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Forest management practices may heavily affect epiphytic cryptogams. This study was conceived in March 2016, as soon as we were informed about an authorized logging for timber within a Mediterranean mixed oak forest in Tuscany (central Italy), which threatened a large population of the forest macrolichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm., composed of hundreds of fertile thalli. Lobaria pulmonaria is often used as an ecological indicator of high quality habitats hosting rare lichens, and in general, cryptogams worthy of conservation. The species has suffered a general decline throughout Europe as a consequence of air pollution and intensive forest management, and currently it is red-listed in several countries, where it is considered also as a "flag species". We estimated that 40% of the lichen biomass (8.5-12.3 kg ha-1) has been lost due to logging operations (in the core area, up to 1.8 kg every 100 m²), in particular large and fertile thalli. One year after the conclusion of logging operations, the analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence emission (indicator of the photosynthetic performance of the lichen photobionts), revealed a significant reduction of the vitality of the thalli on retained-isolated trees. The article provides issues for conservation in Mediterranean oak forests and outlines the outmost importance of ensuring the safeguard of forest ecosystems hosting fertile populations of this model species, especially in the case of unprotected forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misuse or deliberate abuse of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) may often result in incidental or malicious non-target animal poisoning. This study presents preliminary results of the analysis of 561 real suspected samples, ranging from baits to livers and stomach contents, collected at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (official referral laboratory for the regions of north-eastern Italy), in the period 2012-2013 Samples were analyzed by a method based on a combination of liquid chromatography with diode array/fluorescence detection (HPLC-DAD/F) able to identify 11 different AR (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chloropahacinone, coumachlor, coumafuryl, coumatetralyl, difenacoum, diphacinone, flocoumafen, pindone, warfarin). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Purple codices are among the most prestigious artworks of Medieval age. [•] Parchment was dyed with Tyrian purple mixed with other lesser value dyes such as folium or orchil. [•] Only non-invasive techniques were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Histamine content was tested on 311 samples of fresh fish and fish products collected in Puglia (Italy) in the years 2009–2011. The analyses were carried out employing ELISA for screening and HPLC to confirm suspicious non-compliant samples according to Commission Regulation (EC) 1441/2007. Histamine concentration >2.5 mg kg−1 was detected in 58% of total samples with 5% of non-compliance. Among 216 samples of fresh fish, 70% had a content of histamine less than 10 mg kg−1, while a percentage of 6% showed histamine level higher than 100 mg kg−1. Although for processed anchovies a contamination below 50 mg kg−1 in 21 samples (75%) was observed, the highest percentage of “non-compliant” samples (14%) was found. Good quality of canned tuna and canned mackerel was demonstrated by histamine content lower than 10 mg kg−1. The validation of both ELISA and HPLC methods and the optimization of the confirmatory method were also reported. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To investigate sperm mitochondrial integrity through analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ) and to correlate the energy status with variations in sperm motility. Design: Experimental study. Setting: Seminology Laboratory, University of Rome, Italy. Patient(s): Two hundred thirteen semen samples from the same number of patients, divided into two groups on the basis of their motility: group A, 185 samples with linear motility and group B, 28 samples with nonlinear motility. Intervention(s): Evaluation of sperm motility. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sperm mitochondrial integrity evaluated with a fluorimetric method using the cationic lipophilic stain JC-1. Result(s): The mean FL2 (percentage of sperm with high and low ∆ψ) for group A was 46.19 ± 23.25 and for group B, it was 48.32 ± 24.43. There was no significant difference between the groups. There was a positive correlation between both FL2 and linear motility and FL2 and sperm vitality in group A; both correlations were statistically significant. In group B, there was a positive correlation between FL2 and nonlinear motility and FL2 and sperm vitality; again, both correlations were statistically significant. Conclusion(s): Our data reveal a positive correlation between total motility and Δψ, suggesting that sperm motility may be dependent on the functional integrity of the mitochondria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of the fumonisins B and B in maize-based food products marketed in Italy was examined. A simply and reliable chromatographic method with fluorimetric detection and postcolumn o-phtalaldehyde derivatization was used for a monitoring of 100 samples (8 flours, 21 corn-meal, 16 snacks, 7 maize samples, 13 gluten-free products, and 35 corn-flakes) bought in local supermarkets during the years 2008 and 2009. The presence of both fumonisins B and B, at a concentration higher than 15 μg/kg, was observed in all samples of corn-meal and maize-flour, in 75% of snacks, in 57% of maize samples, in 54% of gluten-free products, and in 29% of corn-flakes. A total of 7 samples including 4 corn-meals, 2 maize-flours, and 1 maize showed a value exceeding the maximum level fixed in the Regulation 1126/2007/EC; no positive sample was observed in corn-flakes, snacks, and gluten-free foods. Fumonisins contamination, on the whole range of maize-based food products analyzed, emphasizes the need of improve agricultural practices, and increase official control and monitoring studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctic fish live in very cold water and have adapted to this exceptional environment. Hemoglobin is absent or very low; yet these fish still have erythrocytes, and from these we prepared ghost-like membranes. We studied for the first time the lipid composition of ghost membranes and of plasma in Antarctic fish (C. hamatus and T. bernacchii) and compared our results with those obtained for temperate-water fish (C. auratus and A. anguilla taken from Lake Trasimeno, Perugia, Italy). The membranes of Antarctic fish were richer in glycerophospholipid (especially phosphatidylethanolamine), whereas the membranes of temperate-water fish were richer in sphingomyelin. Unsaturated fatty acids were particularly abundant in Antarctic fish: C. hamatus had long-chain unsaturated fatty acid (especially C22:6 omega-3), whereas T. bernacchii had shorter unsaturated fatty acyl chains (c16:1, omega-7). On the other hand, C. auratus and A. anguilla were particularly rich in C16:0, which constituted more than one-half of the total fatty acid. Plasma lipids (both phospholipid and cholesterol) were much more abundant in temperate-water fish. The differences in phospholipid content were mainly due to choline glycerolipids. Measures of membrane fluidity inferred from the fluorescence anisotropy of DPH indicated that the membranes from Antarctic fish were more fluid at any measured temperature than those obtained from fish living in temperate waters. The ability to live in a very cold environment has therefore been achieved by the two Antarctic species tested in this paper by different strategies, but with the same results on fluidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes an ecological study on the vegetal component in a pilot area (hill A5) of a highly contaminated site (ACNA Cengio, Savona, Italy). The following analyses were performed: (i) phytosociological analysis of the vegetal component; (ii) phenological and synphenological analyses; (iii) evaluation of photosynthetic efficiency; and (iv) evaluation of the degree of mycorrhization. Most representative phytocoenoses belonged to the Artemisietea vulgaris , Galio-Urticetea and Molinio-Arrhenatheretea classes; the site was completely and densely covered by vegetation, but characterized by a rather poor floristic richness. Most plants were visibly suffering, as confirmed, at the physiological level, by fluorescence analysis of photosynthetic rate. Some important phenological phases were shorter than normal or even absent. Most plants were modestly colonized by arbuscular – mycorrhizal fungi, but the fungal structures within the roots were normal. Species belonging to the Leguminosae were, together with those belonging to the Graminaceae , the most representative; the former showed an almost normal photosynthetic efficiency, whereas other families did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in different pork products was surveyed. Twenty-two samples of raw ham muscle were obtained from industrial plants for ham production and 84 samples of dry-cured ham (n=30), cooked ham (n=12), salami (n=12), coppa (n=18) and würstel (n=12) were collected from retail outlets located in the Emilia region (northern Italy). After extraction and immunoaffinity clean-up steps, OTA was quantified using HPLC-fluorescence detection. The limits of detection and quantification (LOQ) for the method used were 0.01 and 0.03 µg/ kg, respectively. OTA was detected in 47% of the samples, but only 24% contained OTA above the LOQ. High levels of OTA were only found in some dry-cured ham samples: 5 (17%) exceeded 1.0 µg/kg, the limit set by the Italian Ministry of Health guideline and 2 (7%) exceeded 10 µg/kg; however, the median was only 0.02 µg/kg. The other pork products showed lower OTA contamination that was always below 0.30 µg/kg. The contribution of pork products to OTA intake in Italy appears to be negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content in surface waters in Alessandria District, Sout Eastern Piedmont, Italy. PAH samples were analyzed using several methods, such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), rotary evaporation and fluorimetric detector. Results show that a diffuse contamination induced by PAH happened in water stream studied.