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Several studies suggest that invertebrate abundance and richness are disrupted and reset at confluences. Thus, junctions contribute disproportionately to the overall aquatic biodiversity of the river. In general terms, authors have reported high abundance and diversity due to the major physical heterogeneity atjunctions. However, data are still scarce and uncertainties are plentiful. The impact of a great input of fine sediments on the distribution patterns of benthic invertebrates at a river confluence was quantitatively analyzed herein. The junction of the subtropical Bermejo River (high suspended sediment load) with the large Paraguay River is the selected study area to achieve this aim. While diversity increased slightly downstream the junction (from 0.21 to 0.36), density and richness of the macroinvertebrate assemblage significantly diminished downstream the confluence (from 29050 to 410 ind/m2; p< 0.05) due to the input of fine sediment from the Bermejo River (mean fine sediment increased downstream from 6.3 to 10.2 mg/L), causing a negatively impact on invertebrate assemblage. This study highlights the ecological importance of the sediment input effects on benthic invertebrates, a topic still poorly explored in river ecology. It is speculated that the spatial extent of the impact would be dependent upon the hydrological and sedimentological context, highly unequal between both rivers. New hypotheses should be tested through new studies considering different hydrological stages. Fil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Amsler, Mario Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Ezcurra de Drago, Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Drago, Edmundo Carlos E.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Paira, Aldo Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Espínola, Luis Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Eberle Folmer, Eliana Gisel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Szupiany, Ricardo Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas; Argentina

Aim. To study the validity of urinary benzene as a biomarker of low and very low exposure to this toxicant, as compared with t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA) and S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), also taking into account the influence of cigarette smoking and co-exposure to toluene on the urinary excretion of benzene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results obtained in two different studies were compared: in the first, workers occupationally exposed to low concentrations of benzene (18 fuel tanker drivers and 23 filling station attendants) were compared with 31 controls and in the second, workers exposed to very low concentrations of benzene (the same 23 filling station attendants) were compared with the 31 controls. Exposure to airborne benzene and toluene was monitored with passive personal samplers (Radiello). Then the urine collected at the end of the work shift was analyzed for t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene. All participants also filled out a questionnaire about their lifestyle habits. RESULTS: There were no differences among the three groups in terms of age and smoking habit. Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene and the urinary concentrations of t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene were higher in the fuel tanker drivers than the filling station attendants and higher in the latter than in the controls. Cigarette smoking was found to be associated with urinary excretion of t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene at both low and very low exposure to benzene. The biomarkers t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene were almost always correlated, for both low and very low exposure to benzene. Notably, for low exposure to benzene a dependency relation was found with the levels of t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene on both cigarette smoking and airborne benzene, whereas for very low exposure to benzene there was a dependency relation of SPMA on cigarette smoking and airborne benzene, of urinary benzene only on cigarette smoking and of t,t-MA on none of the variables considered. CONCLUSIONS: For occupational exposure to low concentrations of benzene, urinary benzene and SPMA showed a comparable validity, while for exposure to very low concentrations of this toxicant the validity of SPMA was confirmed while urinary benzene was found to be less useful. Cigarette smoking was the main factor conditioning the excretion of all the biomarkers of benzene in conditions of both low and very low exposure to the toxicant, so for the analysis of occupational exposure to benzene it is best to recommend abstention from smoking at least in the hours immediately before urine collection.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) are sleep disorders which can increase cardiovascular risk. An health survey was performed on the cement workers to estimate the prevalence of sleep disorders and to investigate occupational, personal and health risk factors that could influence it. A total of 761 male workers, employed at 10 different cement plants of South Italy and Sicily, were examined. All subjects gave informed consent to take part in the survey. The following questionnaires were administered: Berlin Questionnaire to estimate the high risk of OSAS, Epworth Sleepiness Scale for EDS, a questionnaire posing questions about working conditions, personal characteristic, lifestyle, past history of disease and present illness. Statistical analysis was performed with the statistical package SPSS. The prevalence of high risk of OSAS and of EDS resulted respectively in 24.2% and 3.4% of workers. Sleep disorders detected with the two questionnaires were significantly associated. A positive and significant association between OSAS and respectively age, time of employment, BMI, ex-smoker status, neck, waist or hip circumferences, chronic fatigue and arterial hypertension was observed. Subjective variables regarding working conditions (job interest, evaluation oforganization of work and job satisfaction) and alcohol consumption were not associated with the high risk of OSAS. Shift work (2 and 3 shifts) was not associated with the high risk of OSAS. An healthy worker effect was observed for workers who changed from shift work (2 or 3 shifts) to fixed daytime work. For them, this change to fixed daytime work was conditioned by chronic disease like hypertension and obesity. EDS was not dependent, associated or correlated with any of the occupational, personal or pathologic variables investigated in the study. In conclusion the research showed no relationship between working conditions, particularly shift work, and the high risk of OSAS, and the influence of obesity in determining the high risk of OSAS, itself a potential cardiovascular risk factor. The interest of occupational physician has been focused on introducing in health surveillance also measures of health promotion regarding sleep disorders with the aim of preserving health condition in workers.

OBJECTIVE: To verify whether urinary benzene is an applicable biomarker of occupational exposure to very low concentrations of benzene, considering the influence of cigarette smoke and benzene-toluene co-exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 23 filling station attendants with occupational exposure to benzene and 31 controls were analyzed. Occupational and environmental exposure was monitored and t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), urinary benzene and creatinine in the urine samples were tested. RESULTS: Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene was significantly higher in the filling station attendants than in the controls, whereas t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene were not different in the two groups. Instead, the smoker group showed significantly higher values for the above biomarkers than the non-smoker group, each of which included both exposed workers and controls. SPMA was dependent on airborne benzene and cigarette smoking, and urinary benzene only on cigarette smoking, while t,t-MA was not dependent on either of these variables. CONCLUSIONS: At very low concentrations of occupational exposure to benzene, urinary benzene is less valid than SPMA as a biomarker, even if both are strongly influenced by smoking habit. Abstention from smoking should therefore be recommended for at least two hours before urine collection.

In April 2018, under the auspices of the POR-FESR 2014-2020 program of Italian Piedmont Region, the Turin's Centre on High- Performance Computing for Artificial Intelligence (HPC4AI) was funded with a capital investment of 4.5Me and it began its deployment. HPC4AI aims to facilitate scientific research and engineering in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics. HPC4AI will specifically focus on methods for the on-demand provisioning of AI and BDA Cloud services to the regional and national industrial community, which includes the large regional ecosystem of Small- Medium Enterprises (SMEs) active in many different sectors such as automotive, aerospace, mechatronics, manufacturing, health and agrifood.

Kao dio opsežnijeg istraživanja provedenog na prisustvo teških metala i drugih hemijskih elemenata u različitim vrstama meda na području Bosne i Hercegovine u 2016. godini, namjera u ovom radu je bila prikazati nađene koncentracije nekih od hemijskih elemenata (Ba, V, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Se, Mo, Ni, Ag) primjenom tehnike induktivno spregnute plazme sa masenom detekcijom (ICP-MS) u monocvjetnim vrstama meda: bagrem (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), kesten (Castanea sativa Mill.) i kadulja (Salvia officinalis). Nađene koncentracije u tri vrste meda su se kretale u rasponu srednjih koncentracija (μg/kg): Ba 51, 1-529, 0 ; V 0, 93-7, 53 ; Cr 1, 10-5, 14 ; Fe 488, 9-1.247, 1 ; Co 2, 58-12, 71 ; Cu 182, 9-493, 7 ; Se 1, 04-1, 42 ; Mo 1, 46-3, 80 ; Ni 39, 9- 213, 8 ; Ag 0, 05-0, 24. U istraživanju je utvrđeno da med kadulje sadrži najveće koncentracije sljedećih hemijskih elemenata (μg/kg): Ag 0, 24 ; Fe 1.247, 1 ; Cu 493, 7 i V 7, 53, dok su najniže zabilježene koncentracije (μg/kg): Mo 1, 46 i Ni 39, 9. Također je utvrđeno da med bagrema sadrži najveće koncentracije (μg/kg): Ba 529, 6: Cr 5, 14 ; Mo 3, 80 i Ni 213, 8, a najniže koncentracije (μg/kg): Ag 0, 05 ; Co 2, 58 ; Cu 182, 9 ; Fe 488, 9 i Se 1, 04. U medu kestena je zabilježen najmanji broj hemijskih elemenata sa najvećim koncentracijama (μg/kg): Co 12, 71 i Se 1, 42 dok su najniže koncentracije bile (μg/kg): Ba 51, 1 ; Cr 1, 10 i V 0, 93. Pored botaničkog sastava, sporedbom sa drugim istraživanjima, pokazalo se da znatan utjecaj na mineralni sastav meda imaju i eografsko porijeklo i faktori okoliša. Ono što zahtijeva dalja istraživanja su značajno više koncentracije Ba u medovima iz Bosne i Hercegovine u odnosu na istraživanja provedena u drugim zemljama, te videntno više koncentracije Ag u medu kadulje u odnosu na druge vrste medova.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 28 (SCA28) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations of the mitochondrial protease AFG3L2. The SCA28 mouse model, which is haploinsufficient for Afg3l2, exhibits a progressive decline in motor function and displays dark degeneration of Purkinje cells (PC-DCD) of mitochondrial origin. Here, we determined that mitochondria in cultured Afg3l2-deficient PCs ineffectively buffer evoked Ca²⁺ peaks, resulting in enhanced cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentrations, which subsequently triggers PC-DCD. This Ca²⁺-handling defect is the result of negative synergism between mitochondrial depolarization and altered organelle trafficking to PC dendrites in Afg3l2-mutant cells. In SCA28 mice, partial genetic silencing of the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR1 decreased Ca²⁺ influx in PCs and reversed the ataxic phenotype. Moreover, administration of the β-lactam antibiotic ceftriaxone, which promotes synaptic glutamate clearance, thereby reducing Ca²⁺ influx, improved ataxia-associated phenotypes in SCA28 mice when given either prior to or after symptom onset. Together, the results of this study indicate that ineffective mitochondrial Ca²⁺ handling in PCs underlies SCA28 pathogenesis and suggest that strategies that lower glutamate stimulation of PCs should be further explored as a potential treatment for SCA28 patients.

Objectives This study analyzes the validity of new, more sensitive and speciWc urinary biomarkers of internal dose, namely, urinary benzene for benzene and urinary toluene and S-benzylmercapturic acid (SBMA) for toluene, to assess their eYcacy when compared to traditional biomarkers for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to low concentrations of these two toxic substances. Methods Assessment was made of 41 workers occupationally exposed to benzene and toluene, 18 fuel tanker drivers and 23 Wlling-station attendants, as well as 31 subjects with no occupational exposure to these toxic substances (controls). Exposure to airborne benzene and toluene was measured using passive Radiello® personal samplers worn throughout the work shift. In urine samples collected from all subjects at the end of the workday, both the traditional and the new internal dose biomarkers of benzene and toluene were assessed, as well as creatinine so as to apply suitable adjustments. Results Occupational exposure to benzene and toluene resulted signiWcantly higher in the fuel tanker drivers than the Wlling-station attendants, and higher in the latter than in controls. SigniWcantly higher concentrations of t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA), urinary benzene, SBMA and urinary toluene were found in the drivers than the Wlling-station attendants or the controls. Instead, urinary phenol and hippuric acid were not diVerent in the three groups. In the entire sample, airborne benzene and toluene values were signiWcantly correlated, as were the respective urinary biomarkers, showing coeYcients ranging from 0.36 to 0.98. Subdividing the subjects by smoking habit, higher coeYcients were evident in nonsmokers than in smokers; at multiple regression analysis t,t-MA, SPMA and urinary benzene and toluene were dependent on the number of cigarettes smoked daily and on airborne benzene and toluene, respectively. Instead, SBMA was dependent only on airborne toluene. Conclusions Our research conWrmed the validity of t,t-MA and SPMA for use in the biological monitoring of exposure to low concentrations of benzene. Urinary benzene showed comparable validity to SPMA; both parameters are aVected by smoking cigarettes in the hours before urine collection, so it is best to ask subjects to refrain from smoking for 2 h before urine collection. Urinary toluene was found to be a more speciWc biomarker than SBMA.

Otitis media (OM) affects the middle ear and is typically characterized by earache. OM may be classified as acute (AOM) or chronic (COM), based on symptom duration. OM may be clinically suspected, but the diagnosis is usually confirmed by the otoscopy. Antibiotic therapy is frequently used in clinical practice. However, antibiotics often induce intestinal and respiratory dysbiosis associated with some clinical problems. A one-month course of a probiotic mixture (Abincol® containing Lactobacillus plantarum LP01 (1 billion of living cells), Lactobacillus lactis subspecies cremoris LLC02 (800 million living cells), and Lactobacillus delbrueckii LDD01 (200 million living cells), was prescribed in the Group A, and was compared with no addon treatment, such as the Group B. Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0), at the end of antibiotic treatment (T1), at the end of probiotic course (T2), and at the end of 3-month follow-up (T3).