Avian soundscapes and cognitive landscapes: theory,application and ecological perspectives

The soundscape is proposed as a phenomenological entity with which to investigate environmental complexity. In particular, the avian soundtope, which is defined as a place in which sound is intentionally structured by different bird species, is regarded as an agency acting to achieve several goals. In fact, the soundtope could be viewed as a special case of an eco-field used by birds, not only to establish territorial ownership and patrol an area but also as a means of locating and evaluating the availability of many other material and immaterial resources. The meaning of the multifaceted acoustic pattern produced by bird communities during the breeding season is discussed here under the acoustic niche hypothesis in terms of community coalescence and the permanent establishment of an inter-specific communication network. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal dimensions of a bird soundscape have also been analyzed and discussed in terms of their relationship with environmental proxies. A new Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI), coupled with the implementation (ACI plug-in) of a specific sound editor (WaveSurfer©), is proposed as a way of processing sound data efficiently, thus providing new opportunities to use the bird soundscape signature for landscape characterization and describing the ecological dynamics of long-term monitoring schemes.     

Characterizing the molecular and morphophysiological diversity of Italian red clover

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the third major forage species in Europe, but there is limited information on the biodiversity and the genetic structure of landraces and natural populations which evolved in this region. The objective of this study was producing such information for Italian germplasm on the ground of molecular and morphophysiological diversity. The study included 16 Italian natural populations from a wide range of environments, four landraces representing the four traditional commercial ecotypes, and two varieties. Eight morphophysiological traits were assessed in a replicated trial under field conditions, whereas two AFLPs primer combinations with 140 polymorphic markers were recorded on a random sample of 13 genotypes per population. Ordination and classification results based on morphophysiological data clearly kept track of the type of germplasm (i.e. landrace or natural population) and its geographic origin, unlike results based on molecular markers. Euclidean distances among populations based on morphophysiological traits were not correlated with Nei’s genetic distances based on molecular markers according to Mantel’s test. Geographical distances among landrace or natural population material was correlated with distances based on morphophysiological traits but not with those based on molecular markers. The average within-population variation estimated via molecular markers was about 2.6-fold higher than that among populations, preventing an acceptable discrimination among most populations. On average, natural populations tended to have within-population variation similar to varieties and somewhat lower than landraces. Our results have implications for collection, conservation, exploitation and registration in a sui generis system of red clover genetic resources.     

Comparative bone histology of adult horses (Equus caballus) and cows (Bos taurus)

Bone microstructure of domestic herbivores is still not completely understood. Indeed, works focused on the bone histology of numerous Mammalian species frequently led to misunderstandings because of the high number of variations such as the kind of bone, section orientation, species, breed and age. Moreover, attempts to identify the species in archaeozoological studies by a mere qualitative approach have not been encouraging and in recent years quantitative methods, based on image processing and statistical analysis, have appeared. The present study was undertaken to determine whether morphometrical and morphological differences exist in the compact bone structure of the femur and humerus between horses and cows. Measurements such as area, perimeter, minimum and maximum diameter of osteons and Haversian canals as well as the osteonal density were carried out on cross sections of eight humeri and eight femurs of the two herbivores investigated. In agreement with other authors, the qualitative investigation confirmed that the compact bone of horses and cows can be classified as dense Haversian tissue. Osteons of the horse were more numerous and composed of a higher number of well-defined lamellae when compared with the cow. Diameter, perimeter and area of osteons and Haversian canals were always higher in horses than in cows and this pattern could be related to the different locomotor behaviour of these animals.     

Antiproliferative effects of Ceratonia siliqua L. on mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

Extracts from pods and leaves of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) were tested for their ability to inhibit cell proliferation of mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (T1). The two extracts showed a marked alteration of T1 cell proliferation in a dose-related fashion reaching the maximal effect at 1 mg/ml. Moreover, we demonstrated that leaf and pod extracts were able to induce apoptosis in T1 cell lines after 24-h treatment mediating a direct activation of the caspase 3 pathway. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of gallic acid, (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate and (-) epicatechin-3-gallate in pod and leaf extracts, compounds well known to exert antiproliferative effects. Their concentration reached 6.28 mg/g in carob leaves and 1.36 mg/g in carob pods extract. The discovery that carob pod and leaf extracts contained antiproliferative agents could be of practical importance in the development of functional foods and/or chemopreventive drugs.     

Immunocytochemical Identification of Different Cell Types in Bovine Nasolabial Glands with Particular Emphasis on Cytoskeletal Protein Expression

Nasolabial glands are serous glands forming a thick subcutaneous layer in the bovine muzzle. In order to identify the different epithelial cell types, both immunofluorescent and immunoperoxidase techniques were employed on frozen and fixed sections using monoclonal antibodies to cytoskeletal proteins and S-100. Actin was also detected with phalloidin. The results show that four cell types can be identified on the ground of the different composition of the cytoskeletal filaments: acinar, basket, luminal duct and basal duct cells. Acinar, luminal duct cells and basal duct cells express different patterns of cytokeratins, as shown by the 12 anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibodies used, and both basket cells and the basal cells of intercalated ducts are also reactive to phalloidin and anti-x-smooth muscle actin monoclonal antibody. The presence of actin supports the conclusion that basal duct cells are also contractile elements, i. e. myoepithelial cells. Vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and S-100, molecules considered to be markers of myoepithelial cells by many AA., were not found. The intermediate filaments of the duct epithelium appear more complex and heterogeneous in comparison with those present in the acinar cells.     

Cytotoxic Effects of Tropodithietic Acid on Mammalian Clonal Cell Lines of Neuronal and Glial Origin

The marine metabolite tropodithietic acid (TDA), produced by several Roseobacter clade bacteria, is known for its broad antimicrobial activity. TDA is of interest not only as a probiotic in aquaculture, but also because it might be of use as an antibacterial agent in non-marine or non-aquatic environments, and thus the potentially cytotoxic influences on eukaryotic cells need to be evaluated. The present study was undertaken to investigate its effects on cells of the mammalian nervous system, i.e., neuronal N2a cells and OLN-93 cells as model systems for nerve cells and glia. The data show that in both cell lines TDA exerted morphological changes and cytotoxic effects at a concentration of 0.3–0.5 µg/mL (1.4–2.4 µM). Furthermore, TDA caused a breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane potential, the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1/2, and the induction of the small heat shock protein HSP32/HO-1, which is considered as a sensor of oxidative stress. The cytotoxic effects were accompanied by an increase in intracellular Ca²⁺-levels, the disturbance of the microtubule network, and the reorganization of the microfilament system. Hence, mammalian cells are a sensitive target for the action of TDA and react by the activation of a stress response resulting in cell death.