Particle Number Size Distribution and Weight Concentration of Background Urban Aerosol in a Po Valley Site

Measurements of particle size distributions and PM_2.5 from an urban background site in the Central Po Valley are analysed; the site is one of the medium–small-size cities in the central valley, without the direct influence of the metropolitan and industrial area of Milan and of the Adriatic Sea. The data comprise number concentration of particle with diameters ranging between 10 and 700 nm, PM_2.5 and main meteorological variables from February to August 2008. Daily cycles of the observed pollutants are analysed, along with auto-correlation function for particle number concentration and principal component analysis (PCA) of all the available variables; finally, the diurnal pattern of PM_2.5 low-, medium- and high-pollution events has been investigated. Total particle number concentration showed a daily pattern both in winter and summer, although different between weekdays and Sundays and with wider variations during the cold season. A daily cycle is present for the geometric mean diameter of nucleation mode particles in winter and of nucleation and Aitken mode particles in summer. PM_2.5 showed a slight daily pattern for weekdays and Sundays, similar, but lagged, to total particle count cycle. Mixing layer depth resulted the main process controlling PM_2.5, although also human activities contribute to PM_2.5 concentration and allow some deposition and (re-)mobilisation at the first hours of the day and morning rush hour, respectively, while particle number concentration responds immediately to anthropogenic sources. PCA confirmed the dependence of particle number concentration also on meteorological variables, e.g. mixing layer height, wind speed or atmospheric pressure, showing the important influence of regional meteorology on local pollution conditions. Modena can be considered a representative test area of the effect of the meteorological regime for the Central Po Valley on atmospheric particle concentration patterns, characterised by steady high-background concentration.     

Portable blood glucose meters as a means of monitoring blood glucose concentrations in dogs and cats with diabetes mellitus

The use of portable blood glucose meters (PBGM) has become common in veterinary medicine as a rapid means of monitoring animals' blood glucose in a variety of medical conditions. These hand-held monitors allow for diagnostic and therapeutic decisions to be made quickly and relatively inexpensively using only a small amount of blood. Both in conditions resulting in hyperglycemia, such as diabetes mellitus, and in those resulting in hypoglycemia, such as sepsis or the presence of an insulinoma, veterinarians have come to rely on PBGM to provide critical information on the status of their animal patients. In particular, PBGM are frequently used to measure individual blood glucose values in an animal over a period to create a blood glucose curve when evaluating the effectiveness of insulin therapy in diabetic dogs and cats.     

Marine Anthraquinones: Pharmacological and Toxicological Issues

The marine ecosystem, populated by a myriad of animals, plants, and microorganisms, is an inexhaustible reservoir of pharmacologically active molecules. Among the multiple secondary metabolites produced by marine sources, there are anthraquinones and their derivatives. Besides being mainly known to be produced by terrestrial species, even marine organisms and the uncountable kingdom of marine microorganisms biosynthesize anthraquinones. Anthraquinones possess many different biological activities, including a remarkable antitumor activity. However, due to their peculiar chemical structures, anthraquinones are often associated with toxicological issues, even relevant, such as genotoxicity and mutagenicity. The aim of this review is to critically describe the anticancer potential of anthraquinones derived from marine sources and their genotoxic and mutagenic potential. Marine-derived anthraquinones show a promising anticancer potential, although clinical studies are missing. Additionally, an in-depth investigation of their toxicological profile is needed before advocating anthraquinones as a therapeutic armamentarium in the oncological area.     

Nitrogen Application in Winter Wheat Grown in Mediterranean Conditions: Effects on Nitrogen Uptake,Utilization Efficiency,and Soil Nitrogen Deficit

ABSTRACT

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most growth restricting nutrients in cereal grain and represents one of the highest input costs in agricultural systems; therefore, environmental and economic considerations require the effective use of N fertilizer in plant production. This study was conducted for three years to better understand wheat plant response to optimize N fertilizer and how to reduce the risk of ground water pollution.

Two of the most important durum wheat cultivars in Southern Italy and four N fertilization levels (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha^{? 1}, indicated as N0, N60, N120, and N180, respectively) were compared in this experiment. During plant growth, fresh and dry matter, plant nutritional state (SPAD readings and stem nitrate content), and N uptake were determined. At harvest, plant N content, N uptake, grain yield, yield components and quality were determined, allowing the calculation of the pre- and postanthesis N uptake and the N utilization efficiency indices. Furthermore, at the beginning and at the end of each year, soil mineral N was measured to calculate mineral N deficit in the soil.

The results indicated that the treatment with 120 kg N ha^{? 1} of fertilizer ensures a good balance between yield and N utilization. In fact, N180 and N120 showed similar yield (3.01 and 3.07 t ha^{? 1}, respectively) and protein content (13.7 and 13.5 %). Meanwhile, throughout the three-year experiment, N180 presented the highest final mineral N content in the soil at the end of the cropping cycles, increasing the amount of N available for leaching. The N120 treatment showed the same values of N utilization indices as compared to N180, indicating that further doses of N fertilizer did not increase wheat N utilization. Plant N status shows that it is possible to modify the N fertilization to reach its optimum level during plant growth, in accordance with variable weather conditions, and consequently the plants requirements. The mean treatments of the preanthesis N uptake were about 67.5% of the total N uptake, and it was significantly and positively correlated with wheat yield. On the contrary, the postanthesis N uptake showed positive correlation with grain protein content, confirming the importance of late N supply in grains quality. The variation of weather conditions affected winter wheat yield, quality, N utilization and plant N status, but any difference throughout years was found between N180 and N120, confirming that higher N rate did not influence wheat growth, yield, and N uptake.     

Mineral Content and Root Respiration of In Vitro Grown Kiwifruit Plantlets Treated with Two Humic Fractions

ABSTRACT

In vitro grown kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa, Liang and Ferguson) plantlets were treated with two humic fractions distinguished by two different relative molecular mass and characterized through their elemental composition and ¹³Carbon (C) nuclear magnetic resonance. The effects exerted on plant growth, root morphology, and nutrition were evidenced by means of leaves and roots mineral content, root respiration, and nitrate reductase activity. The two humic substances differentially influenced the studied parameters. The lower molecular fraction humic substance, endowed with a higher content of phenolic and carboxylic groups, caused an enhanced content of micro- and macro-elements, together with a higher root respiration at lower concentrations (0.5–1 mg C L^{? 1}). The high molecular fraction humic substance, needed higher concentrations (> 5 mg C L^{? 1}) in order to achieve similar effects. This fraction also caused major changes on root morphology. The ability to improve micronutrient assimilation, in particular iron, confirmed the agronomic importance of humic substances on soil fertility.     

Branchial calcium uptake: possible mechanisms of control by stanniocalcin

The branchial Ca²⁺ uptake by teleost fish is under inhibitory control by the hormone stanniocalcin (STC) which is generated by the corpuscles of Stannius (CS). Removal of the CS in North American eel, Anguilla rostrata LeSueur, induced a rapid rise in blood calcium levels. Branchial Ca²⁺ influx following the extirpation of the CS (stanniectomy, STX) increased during the first four days and stayed elevated thereafter (in agreement with previous studies). The transepithelial potential (TEP) across the gills did not change after STX and this means that the electrochemical gradient for Ca²⁺ is less favourable for passive influx of Ca²⁺ in STX eel. Therefore, the Ca²⁺ influx in STX eels is a transcellular flux, with Ca²⁺ crossing the apical and basolateral membrane barrier. The kinetics of ATP-driven Ca²⁺-transport across basolateral plasma membranes from eel gills did not change after STX. Thus, the increased Ca²⁺-influx after STX is not correlated with changes in ATP-dependent Ca²⁺-extrusion across the basolateral membrane, suggesting a regulation at the apical membrane. Moreover, STC did not affect ATP-driven Ca²⁺-transport in isolated basolateral membranes (in vitro). STC (0.1 nM) reduced cAMP levels in dispersed eel gill cells. It had no significant effect on the IP₃ levels in these cells. We postulate that STC controls the permeability to Ca²⁺ of the apical membranes of the Ca²⁺ transporting cells of fish gills by controlling second messenger operated Ca²⁺ channels in the apical membrane.

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Résumé L'entrée de calcium au niveau des branchies est sous le controle inhibiteur de la stanniocalcine (STC) qui est synthétisée au niveau des corpuscules de Stannius (CS). L'ablation des CS chez l'anguille d'Amérique du Nord, Anguilla rostrata LeSueur, induit une augmentation rapide des niveaux de calcium dans le sang. Le flux entrant branchial de calcium consécutif à l'ablation des CS (stanniectomie, STX) augmente pendant les 4 premiers jours et reste élevé au-delà (en accord avec des études antérieures). Le potentiel transépithélial (TEP) à travers les branchies ne change pas après STX, ceci indiquant que le gradient électrochimique du Ca²⁺ est moins favorable pour le flux entrant passif du Ca²⁺ chez l'anguille STX. En conséquence, le flux entrant de Ca²⁺ chez l'anguille STX est un flux transcellulaire, avec le Ca²⁺ traversant la barrière membranaire apicale et basolatérale. La cinétique du transport de Ca²⁺ conduit par l'ATP à travers les membranes plasmatiques basolatérales de branches d'anguille n'est pas modifiée après STX. Ainsi, l'augmentation du flux entrant de Ca²⁺ après STX n'est pas corrlée avec des modifications de l'excrétion de Ca²⁺ conduit par l'ATP à travers la membrane basolatérale, suggérant donc une régulation au niveau de la membrane apicale. De plus, la STC ne modifie pas le transport de Ca²⁺ conduit par l'ATP dans des membranes basolatérales isolées (in vitro). La STC (0.1 nM) réduit les niveaux d'AMPc dans des cellules dispersées de branchies d'anguille. Cette hormone n'a pas d'effet significatif sur les niveaux d'IP₃ dans ces cellules. Nous suggérons que la STC régule la perméabilité au Ca²⁺ des membranes apicales des cellules branchiales transporteuses de Ca²⁺ en controlant un second messager agissant sur les canaux calciques de la membrane apicale.

     

From fish‐processing waste to feed additives for crayfish

This research studied the in vitro compatibility of Cherax quadricarinatus digestive proteases and crude enzyme extracts recovered from fish‐processing waste to evaluate their potential use as feed additives to increase digestion efficiency in decapod crustaceans. The sources of exogenous enzymes were: Pleoticus muelleri (Pm), Artemesia longinaris (Al), and Illex argentinus (Ia). The midgut glands of early (7.2 ± 0.34 g) and advanced juveniles (13.8 ± 1.49 g) of C. quadricarinatus were used for all the assays. The compatibility and synergy between crayfish and exogenous enzymes were evaluated through sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) electrophoresis and the hydrolysis of azocasein and four different meals. SDS–PAGE gels demonstrated that crayfish bands remained active when their enzymes were combined with the enzymes from Pm and Ia. An apparent enzymatic synergism was found when Pm and crayfish proteases were incubated together at pH 6 and 8 with azocasein (p ? 0.05). The ability to hydrolyze the different feed ingredients varied among the enzyme combinations assayed. Our findings suggest that fish waste has potential as a source of proteases, adding value to these processing residues and promoting a zero‐waste industry. Enzymes obtained from Pm and Ia are suitable to be used as food additives for crayfish. The results should be validated through feeding trials.     

Aluminium-induced effects on growth,morphogenesis and oxidative stress reactions in in vitro cultures of quince

The effects of Al³⁺ [supplied as Al₂(SO₄)₃·18H₂O] addition to culture media (pH 4.0) on growth, morphogenesis (in leaf explants), and oxidative stress reactions in in vitro cultures of ‘BA 29’ quince were investigated. Aluminium (Al 0.5 mM) strongly inhibited shoot growth in the proliferation and rooting phases (Al 2.2 mM), reduced shoot proliferation (Al 1.1 mM), and induced tissue browning. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased in shoot cultures supplemented with 2 mM Al. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content of shoots was strongly increased by Al during proliferation (starting from Al 1.7 mM) and rooting (already at Al 1.1 mM), thus serving as a good ‘marker’ for Al toxicity. Even a low concentration of Al (0.5 mM) in the shoot induction medium was found to inhibit shoot regeneration. When standard (Al 0) shoot induction medium was used, leaf explant growth was only reduced by 2.2 mM Al in the subsequent growth phases. Following a preliminary selection for their growth on Al-enriched media, 82 potentially Al-tolerant quince somaclones were selected for further trials.