciation induced by sediment air drying mainly consist of a transfer of the actual and potentially mobile fractions towards immobile fractions (mineral residue) by oxidation and formation of Fe and Mn oxides. Discussion  Both total content and sequential extraction results did not show an environmental critical situation: the only possible risk, associated with heavy element mobility, could occur in consequence of a drastic pH and redox equilibria variation at the water-sediment interface. Conclusions  Despite all limitations, the BCR-SEP combined with information on the chemical and mineralogical properties of the sediment solid matrix provides a valuable approach to describe the risks related to the potentially toxic HM occurring in sediments (in this paper the case of the Fusaro lagoon is examined). HM distribution among the sequentially extracted geochemical forms is affected by sediment properties, such as pH (Zn), clay (Cd), Fe easily reducible oxides (Pb) and organic matter (Cu) content. Recommendations  Political managers, usually facing limitations of time and resources, have to optimize the cognitive phases, selecting the most useful information to make ‘effective and correct decisions’ in the environmental field. Therefore, although conscious of the limits of the adopted quality assessment, we believe it represents a good compromise between time and resource availability (i.e. type and quality of information). Outlook  The complementary use of the simple and rapid European fractionation scheme with information on the chemical and mineralogical properties of the sediments provides more awareness about the nature of the sediment components involved and offers a more reliable way for studying HM speciation in sediments.