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The analysis of nutrient concentrations in surface sediments is a reliable tool for assessing the trophic status of a water body. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are strongly related to the sediment characteristics but are mainly driven by anthropogenic impacts. The results of the determination of total nitrogen and total inorganic and organic phosphorus in surface sediments of the lagoons and ponds of the northwestern Adriatic Sea (Marano-Grado, Venice, Po Delta, Comacchio Valleys, Pialassa della Baiona) show the merit of this approach. Indeed, when previous data are available, the ratio between the actual and background values can provide useful information on the trophic changes that have occurred in the most recent times, and the results can also explain the conditions present in less studied environments. In this context, numerous studies performed in the Venice lagoon since the second half of the 20th century during different environmental scenarios provide mean concentration ranges and propose the main causes of changes. The results of single datasets available for the other lagoons fall into scenarios that occurred in the Venice lagoon. At present, the most eutrophic basins are Pialassa della Baiona, the Po Delta lagoons and ponds and the Comacchio valleys due to industrial effluents, fish farming and clam harvesting, respectively, whereas the Venice lagoon is now experiencing environmental recovery.

Sediment contamination is of major concern in areas affected by heavy maritime traffic. The spatial variation and contamination of 11 trace elements and 17 PAHs in surface sediments were studied along a 31 km transect along the seaway from the port of Piombino (Tuscany) to the port of Portoferraio (Elba Island) in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea. Heavy metal contamination was detected at sites near Piombino (Ni, Pb, Hg, Cu and Zn) and at sites near Portoferraio (Pb, Zn, Hg, Cr and Cd). Each of the 35 sampled sites showed PAH contamination, with the highest concentrations at sites near Portoferraio. The most abundant isomers detected were 2- and 4-ring PAHs. PAH ratio analysis showed a prevalence of PAHs of pyrolytic origin. High values of PAHs and heavy metals were related to high sediment water content, TOC, silt, and clay content. Arsenic increased with increasing depth. The correlation between concentrations of metals and PAHs suggests common anthropogenic sources and is of concern for possible synergistic adverse effects on the biota.

The determination of the trophic status of transitional ecosystems from the physico-chemical and biological point of view is one of the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60/EC). In Italy, its determination is implemented by the Regional Agencies for Environmental Protection (ARPAs) that have activated multi-annual monitoring programs. However, as the availability of funds is increasingly scarce, the number of environmental parameters to detect environmental changes should be conveniently managed. The high number of environmental parameters, nutrient and macrophyte datasets available for the LTER-Italia site “Venice lagoon” can be an useful tool to analyze the trophic changes over recent years and to foresee environmental evolutions. Nutrient data on a spatial basis have been available since 1948, whereas macroalgal maps date back to 1980. The aim of this paper is to highlight the changes of the trophic status of the lagoon since the middle of the 20th century by considering the concentrations of nutrients in the surface sediments and in the water column, the variation of some physico-chemical parameters and the biomass of macroalgae and also to foresee the way it will possibly evolve. In fact, after many anthropogenic impacts that in the second half of the 20th century affected the lagoon, starting from the year 2010, the ecological status is progressively improving. Nutrients show a significant reduction both in the water column and in surface sediments, and the macrophytes are represented by species of higher ecological value while the opportunistic species such as the Ulvaceae are in strong regression.

The Lagoon of Venice covers a surface area of about 550 km2, roughly 80% of which is covered by water, about 10% by salt marshes and 5% by islands. The mean depth of the water column is about 1.2 m, with only 5% of the lagoon deeper than 5 m. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea through three inlets (Lido, Malamocco, Chioggia), which allow tidal flushing twice a day. The mean tidal range is 61 cm (calculated on 1986-2004), the largest in the Mediterranean. The majority of the lagoon can be classified as mixoeuhaline/mixopolyhaline according to the "Venice System" (Anonymous, 1959), with a mean salinity of about 30, ranging from marine (around 37), to mesohaline (5 ��� 18) near the bay-head river mouths (Zirino et al., 2014). Because of the shallowness of the lagoon, water temperature follows the seasonal trends of air temperature, with very low values during winter, although seldom freezing, to above 30��C during summer. From the biological point of view, the benthic communities of this meso/eutrophic ecosystem, mainly belong to the "Lagunaire Euryhaline et Eurytherme (L.E.E.)" biocenosis as defined by Peres and Picard (1964). These benthic communities are characterized by seagrass meadows (Zostera noltei, Zostera marina, Cymodocea nodosa), over than 300 species of macroalgae and over 800 species of macroinvertebrates. The phytoplankton communities are dominated by diatoms and phytoflagellates, while the zooplankton communities are characterized by the predominance of copepods and different larval forms of e.g. bivalves, echinoderms or benthic crustaceans. The nektonic communities are made both by resident species and by species that spend only a part of their life cycle in the lagoon (migratory and occasional visitors). The avifauna is characterized by ornithic communities nesting in salty grasslands and wintering throughout the whole lagoon basin. The research activities in the Venice Lagoon, that include analyses of environmental parameters and the study of biodiversity and ecology of phyto- and zooplankton, phyto- and zoobenthos and ichthyo- and avifauna, are aimed at understanding the long-term variability of the structure and the relationships between the components of this ecosystem and the resulting processes

Short-chain per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have replaced long-chains in many applications, however the toxicity and its mode of action and interactions due to the large number of these compounds and their mixtures is still poorly understood. The paper aims to compare the effects on mouse liver organoids (target organ for bioaccumulation) of two long-chain PFAS (perfluorooctane sulfonate -PFOS-, perfluorooctanoic acid -PFOA) and two short-chain PFAS commonly utilized in the industry (heptafluorobutyric acid -HFBA-, Pentafluoropropionic anhydride-PFPA) to identify the mode of action of these classes of contaminants. Cytomorphological aberrations and ALT/GDH enzyme disruption were identified but no acute toxicity endpoint neither apoptosis was detected by the two tested short-chain PFAS. After cytomorphological analysis, it is evident that short-chain PFAS affected organoid morphology inducing a reduction of cytostructural complexity and aberrant cytological features. Conversely, EC50 values of 670 ± 30 µM and 895 ± 7 µM were measured for PFOS and PFOA, respectively, together with strong ALT/GDH enzyme disruption, caspase 3 and 7 apoptosis activation and deep loss of architectural complexity of organoids in the range of 500–1000 µM. Eventually, biochemical markers and histology analysis confirmed the sensitivity of organoid tests that could be used as a fast and reproducible platform to test many PFAS and mixtures saving time and at low cost in comparison with in vivo tests. Organoids testing could be introduced as an innovative platform to assess the toxicity to fast recognize potentially dangerous pollutants.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is an emerging therapeutic target for cancer. It is involved in lipid metabolism and its inhibition impairs many hallmarks of cancer including cell proliferation, migration/invasion and tumor growth. For these reasons, our group has recently developed a potent reversible MAGL inhibitor (MAGL23), which showed promising anticancer activities. Here in, to improve its pharmacological properties, a nanoformulation based on nanocrystals coated with albumin was prepared for therapeutic applications. MAGL23 was solubilized by a nanocrystallization method with Pluronic F-127 as surfactant into an organic solvent and was recovered as nanocrystals in water after solvent evaporation. Finally, the solubilized nanocrystals were stabilized by human serum albumin to create a smart delivery carrier. An in-silico prediction (lipophilicity, structure at different pH and solubility in water), as well as experimental studies (solubility), have been performed to check the chemical properties of the inhibitor and nanocrystals. The solubility in water increases from less than 0.01 mg/mL (0.0008 mg/mL, predicted) up to 0.82 mg/mL in water. The formulated inhibitor maintained its potency in ovarian and colon cancer cell lines as the free drug. Furthermore, the system was thoroughly observed at each step of the solubilization process till the final formulation stage by different spectroscopic techniques and a comparative study was performed to check the effects of Pluronic F-127 and CTAB as surfactants. The formulated system is favorable to release the drug at physiological pH conditions (at pH 7.4, after 24 h, less than 20% of compound is released). In vivo studies have shown that albumin-complexed nanocrystals increase the therapeutic window of MAGL23 along with a favorable biodistribution. As per our knowledge, we are reporting the first ever nanoformulation of a MAGL inhibitor, which is promising as a therapeutic system where the MAGL enzyme is involved, especially for cancer therapeutic applications.