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Despite a drought- and erosion-tolerant root system, olive trees are vulnerable to abiotic stress due to limited genetic variability. Though some olive cultivars are moderately tolerant to salinity stress, soil salinity is increasing in the semi-arid and arid regions where olive cultivation is common, significantly reducing overall production. In response, breeding programs may rely on proper selection markers for abiotic stresses, including salinity, but these are generally lacking for olive. Here, physiological and biochemical parameters were measured in four Olea europaea genotypes (Frantoio, Leccino, Lecciana, and Oliana) subjected to different intensities of salinity stress (0 mM, 100 mM and 200 mM NaCl). At moderate and high salt concentrations, Na+ exclusion, higher photosynthetic productivity and tissue water content in the tolerant cultivar Frantoio were linked with increased production of polyphenols, with more favorable K+/Na+ values (quercetin and rutin), mitigation of oxidative stress (oleuropein) and increased water absorption (luteolin). In Frantoio and Leccino, a significant change of the proteome repertoire occurred, with overrepresentation of components regulating cellular metabolism, ion transport, redox insult and dissipation of excess photochemical energy. Conversely, Lecciana and Oliana showed increased sensitivity to salinity stress in terms of photosynthetic parameters and elevated internal Na+ concentrations, together with the lowest number of differentially represented proteins. These results highlighted olive germplasm strategies to cope with osmotic stress, suggested a physiological and molecular basis for the augmented responsiveness of tolerant cultivars and identified specific biomarkers as useful targets for future breeding programs.

Botanical filtration is a biological-based treatment method suitable for removing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air streams, based on forcing an air flow through a porous substrate and foliage of a living botanical compartment. The pathways and removal mechanisms during VOC bioremediation have been largely investigated; however, their mathematical representation is well established only for the non-botanical components of the system. In this study, we evaluated the applicability of such a modelling scheme to systems which include a botanical compartment. We implemented a one-dimensional numerical model and performed a global sensitivity analysis to measure the input parameters influence on the transient and steady biofilter responses. We found that the most sensitive parameters on the transient-state behaviour were the mass transfer coefficient between gas and solid surfaces, and the fraction of solid surfaces covered by the biofilm; the steady-state response was primarily influenced by the biofilm specific surface area and the fraction of surfaces covered by the biofilm. We calibrated the identified set of parameters and successfully validated the model against data from a pilot-scale installation. The results showed that the application of the model to systems with a botanical compartment is feasible, although under a strict set of assumptions.

Olea europaea L. is a glycophyte representing one of the most important plants in the Mediterranean area, both from an economic and agricultural point of view. Its adaptability to different environmental conditions enables its cultivation in numerous agricultural scenarios, even on marginal areas, characterized by soils unsuitable for other crops. Salt stress represents one current major threats to crop production, including olive tree. In order to overcome this constraint, several cultivars have been evaluated over the years using biochemical and physiological methods to select the most suitable ones for cultivation in harsh environments. Thus the development of novel methodologies have provided useful tools for evaluating the adaptive capacity of cultivars, among which the evaluation of the plant-microbiota ratio, which is important for the maintenance of plant homeostasis. In the present study, four olive tree cultivars (two traditional and two for intensive cultivation) were subjected to saline stress using two concentrations of salt, 100 mM and 200 mM. The effects of stress on diverse cultivars were assessed by using biochemical analyses (i.e., proline, carotenoid and chlorophyll content), showing a cultivar-dependent response. Additionally, the olive tree response to stress was correlated with the leaf endophytic bacterial community. Results of the metabarcoding analyses showed a significant shift in the resident microbiome for plants subjected to moderate salt stress, which did not occur under extreme salt-stress conditions. In the whole, these results showed that the integration of stress markers and endophytic community represents a suitable approach to evaluate the adaptation of cultivars to environmental stresses.

Few phytoremediation studies have been conducted under semi-arid conditions where plants are subjected to drought and/or salinity stress. Although the genus Salix is frequently used in phytoremediation, information regarding its tolerance of drought and salinity is limited. In the present study, Salix acmophylla Boiss. cuttings from three sites (Adom, Darom and Mea She’arim) were tested for tolerance to salinity stress by growing them hydroponically under either control or increasing NaCl concentrations corresponding to electrical conductivities of 3 and 6 dS m−1 in a 42-day greenhouse trial. Gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence and concentration, and water-use efficiency were measured weekly and biomass was collected at the end of the trial. Root, leaf and stem productivity was significantly reduced in the Adom ecotype, suggesting that Darom and Mea She’arim are the more salt-tolerant of the three ecotypes. Net assimilation and stomatal conductance rates in salt-treated Adom were significantly reduced by the last week of the trial, coinciding with reduced intrinsic water use efficiency and chlorophyll a content and greater stomatal aperture. In contrast, early reductions in stomatal conductance and stomatal aperture in Darom and Mea She’arim stabilized, together with pigment concentrations, especially carotenoids. These results suggest that Darom and Mea She’arim are more tolerant to salt than Adom, and provide further phenotypic support to the recently published data demonstrating their genetic similarities and their usefulness in phytoremediation under saline conditions.

Despite loss of grey matter volume and emergence of distinct cognitive deficits in young adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, current treatments for schizophrenia do not target disruptions in late maturational reshaping of the prefrontal cortex. Iron, the most abundant transition metal in the brain, is essential to brain development and function, but in excess, it can impair major neurotransmission systems and lead to lipid peroxidation, neuroinflammation and accelerated aging. However, analysis of cortical iron biology in schizophrenia has not been reported in modern literature. Using a combination of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and western blots, we quantified iron and its major-storage protein, ferritin, in post-mortem prefrontal cortex specimens obtained from three independent, well-characterised brain tissue resources. Compared to matched controls (n = 85), among schizophrenia cases (n = 86) we found elevated tissue iron, unlikely to be confounded by demographic and lifestyle variables, by duration, dose and type of antipsychotic medications used or by copper and zinc levels. We further observed a loss of physiologic age-dependent iron accumulation among people with schizophrenia, in that the iron level among cases was already high in young adulthood. Ferritin, which stores iron in a redox-inactive form, was paradoxically decreased in individuals with the disorder. Such iron-ferritin uncoupling could alter free, chemically reactive, tissue iron in key reasoning and planning areas of the young-adult schizophrenia cortex. Using a prediction model based on iron and ferritin, our data provide a pathophysiologic link between perturbed cortical iron biology and schizophrenia and indicate that achievement of optimal cortical iron homeostasis could offer a new therapeutic target.

We argue that theories and methods drawn from complexity science are urgently needed to guide the development and use of digital twins for cities. The theoretical framework from complexity science takes into account both the short-term and the long-term dynamics of cities and their interactions. This is the foundation for a new approach that treats cities not as large machines or logistic systems but as mutually interwoven self-organizing phenomena, which evolve, to an extent, like living systems.

The use of seawater in horticulture is underestimated. Although pure seawater is harm-ful to most living plants, diluted seawater could represent a promising integration to meet the crop’s nutrient and water requirements. In the current trial, we compared the effects of moderate and high concentrations of seawater and a comparable NaCl solution on a salt-tolerant (Tetragonia tetragonioides) and a salt-sensitive (Lactuca sativa) crop grown in hydroponics. We tested the hy-pothesis that, due to its mineral composition, diluted seawater would result in a less stressful growing medium than NaCl. We observed that diluted seawater resulted in a less detrimental growing medium compared to an EC-comparable NaCl solution, with remarkable differences between the salt-tolerant and the salt-sensitive species. While the growth rates in Tetragonia did not vary between the two types of stress, diluted seawater led to a higher FW and DW biomass yield in the salt-sensitive lettuce compared to the NaCl treatment. Moreover, NaCl reduced the water consumption and water productivity in Tetragonia. In lettuce, NaCl-treated plants demonstrated lower water use efficiency and water productivity compared to the EC-comparable seawater treatment. Physiological parameters and the concentration of mineral elements, phenolics and proline also demonstrated that, due to different mineral composition, seawater is a less stressful growing medium compared to a NaCl solution at comparable EC.

Essential and toxic ions are often heterogeneously distributed within a soil landscape. This fact may complicate phytoextraction efforts to remove toxic ions such as heavy metals from the soil as the roots of some plants instead may colonize more favorable microenvironments and avoid heavy metal accumulation. In this study a split-root hydroponic experiment was used to test whether root-level exposure to zinc (Zn) stress to none, half or all of the root systems of Populus deltoides Bart. ex Marshall x Populus nigra L. (poplar) and Salix matsudana L. (willow) plants alters root and shoot physiology. Cuttings of both species were split to create two root system halves that were exposed to either control (-Zn) or stress (+1 mM Zn) solutions for 42 days. Weekly measurements of gas exchange, photosystem fluorescence parameters and pigments showed that poplar was more sensitive to the half stress (-Zn/+Zn) treatment than willow, with lower gas exchange rates and total chlorophyll and carotenoid values relative to their respective controls (-Zn/-Zn). Half stress willow plants had increased root growth in the half without Zn, demonstrating a reallocation of carbon to compensate with no negative impact to shoot physiology as compared to poplar. Water consumption was also reduced in half stress willow but not in poplar, suggesting an increase in water-use efficiency in response to heterogeneous Zn exposure that was not derived from dramatic reductions in transpiration rate. These significant differences between these two species in response to patchy distribution of toxic Zn concentration may impact the efficiency of phytoremediation efforts and suggests additional criteria to consider in the pre-selection process.

Phytotechnological approaches using living plants are currently being proposed to address a wide range of environmental purposes including the treatment of landfill leachate (LL). Despite their popularity, few studies have investigated this possibility under actual Mediterranean conditions using fast-growing trees. This research reports the results of a two-year project where poplar and willow grown in mesocosm were tested for their ability to withstand and remove specific pollutants from different [Low: 7% (1st year) and 15% (2nd year); High: 15% (1st year) and 30% (2nd year)] amounts of LL. Results indicate that both species were able to treat 340 (Low) and 680 (High) m3 ha−1 in the establishment year (70 days) and 2470 (Low) and 4950 (High) m3 ha−1 in the second year (150 days). Both species yielded the same aboveground biomass, but under high LL treatment, poplar performed better than willow. Poplar showed on average significantly higher extraction rates for Cd, Cu, P, and N than willow. Moreover, under high LL treatment, poplar also seemed more efficient than willow in decreasing the concentration of specific pollutants (BOD5, COD and As) in output effluent. However, with low LL loads both species were able to significantly reduce other compounds (i.e. NH4–N, Cu and Ni). By contrast, Cl, surfactants, and NO3–N, had a tendency to accumulate over time in the effluent and could still represent an actual constraint to large-scale application of the technique. The fate of such pollutants should be investigated with further research to better inform strategies used to manage low amounts of high-concentrated effluent.

Poplar and willow demonstrate great potential for the phytoextraction of trace elements (TEs) from soils. In most cases, these species are managed as short-rotation coppice, producing high woody biomass yields, which could provide a valuable contribution toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. In the current study, we compared the TE extraction and CO2 sequestration rates in a four-year field trial in Southern Italy of two arboreal species (willow and poplar). The results show that, once established in the study area, willow extracted more Cd and Cu and less Pb than poplar. The two species demonstrated the same average Ni and Zn extraction rates. Greater biomass yields in poplar suggest that this species was able to fix greater amounts of CO2 (28.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1) than willow (24.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1). We argue that the choice of the species to be used in phytoextraction should first be made considering the TE-specific affinity and phytoextraction rates. For TEs whose extraction rates were the same (i.e., Ni and Zn), poplar is to be preferred because of its ability to fix greater amounts of CO2 than willow.

On February 12, 2021 two subsequent eruptions occurred above the West limb, as seen along the Sun-Earth line. The first event was a typical slow Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), followed $\sim 7$ hours later by a smaller and collimated prominence eruption, originating Southward with respect to the CME, followed by a plasma blob. These events were observed not only by SOHO and STEREO-A missions, but also by the suite of remote sensing instruments on-board Solar Orbiter (SolO). This work shows how data acquired by the Full Sun Imager (FSI), Metis coronagraph, and Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) from the SolO perspective can be combined to study the eruptions and the different source regions. Moreover, we show how Metis data can be analyzed to provide new information about solar eruptions. Different 3D reconstruction methods were applied to the data acquired by different spacecraft including remote sensing instruments on-board SolO. Images acquired by both Metis channels in the Visible Light (VL) and H I Lyman$-\alpha$ line (UV) were combined to derive physical information on the expanding plasma. The polarization ratio technique was also applied for the first time to the Metis images acquired in the VL channel. The two eruptions were followed in 3D from their source region to their expansion in the intermediate corona. Thanks to the combination of VL and UV Metis data, the formation of a post-CME Current Sheet (CS) was followed for the first time in the intermediate corona. The plasma temperature gradient across a post-CME blob propagating along the CS was also measured for the first time. Application of the polarization ratio technique to Metis data shows that, thanks to the combination of four different polarization measurements, the errors are reduced by $\sim 5-7$\%, thus better constraining the 3D distribution of plasma., Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication on A&A

Health warning labels (HWLs) on alcohol containers may help reduce population-level alcohol consumption. However, few studies have examined the most effective formats for alcohol HWLs. This study tested the effects of three different types of alcohol HWLs. In an online experiment, N = 1,755 Australian adult drinkers were randomly assigned to one of five conditions: (a) No HWL control; (b) DrinkWise control (industry-developed labels currently on some containers); (c) Text-Only HWLs; (d) Text + Pictogram HWLs; or (e) Text + Photograph HWLs. In the three intervention conditions, participants were exposed to eight HWLs, each depicting a different long-term harm. Exposure occurred during an initial session, and repeatedly over the subsequent eight days. Differences between conditions were assessed immediately following initial exposure and at nine-day follow-up. Compared to participants in the No HWL control, participants exposed to Text + Pictogram HWLs were more likely to have intentions to avoid drinking alcohol completely in the next month (post-exposure) and intentions to drink less alcohol in the next week (follow-up), and participants in all three intervention conditions reported stronger negative emotional arousal (follow-up) and weaker positive emotional arousal (follow-up). Compared to participants in the DrinkWise control, those exposed to Text + Pictogram HWLs had stronger intentions to drink less alcohol in the next week and intentions to avoid drinking alcohol completely in the next month (follow-up), participants in the Text + Photograph condition reported significantly weaker positive emotional arousal, and all three intervention conditions resulted in stronger negative emotional arousal. There would likely be benefits to public health if any of the three types of intervention HWLs were implemented. However, there is some evidence that Text + Pictogram HWLs should be recommended over Text-Only or Text + Photograph HWLs, given they were the only HWLs to i

Competition for freshwater is increasing, with a growing population and the effects of climate change limiting its availability. In this experiment, Lactuca sativa plants were grown hydroponically with or without a 15% share of seawater (12 dS m(-1)) alone or intercropped with Salsola soda to demonstrate if L. sativa benefits from sodium removal by its halophyte companion. Contrary to the hypothesis, saline-grown L. sativa plants demonstrated reduced growth compared to the control plants regardless of the presence or absence of S. soda. Both limitations in CO2 supply and photosystem efficiency may have decreased CO2 assimilation rates and growth in L. sativa plants grown in the seawater-amended solutions. Surprisingly, leaf pigment concentrations increased in salt-treated L. sativa plants, and most notably among those intercropped with S. soda, suggesting that intercropping may have led to shade-induced increases in chlorophyll pigments. Furthermore, increased levels of proline indicate that salt-treated L. sativa plants were experiencing stress. In contrast, S. soda produced greater biomass in saline conditions than in control conditions. The mineral element, carbohydrate, protein, polyphenol and nitrate profiles of both species differed in their response to salinity. In particular, salt-sensitive L. sativa plants had greater accumulations of Fe, Ca, P, total phenolic compounds and nitrates under saline conditions than salt-tolerant S. soda. The obtained results suggest that intercropping salt-sensitive L. sativa with S. soda in a hydroponic system did not ameliorate the growing conditions of the salt-sensitive species as was hypothesized and may have exacerbated the abiotic stress by increasing competition for limited resources such as light. In contrast, the saline medium induced an improvement in the nutritional profile of S. soda. These results demonstrate an upper limit of the seawater share and planting density that can be used in saline agriculture when inte

Type U radio bursts are impulsive coherent radio emissions produced by the Sun that indicate the presence of subrelativistic electron beams propagating along magnetic loops in the solar corona. In this work, we present the analysis of a type U radio burst that was exceptionally imaged on 2011 March 22 by the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph (NRH) at three different frequencies (298.7, 327.0, and 360.8 MHz). Using a novel modelling approach, we show for the first time that the use of high-resolution radio heliograph images of type U radio bursts can be sufficient to both accurately reconstruct the 3D morphology of coronal loops (without recurring to triangulation techniques) and to fully constrain their physical parameters. At the same time, we can obtain unique information on the dynamics of the accelerated electron beams, which provides important clues as to the plasma mechanisms involved in their acceleration and as to why type U radio bursts are not observed as frequently as type III radio bursts. We finally present plausible explanations for a problematic aspect related to the apparent lack of association between the modeled loop as inferred from radio images and the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) structures observed from space in the same coronal region, Comment: A&A, in press (8 pages, 6 figures)

On February 12, 2021 two subsequent eruptions occurred above the West limb, as seen along the Sun-Earth line. The first event was a typical slow Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), followed $\sim 7$ hours later by a smaller and collimated prominence eruption, originating Southward with respect to the CME, followed by a plasma blob. These events were observed not only by SOHO and STEREO-A missions, but also by the suite of remote sensing instruments on-board Solar Orbiter (SolO). This work shows how data acquired by the Full Sun Imager (FSI), Metis coronagraph, and Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) from the SolO perspective can be combined to study the eruptions and the different source regions. Moreover, we show how Metis data can be analyzed to provide new information about solar eruptions. Different 3D reconstruction methods were applied to the data acquired by different spacecraft including remote sensing instruments on-board SolO. Images acquired by both Metis channels in the Visible Light (VL) and H I Lyman$-\alpha$ line (UV) were combined to derive physical information on the expanding plasma. The polarization ratio technique was also applied for the first time to the Metis images acquired in the VL channel. The two eruptions were followed in 3D from their source region to their expansion in the intermediate corona. Thanks to the combination of VL and UV Metis data, the formation of a post-CME Current Sheet (CS) was followed for the first time in the intermediate corona. The plasma temperature gradient across a post-CME blob propagating along the CS was also measured for the first time. Application of the polarization ratio technique to Metis data shows that, thanks to the combination of four different polarization measurements, the errors are reduced by $\sim 5-7$\%, thus better constraining the 3D distribution of plasma., Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication on A&A

Background: To assess early and late mortality in patients with isolated acute tricuspid valve infective endocarditis (TVIE) using data from a multicenter registry. Methods: From 1983 to 2018, isolated acute TVIE was surgically treated in 157 (3.8%) patients [mean age 47 ± 16 years (range 15–86 years), 25% females]. Of these, 142 (90%) had native tricuspid regurgitation, 7 (5%) native tricuspid valve (TV) steno-regurgitation, and 8 (5%) prosthetic TVIE. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) was recorded in 38% of patients, infection involved cardiac implantable electronic device leads in 21%, and vascular catheters for dialysis in 1%; in the remaining cases, the cause was unknown. The primary endpoint was in-hospital outcome, long-term freedom from recurrence and overall survival. Results: Overall, 77 (49%) patients underwent TV repair, 72 (46%) TV replacement, and 8 (5%) prosthetic TV replacement. Early mortality was 11% (n = 17). Expected early mortality according to EndoSCORE was 12%, with age (odds ratio 1.06) and redo (odds ratio 6.64) as risk factors. Late deaths occurred in 31 patients and TVIE recurrences in 4. Survival rates at 10, 20, and 25 years were 66%, 60%, and 44%, respectively. Risk factors were age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.06], mycotic TVIE (HR 4.2), IVDU (HR 4.90), infected prosthesis replacement (HR 4.4), and presence of cardiac implantable electronic device leads (HR 3.0). No significant difference was found in valve repair vs. replacement and in IVDUs vs. non-IVDUs. Conclusions: Patients with isolated acute TVIE undergoing surgical treatment show acceptable early and late outcomes. TVIE recurrence was low, and repair of the affected valve does not seem to confer any advantage either at early or long term up to 25 years.

At an Italian field test site the efficiency of phytoextraction of toxic trace elements (TEs) from the soil is determined by uptake capacity, bioavailability of TEs in the soil and biomass yield of the plants involved. Altering the quantity and type of biomass produced, especially among fast-growing trees, may be one method of increasing phytoextraction efficiency. In poplar bark and wood show different TE concentration. Poplar also shows changing proportions of bark and wood with increasing diameter at breast height (DBH). Though it is often thought that the amount of TE accumulated in the biomass increases with the size of the plant, in the current study we show that this is only partially true. In fact while Zn is highly accumulated by the largest (60mm DBH) poplar plants, Cd, Cu, and Ni were more concentrated in slightly smaller plants (50mm DBH), and Pb in even smaller (40mm DBH). These findings could open new strategies for managing a poplar phytoextraction stand in terms of coppicing techniques and planting cycles in order to address specific targeted TEs and enhance the overall performance of this green technology.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are critical in health-related decision-making, and are considered the gold standard in research synthesis methods. However, with new trials being regularly published and with the development of increasingly rigorous standards of data synthesis, systematic reviews often require much expertise and long periods of time to be completed. Automation of some of the steps of evidence synthesis productions is a promising improvement in the field, capable of reducing the time and costs associated with the process. This article describes the development and main characteristics of a novel online repository of cognitive intervention studies entitled Cognitive Treatments Article Library and Evaluation (CogTale). The platform is currently in a Beta Release phase, as it is still under development. However, it already contains over 70 studies, and the CogTale team is continuously coding and uploading new studies into the repository. Key features include advanced search options, the capability to generate meta-analyses, and an up-to-date display of relevant published studies.

Ultraviolet spectra of Comet 96/P Machholz were obtained during its 2002 perihelion with the UVCS instrument aboard the SOHO satellite. Emission from H I, C II, C III, and O I, is detected near the nucleus. The outgassing rate is in line with the value extrapolated from rates at larger distances from the Sun, and abundances of C and O are estimated. Reconstructed images show a nearly spherical cloud in H I Ly$\alpha$ emission and an ion tail seen in C III. Radiation pressure on the hydrogen atoms produces a modest distortion of the shape of the Ly$\alpha$ cloud as seen from SOHO, and it produces Doppler shifts up to 30 km s$^{-1}$ in the outer parts of the cloud. We estimate a ratio of C to H$_2$O similar to what is observed in other comets, so low carbon abundance does not account for the anomalously low C$_2$ and C$_3$ ratios to NH$_2$ observed at optical wavelengths.

We report the first unambiguous observational evidence in the radio range of the reflection of a coronal shock wave at the boundary of a coronal hole. The event occurred above an active region located at the northwest limb of the Sun and was characterized by an eruptive prominence and an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave steepening into a shock. The EUV observations acquired by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory(SDO) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) instrument on board the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory(STEREO-A) were used to track the development of the EUV front in the inner corona. Metric type II radio emission, a distinguishing feature of shock waves propagating in the inner corona, was simultaneously recorded by ground-based radio spectrometers. The radio dynamic spectra displayed an unusual reversal of the type II emission lanes, together with type III-like herringbone emission, indicating shock-accelerated electron beams. Combined analysis of imaging data from the two space-based EUV instruments and the Nancay Radioheliograph (NRH) evidences that the reverse-drifting typeiiemission was produced at the intersection of the shock front, reflected at a coronal hole boundary, with an intervening low-Alfv\'en-speed region characterized by an open field configuration. We also provide an outstanding data-driven reconstruction of the spatiotemporal evolution in the inner corona of the shock-accelerated electron beams produced by the reflected shock., Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics, 6 pages, 7 figures

Many current smokers incorrectly believe that menthol cigarettes are less harmful, likely due to the biological and sensory effects of menthol, which can lead smokers to have favourable sensory experiences. In this study, we measured the extent to which Australian smokers associate certain sensory experiences with smoking menthol and non-menthol cigarettes, and their beliefs about how damaging and enjoyable they find cigarettes with each of these sensory experiences. A sample of 999 Australian 18-69-year-old weekly smokers was recruited from a non-probability online panel; this study focuses on the 245 respondents who currently smoked menthol cigarettes at least once per week. Current menthol smokers were four to nine times more likely to experience menthol rather than non-menthol cigarettes as having favourable sensory experiences, including feeling smooth, being soothing on the throat, fresh-tasting and clean-feeling. Menthol smokers perceived cigarettes with these favourable sensations as less damaging and more enjoyable than cigarettes with the opposite more aversive sensory experience. Efforts to correct these misperceptions about risk will likely require messages that provide new information to help smokers understand that these sensations do not indicate a lower level of risk. Banning menthol in tobacco products-as has recently been done in some nations-would also be a timely and justified strategy for protecting consumers.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are critical in health-related decision-making, and are considered the gold standard in research synthesis methods. However, with new trials being regularly published and with the development of increasingly rigorous standards of data synthesis, systematic reviews often require much expertise and long periods of time to be completed. Automation of some of the steps of evidence synthesis productions is a promising improvement in the field, capable of reducing the time and costs associated with the process.This article describes the development and main characteristics of a novel online repository of cognitive intervention studies entitled Cognitive Treatments Article Library and Evaluation (CogTale). The platform is currently in a Beta Release phase, as it is still under development. However, it already contains over 70 studies, and the CogTale team is continuously coding and uploading new studies into the repository. Key features include advanced search options, the capability to generate meta-analyses, and an up-to-date display of relevant published studies.

Context. Solar Orbiter, the new-generation mission dedicated to solar and heliospheric exploration, was successfully launched on February 10, 2020, 04:03 UTC from Cape Canaveral. During its first perihelion passage in June 2020, two successive interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), propagating along the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), impacted the spacecraft. Aims. This paper addresses the investigation of the ICMEs encountered by Solar Orbiter on June 7-8, 2020, from both an observational and a modeling perspective. The aim is to provide a full description of those events, their mutual interaction, and their coupling with the ambient solar wind and the HCS. Methods. Data acquired by the MAG magnetometer, the Energetic Particle Detector suite, and the Radio and Plasma Waves instrument are used to provide information on the ICMEs' magnetic topology configuration, their magnetic connectivity to the Sun, and insights into the heliospheric plasma environment where they travel, respectively. On the modeling side, the Heliospheric Upwind eXtrapolation model, the 3D COronal Rope Ejection technique, and the EUropean Heliospheric FORecasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) tool are used to complement Solar Orbiter observations of the ambient solar wind and ICMEs, and to simulate the evolution and interaction of the ejecta in the inner heliosphere, respectively. Results. Both data analysis and numerical simulations indicate that the passage of two distinct, dynamically and magnetically interacting (via magnetic reconnection processes) ICMEs at Solar Orbiter is a possible scenario, supported by the numerous similarities between EUHFORIA time series at Solar Orbiter and Solar Orbiter data. Conclusions. The combination of in situ measurements and numerical simulations (together with remote sensing observations of the corona and inner heliosphere) will significantly lead to a deeper understanding of the physical processes occurring during the CME-CME interaction.

Ultraviolet spectra of Comet 96/P Machholz were obtained during its 2002 perihelion with the UVCS instrument aboard the SOHO satellite. Emission from H I, C II, C III, and O I, is detected near the nucleus. The outgassing rate is in line with the value extrapolated from rates at larger distances from the Sun, and abundances of C and O are estimated. Reconstructed images show a nearly spherical cloud in H I Ly$\alpha$ emission and an ion tail seen in C III. Radiation pressure on the hydrogen atoms produces a modest distortion of the shape of the Ly$\alpha$ cloud as seen from SOHO, and it produces Doppler shifts up to 30 km s$^{-1}$ in the outer parts of the cloud. We estimate a ratio of C to H$_2$O similar to what is observed in other comets, so low carbon abundance does not account for the anomalously low C$_2$ and C$_3$ ratios to NH$_2$ observed at optical wavelengths.

We report the first unambiguous observational evidence in the radio range of the reflection of a coronal shock wave at the boundary of a coronal hole. The event occurred above an active region located at the northwest limb of the Sun and was characterized by an eruptive prominence and an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave steepening into a shock. The EUV observations acquired by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory(SDO) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) instrument on board the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory(STEREO-A) were used to track the development of the EUV front in the inner corona. Metric type II radio emission, a distinguishing feature of shock waves propagating in the inner corona, was simultaneously recorded by ground-based radio spectrometers. The radio dynamic spectra displayed an unusual reversal of the type II emission lanes, together with type III-like herringbone emission, indicating shock-accelerated electron beams. Combined analysis of imaging data from the two space-based EUV instruments and the Nancay Radioheliograph (NRH) evidences that the reverse-drifting typeiiemission was produced at the intersection of the shock front, reflected at a coronal hole boundary, with an intervening low-Alfv\'en-speed region characterized by an open field configuration. We also provide an outstanding data-driven reconstruction of the spatiotemporal evolution in the inner corona of the shock-accelerated electron beams produced by the reflected shock., Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics, 6 pages, 7 figures

SWELTO -- Space WEather Laboratory in Turin Observatory is a conceptual framework where new ideas for the analysis of space-based and ground-based data are developed and tested. The input data are (but not limited to) remote sensing observations (EUV images of the solar disk, Visible Light coronagraphic images, radio dynamic spectra, etc...), in situ plasma measurements (interplanetary plasma density, velocity, magnetic field, etc...), as well as measurements acquired by local sensors and detectors (radio antenna, fluxgate magnetometer, full-sky cameras, located in OATo). The output products are automatic identification, tracking, and monitoring of solar stationary and dynamic features near the Sun (coronal holes, active regions, coronal mass ejections, etc...), and in the interplanetary medium (shocks, plasmoids, corotating interaction regions, etc...), as well as reconstructions of the interplanetary medium where solar disturbances may propagate from the Sun to the Earth and beyond. These are based both on empirical models and numerical MHD simulations. The aim of SWELTO is not only to test new data analysis methods for future application for Space Weather monitoring and prediction purposes, but also to procure, test and deploy new ground-based instrumentation to monitor the ionospheric and geomagnetic responses to solar activity. Moreover, people involved in SWELTO are active in outreach to disseminate the topics related with Space Weather to students and the general public.

Phytoremediation is a potentially suitable technique for the reclamation of toxic landfill leachate (LL) by decreasing its volume through water uptake and improving its composition by uptake, accumulation and amelioration of pollutants. We investigated the use of two parameters, the LL concentration and the Leachate Pollution Index (LPI), a method used to determine the phytotoxicity potential of a leachate source based on a weighted sum of its components, to set the best LL dilution to apply when poplar clone ‘Orion’ and willow clone ‘Levante’ are selected for phytoremediation. Cuttings were watered with five LL concentrations ranging from 0 to 100%. The poplar clone showed significantly higher values than the willow clone for lowest effective concentration index (LOEC) for leaf (i.e. 11.3% vs 10.5%; p = 0.0284) and total biomass (i.e. 10.9% vs 10.6%; p = 0.0402) and for lowest effective LPI for leaf (i.e. 12.3 vs 12.1; p = 0.0359) and total biomass (i.e. 12.8 versus 12.2; p = 0.0365), respectively, with effectiveness demonstrating the LOEC or LPI value at which the parameter is negatively affected. Photosynthetic rates were higher in poplar than willow in both control and the lowest LL dilution, but rapidly declined in both at higher LL dilutions. Although a direct translation of data from bench trials to field conditions should be investigated, we concluded that in the establishment phase, the poplar hybrid is more tolerant than the willow hybrid to LL. We also provide evidence for LPI as a potential predictor for setting LL irrigation levels in the initial phase of a phyto-treatment approach.

The authors regret that the first name and last name of the author Sandro Sponga was published incorrectly in the original version and this has now been corrected.

We report the detection of multiple quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) observed during the flaring activity of KIC 8414845, a young, active solar-type star observed by the Kepler mission launched by NASA. We analyzed the QQP signal using a data-driven, nonparametric method called singular spectrum analysis (SSA), which has never been utilized previously for analyzing solar or stellar QPPs. Because it is not based on a prescribed choice of basis functions, SSA is particularly suitable for analyzing nonstationary, nonlinear signals such as those observed in QPPs during major flares. The analysis has revealed that the apparent anharmonic shape of the QPP in this superflare results from a superposition of two intrinsic modes of periods of 49 min and 86 min, which display quasi-harmonic behaviors and different modulation patterns. The two reconstructed signals are consistent with slow-mode transverse and/or longitudinal magnetohydrodynamic oscillations excited in a coronal loop inducing periodic releases of flaring energy in a nearby loop through a mechanism of repetitive reconnection. The peculiar amplitude modulation of the two modes evinced by SSA favors the interpretation of the observed QPP pattern as due to the excitation in a coronal loop of the second harmonic of a standing slow-mode magnetoacoustic oscillation and a global kink oscillation periodically triggering magnetic reconnection in a nearby loop. Concurrent interpretations cannot however be ruled out on the basis of the available data., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The halophyte Cakile maritima is a Brassicacea that has developed numerous mechanisms for managing salt. In the present study, we analyze the metabolic responses of C. maritima to increasing salt exposure in parallel with growth and photosynthetic parameters. At 10 days, 100 mM NaCl treatment has no effect, whereas 400 mM treatment decreases both growth and photosynthetic capacity. Accordingly, the metabolism was weakly impacted at 100 mM NaCl with an increase in only a few amino acids and sugars, whereas 400 mM treated plants shows noticeable changes: an increase in amino acid abundance, sugars decrease and an organic acid depletion. At 20 days, 400 mM treatment leads to more severe effects on growth and photosynthesis, whereas plant growth remains unaffected by the 100 mM NaCl treatment, despite a reduction in photosynthetic capacity. Plants treated with 400 mM NaCl present an amplified metabolic response with additional metabolites reflecting salt stress as GABA, proline and glycine. One noticeable feature of halophily in C. maritima is the increase in sugar content at low stress whereas longer or higher stress lead to a decrease in sugar content. In high salt conditions the stimulation of amino acid biosynthesis is the main strategy for osmoprotection to cope for salt stress.

The lack of natural resources, especially good-quality cropland and renewable water resources is threatening food production potential in marginal agricultural ecosystems, which are already negatively affected by climate change. Since the world's major crops are proving inadequate to supply the calories and nutrients for people in these areas, new crops are sought that can withstand harsh ecological environmental conditions. In the current trial, we assessed the growth and productivity of Tetragonia tetragonioides (Pallas) Kuntz. in a floating hydroponic system supplied with different seawater proportions (i.e. 15% and 30% seawater, EC = 9.8 and 18.0 dS m−1). Moreover, the effects of different salinity levels on mineral elements accumulation, production of osmotic solutes and secondary metabolites were determined, along with the salt removal capacity of the crop. The results indicated that plant growth was not affected by either of the seawater treatments used in this study. The increased leaf succulence and the reduction of both leaf area and specific leaf area with increasing salinity might represent an essential feature of this salt-tolerant species associated to the plants need of limiting transpiration. Low seawater treated plants showed a significantly higher biomass yield per liter of (sea)water used (117%) than the control. Under these conditions plants accumulated the highest amount of Mg (+31% and 48% in medium and high seawater treated plants compared with the control) and Cu (+14% and 30%, respectively) along with increasing proline and decreasing nitrate concentrations. By contrast, we found that seawater supply resulted in a Na-enriched leaf biomass that may represent an issue for human health. We concluded that Tetragonia tetragonioides can be grown in saline agriculture up to a salinity level characterized by an EC of 18 dS m-1 but further investigation is required to address Na accumulation in leaves.

For the purpose of investigating the differential rotation of the solar corona, we analyzed ultraviolet (UV) spectral line observations acquired on both the east and west limbs at 1.7 $R_{\odot}$ by SOHO/UVCS during the solar minimum preceding solar cycle 23. To obtain a reliable and statistically robust picture of the rotational profile, we used a set of simultaneous 400-day long spectral line intensities of five different spectral lines: O VI 1032 A, O VI 1037 A, Si XII 499 A, Si XII 521 A, and H I 1216 A, which are routinely observed by UVCS. The data were analyzed by means of two different techniques: the generalized Lomb-Scargle periodogram (GLS) and a multivariate data-adaptive technique called multichannel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA). Among many other positive outcomes, this latter method is unique in its ability to recognize common oscillatory modes between the five time series observed at both limbs. The latitudinal rotation profile obtained in this work emphasizes that the low-latitude region of the UV corona (about $\pm 20^{\circ}$ from the solar equator) exhibits differential rotation, while the higher-latitude structures do rotate quasi-rigidly. The differential rotation rate of the solar corona as evinced at low-latitudes is consistent with the rotational profile of the near-surface convective zone of the Sun, suggesting that the rotation of the corona at 1.7 $R_{\odot}$ is linked to intermediate-scale magnetic bipole structures anchored near 0.99 $R_{\odot}$. The quasi-rigid rotation rate found at mid and high latitudes is instead attributed to the influence of large-scale coronal structures linked to the rigidly rotating coronal holes. We further suggest that the methodology presented in this paper could represent a milestone for future investigations on differential rotation rates when dealing with simultaneous multiwavelength data., Comment: A&A, in press (12 pages, 8 figures)

We report the detection of multiple quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) observed during the flaring activity of KIC 8414845, a young, active solar-type star observed by the Kepler mission launched by NASA. We analyzed the QQP signal using a data-driven, nonparametric method called singular spectrum analysis (SSA), which has never been utilized previously for analyzing solar or stellar QPPs. Because it is not based on a prescribed choice of basis functions, SSA is particularly suitable for analyzing nonstationary, nonlinear signals such as those observed in QPPs during major flares. The analysis has revealed that the apparent anharmonic shape of the QPP in this superflare results from a superposition of two intrinsic modes of periods of 49 min and 86 min, which display quasi-harmonic behaviors and different modulation patterns. The two reconstructed signals are consistent with slow-mode transverse and/or longitudinal magnetohydrodynamic oscillations excited in a coronal loop inducing periodic releases of flaring energy in a nearby loop through a mechanism of repetitive reconnection. The peculiar amplitude modulation of the two modes evinced by SSA favors the interpretation of the observed QPP pattern as due to the excitation in a coronal loop of the second harmonic of a standing slow-mode magnetoacoustic oscillation and a global kink oscillation periodically triggering magnetic reconnection in a nearby loop. Concurrent interpretations cannot however be ruled out on the basis of the available data., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

The projected population growth implies an increased food demand with a severe impact on Earth’s natural resources. Improving crops yield without compromising the environment will be one of the main challenges of the next decades. Among the practices that can promote sustainable agriculture, organic fertilizers, and seaweeds in particular, are receiving growing attention. The aim of the current study was to test two macroalgae (Chaetomorpha sp. and Cystoseira sp.), one microalga (Chlorella CH2) and Bioguano (a mixture of macroalgae, spirulina, and guano) as organic fertilizers for the growth of barley seedlings. Remarkable plant growth was obtained on Bioguano, with seedlings showing a comparable total biomass yield with respect to the positive control plants on mineral fertilizer. Plants growth on macroalgae was reduced, even if in Chaetomorpha sp. not significantly compared to the positive control. Plants growth on Chlorella CH2 was close to that of the negative control (only water). Plants on Bioguano attained high uptake efficiencies of N (60%) and K (41%). Plants on macroalgae showed high N, and especially P (about 30%) uptake efficiency. Our results suggest a high potential for Bioguano and, to a lesser extent, for macroalgae without any synthetic fertilizer application to be used as growing substrates for crops.

Background The aim of this large retrospective study was to provide a logistic risk model along an additive score to predict early mortality after surgical treatment of patients with heart valve or prosthesis infective endocarditis (IE). Methods From 2000 to 2015, 2715 patients with native valve endocarditis (NVE) or prosthesis valve endocarditis (PVE) were operated on in 26 Italian Cardiac Surgery Centers. The relationship between early mortality and covariates was evaluated with logistic mixed effect models. Fixed effects are parameters associated with the entire population or with certain repeatable levels of experimental factors, while random effects are associated with individual experimental units (centers). Results Early mortality was 11.0% (298/2715); At mixed effect logistic regression the following variables were found associated with early mortality: age class, female gender, LVEF, preoperative shock, COPD, creatinine value above 2 mg/dl, presence of abscess, number of treated valve/prosthesis (with respect to one treated valve/prosthesis) and the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus, Fungus spp., Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and other micro-organisms, while Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp. and other Staphylococci did not affect early mortality, as well as no micro-organisms isolation. LVEF was found linearly associated with outcomes while non-linear association between mortality and age was tested and the best model was found with a categorization into four classes (AUC = 0.851). Conclusions The following study provides a logistic risk model to predict early mortality in patients with heart valve or prosthesis infective endocarditis undergoing surgical treatment, called “The EndoSCORE”.

Background: To assess early and late mortality in patients with isolated acute tricuspid valve infective endocarditis (TVIE) using data from a multicenter registry. Methods: From 1983 to 2018, isolated acute TVIE was surgically treated in 157 (3.8%) patients [mean age 47 ± 16 years (range 15–86 years), 25% females]. Of these, 142 (90%) had native tricuspid regurgitation, 7 (5%) native tricuspid valve (TV) steno-regurgitation, and 8 (5%) prosthetic TVIE. Intravenous drug use (IVDU) was recorded in 38% of patients, infection involved cardiac implantable electronic device leads in 21%, and vascular catheters for dialysis in 1%; in the remaining cases, the cause was unknown. The primary endpoint was in-hospital outcome, long-term freedom from recurrence and overall survival. Results: Overall, 77 (49%) patients underwent TV repair, 72 (46%) TV replacement, and 8 (5%) prosthetic TV replacement. Early mortality was 11% (n = 17). Expected early mortality according to EndoSCORE was 12%, with age (odds ratio 1.06) and redo (odds ratio 6.64) as risk factors. Late deaths occurred in 31 patients and TVIE recurrences in 4. Survival rates at 10, 20, and 25 years were 66%, 60%, and 44%, respectively. Risk factors were age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.06], mycotic TVIE (HR 4.2), IVDU (HR 4.90), infected prosthesis replacement (HR 4.4), and presence of cardiac implantable electronic device leads (HR 3.0). No significant difference was found in valve repair vs. replacement and in IVDUs vs. non-IVDUs. Conclusions: Patients with isolated acute TVIE undergoing surgical treatment show acceptable early and late outcomes. TVIE recurrence was low, and repair of the affected valve does not seem to confer any advantage either at early or long term up to 25 years.

On 2014 October 30, a band-splitted type II radio burst associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) occurred over the southeast limb of the Sun. The fast expansion in all directions of the plasma front acted as a piston and drove a spherical fast shock ahead of it, whose outward progression was traced by simultaneous images obtained with the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph (NRH). The geometry of the CME/shock event was recovered through 3D modeling, given the absence of concomitant stereoscopic observations, and assuming that the band-splitted type II burst was emitted at the intersection of the shock surface with two adjacent low-Alfven speed coronal streamers. From the derived spatiotemporal evolution of the standoff distance between shock and CME leading edge, we were finally able to infer the magnetic field strength $B$ in the inner corona. A simple radial profile of the form $B(r) = (12.6 \pm 2.5) r^{-4}$ nicely fits our results, together with previous estimates, in the range $r = 1.1-2.0$ solar radii., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters

OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop the first Damage Index (DI) in systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: The conceptual definition of 'damage' in SSc was determined through consensus by a working group of the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium (SCTC). Systematic literature review and consultation with patient partners and non-rheumatologist experts produced a list of potential items for inclusion in the DI. These steps were used to reduce the items: (1) Expert members of the SCTC (n=331) were invited to rate the appropriateness of each item for inclusion, using a web-based survey. Items with >60% consensus were retained; (2) Using a prospectively acquired Australian cohort data set of 1568 patients, the univariable relationships between the remaining items and the endpoints of mortality and morbidity (Physical Component Summary score of the Short Form 36) were analysed, and items with p<0.10 were retained; (3) using multivariable regression analysis, coefficients were used to determine a weighted score for each item. The DI was externally validated in a Canadian cohort. RESULTS: Ninety-three (28.1%) complete survey responses were analysed; 58 of 83 items were retained. The univariable relationships with death and/or morbidity endpoints were statistically significant for 22 items, with one additional item forced into the multivariable model by experts due to clinical importance, to create a 23-item weighted SCTC DI (SCTC-DI). The SCTC-DI was predictive of morbidity and mortality in the external cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Through the combined use of consensus and data-driven methods, a 23-item SCTC-DI was developed and retrospectively validated.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Assessment of cognitive function in people with neurosychiatric disorders can be challenging, due to behavioural and psychiatric symptomatology. The Behavioural Assesment Tool for Cognition and Higher Functioning (BATCH) is a validated observational tool that complements formal cognitive testing in this patient population. This study aimed to determine the capacity of the BATCH as a predictive tool for discharge planning. METHOD: BATCH scores for 330 consecutive admissions for assessment to a specialist neuropsychiatry unit between 2007 and 2015 were analysed. The variables of interest included discharge destination, diagnosis, length of stay, age at discharge and BATCH scores (both subdomain and total). Significant predictors of discharge destination were identified using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting for age at discharge, three variables were found to be significant predictors of discharge destination - length of stay, diagnosis, and BATCH total score. The odds of being discharged to a destination other than home decreased by 3% for each additional BATCH total score unit. The length of stay remained a significant predictor of discharge destination when adjusting for BATCH total score, age at admission and diagnosis. CONCLUSION: BATCH total scores, but not subdomain scores, were predictive of discharge destination, along with the patients' length of stay and diagnosis. Knowledge of this relationship may guide clinical discharge planning, when working with the complex needs of this group of patients. A larger study is indicated to determine the range and cut-off scores for discharge destinations other than home.

BACKGROUND: While previous studies have identified relationships between hippocampal volumes and memory performance in schizophrenia, these relationships are not apparent in healthy individuals. Further, few studies have examined the role of hippocampal subfields in illness-related memory deficits, and no study has examined potential differences across varying illness stages. The current study aimed to investigate whether individuals with early and established psychosis exhibited differential relationships between visuospatial associative memory and hippocampal subfield volumes. METHODS: Measurements of visuospatial associative memory performance and grey matter volume were obtained from 52 individuals with a chronic schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, 28 youth with recent-onset psychosis, 52 older healthy controls, and 28 younger healthy controls. RESULTS: Both chronic and recent-onset patients had impaired visuospatial associative memory performance, however, only chronic patients showed hippocampal subfield volume loss. Both chronic and recent-onset patients demonstrated relationships between visuospatial associative memory performance and hippocampal subfield volumes in the CA4/dentate gyrus and the stratum that were not observed in older healthy controls. There were no group by volume interactions when chronic and recent-onset patients were compared. CONCLUSIONS: The current study extends the findings of previous studies by identifying particular hippocampal subfields, including the hippocampal stratum layers and the dentate gyrus, that appear to be related to visuospatial associative memory ability in individuals with both chronic and first-episode psychosis.

Over 3000 candidate gene association studies have been performed to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia. However, a comprehensive evaluation of these studies' findings has not been undertaken since the decommissioning of the schizophrenia gene (SzGene) database in 2011. As such, we systematically identified and carried out random-effects meta-analyses for all polymorphisms with four or more independent studies in schizophrenia along with a series of expanded meta-analyses incorporating published and unpublished genome-wide association (GWA) study data. Based on 550 meta-analyses, 11 SNPs in eight linkage disequilibrium (LD) independent loci showed Bonferroni-significant associations with schizophrenia. Expanded meta-analyses identified an additional 10 SNPs, for a total of 21 Bonferroni-significant SNPs in 14 LD-independent loci. Three of these loci (MTHFR, DAOA, ARVCF) had never been implicated by a schizophrenia GWA study. In sum, the present study has provided a comprehensive summary of the current schizophrenia genetics knowledgebase and has made available all the collected data as a resource for the research community.

Using various inhibitors and scavengers we took advantage of the size of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seeds to investigate in vivo the effects of hormones, namely abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene (ET), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the polarization of dormant (D) and non-dormant (ND) embryonic seed cells using microelectrodes. Our data show that D and ND seed cells present different polarization likely due to the regulation of plasma membrane (PM) H + -ATPase activity. The data obtained after addition of hormones or ROS scavengers further suggest that ABA dependent inhibition of PM H + -ATPases could participate in dormancy maintenance and that ET-and ROS-dependent PM H + -ATPase stimulation could participate in dormancy release in sunflower seeds.

On 2014 October 30, a band-splitted type II radio burst associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) occurred over the southeast limb of the Sun. The fast expansion in all directions of the plasma front acted as a piston and drove a spherical fast shock ahead of it, whose outward progression was traced by simultaneous images obtained with the Nan\c{c}ay Radioheliograph (NRH). The geometry of the CME/shock event was recovered through 3D modeling, given the absence of concomitant stereoscopic observations, and assuming that the band-splitted type II burst was emitted at the intersection of the shock surface with two adjacent low-Alfven speed coronal streamers. From the derived spatiotemporal evolution of the standoff distance between shock and CME leading edge, we were finally able to infer the magnetic field strength $B$ in the inner corona. A simple radial profile of the form $B(r) = (12.6 \pm 2.5) r^{-4}$ nicely fits our results, together with previous estimates, in the range $r = 1.1-2.0$ solar radii., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters

In this work, we apply multichannel singular spectrum analysis (MSSA), a data-adaptive, multivariate, non-parametric technique that simultaneously exploits the spatial and temporal correlations of the input data to extract common modes of variability, to investigate the intermediate quasi-periodicities of the Fe XIV green coronal emission line at 530.3 nm for the period between 1944 and 2008. Our analysis reveals several significant mid-term periodicities in a range from about one to four years that are consistent with the so-called quasi-biennial oscillations (QBOs), which have been detected by several authors using different data sets and analysis methods. These QBOs display amplitudes varying significantly with time and latitude over the six solar cycles (18 to 23) covered by this study. A clear North-South asymmetry is detected both in their intensity and period distribution, with a net predominance of spectral power in the active-region belt of the northern hemisphere. On the other hand, while the QBOs with periods > 1.7 years are particularly intense around the polar regions and therefore related to the global magnetic field, the ones with shorter periods are mainly generated at mid-latitudes, in correspondence with the emergence of active regions. Our findings indicate that the North-South asymmetry manifested in the uneven latitudinal distribution of QBOs is a fundamental, albeit puzzling, characteristic of solar activity., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures

Typical reconstructions of historic heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) $B_{\rm HMF}$ are based on the analysis of the sunspot activity, geomagnetic data or on measurement of cosmogenic isotopes stored in terrestrial reservoirs like trees ($^{14}$C) and ice cores ($^{10}$Be). The various reconstructions of $B_{\rm HMF}$ are however discordant both in strength and trend. Cosmogenic isotopes, which are produced by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) impacting on meteoroids and whose production rate is modulated by the varying HMF convected outward by the solar wind, may offer an alternative tool for the investigation of the HMF in the past centuries. In this work, we aim to evaluate the long-term evolution of $B_{\rm HMF}$ over a period covering the past twenty-two solar cycles by using measurements of the cosmogenic $^{44}$Ti activity ($\tau_{1/2} = 59.2 \pm 0.6$ yr) measured in 20 meteorites which fell between 1766 and 2001. Within the given uncertainties, our result is compatible with a HMF increase from $4.87^{+0.24}_{-0.30}$ nT in 1766 to $6.83^{+0.13}_{-0.11}$ nT in 2001, thus implying an overall average increment of $1.96^{+0.43}_{-0.35}$ nT over 235 years since 1766 reflecting the modern Grand maximum. The $B_{\rm HMF}$ trend thus obtained is then compared with the most recent reconstructions of the near-Earth heliospheric magnetic field strength based on geomagnetic, sunspot number and cosmogenic isotope data., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The authors regret that the first name and last name of the author Sandro Sponga was published incorrectly in the original version and this has now been corrected.

No abstract, La sclerosi tuberosa è una facomatosi trasmessa come carattere autosomico dominante, tramite i geni TSC1 e TSC2. La malattia è caratterizzata da una iperplasia delle cellule ectodermiche e mesodermiche, che conduce alla formazione di lesioni amartomatose. Le sedi più frequentemente coinvolte sono rappresentate dal sistema nervoso centrale, dal cuore, dai reni, dalla cute, dagli occhi e dai polmoni. Una percentuale di pazienti compresa tra il 50 e l'80% presenta lesioni renali, che comprendono angiomiolipomi, cisti renali ed oncocitomi. Questi pazienti, hanno un rischio maggiore di sviluppare carcinoma a cellule renali rispetto ad individui con angiomiolipomi non affetti da ST. Il riscontro ecografico di una qualsiasi neoformazione tra quelle appena elencate può correttamente condurre alla diagnosi di sospetto di ST, solo se “incrociata” col dato clinico, obiettivo. Da ciò il ruolo, potenzialmente cruciale, del nefrologo ecografista nella prima diagnosi di ST. Presentiamo di seguito tre casi di ST, con diagnosi clinica di certezza, con lesioni ecografiche renali molto differenti tra loro. In un primo caso la paziente mostra voluminosi angiomiolipomi renali. Un secondo paziente mostra un quadro ecografico renale sovrapponibile ad un ADPKD. Il terzo caso mostra invece una paziente con un quadro ecografico evolutivo che, da un iniziale “scarring”, evolve verso una trasformazione micro cistica. Questo report, nella nostra opinione, rappresenta un esempio di come reperti ecografici di comune riscontro, se inquadrati correttamente nel contesto clinico, possano invece essere lo spunto per una diagnosi infrequente di ST.

No abstract, La sclerosi tuberosa è una facomatosi trasmessa come carattere autosomico dominante, tramite i geni TSC1 e TSC2. La malattia è caratterizzata da una iperplasia delle cellule ectodermiche e mesodermiche, che conduce alla formazione di lesioni amartomatose. Le sedi più frequentemente coinvolte sono rappresentate dal sistema nervoso centrale, dal cuore, dai reni, dalla cute, dagli occhi e dai polmoni. Una percentuale di pazienti compresa tra il 50 e l'80% presenta lesioni renali, che comprendono angiomiolipomi, cisti renali ed oncocitomi. Questi pazienti, hanno un rischio maggiore di sviluppare carcinoma a cellule renali rispetto ad individui con angiomiolipomi non affetti da ST. Il riscontro ecografico di una qualsiasi neoformazione tra quelle appena elencate può correttamente condurre alla diagnosi di sospetto di ST, solo se “incrociata” col dato clinico, obiettivo. Da ciò il ruolo, potenzialmente cruciale, del nefrologo ecografista nella prima diagnosi di ST. Presentiamo di seguito tre casi di ST, con diagnosi clinica di certezza, con lesioni ecografiche renali molto differenti tra loro. In un primo caso la paziente mostra voluminosi angiomiolipomi renali. Un secondo paziente mostra un quadro ecografico renale sovrapponibile ad un ADPKD. Il terzo caso mostra invece una paziente con un quadro ecografico evolutivo che, da un iniziale “scarring”, evolve verso una trasformazione micro cistica. Questo report, nella nostra opinione, rappresenta un esempio di come reperti ecografici di comune riscontro, se inquadrati correttamente nel contesto clinico, possano invece essere lo spunto per una diagnosi infrequente di ST.

Nephroangiosclerotic chronic kidney disease's primary and secondary prevention is actually based on blood pressure control and reduction of proteinuria. In proteinuric patients, blood pressure control has to be obtained by blocking renin–angiotensin axis, even in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Combination therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) drugs and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) doesn't imply addictive protective effects. It could be tested in selected patients with proteinuria levels above 1 g/day. Combination therapy with ACEi and anti–aldosteronic agents seems to be promising but we need more multicentric trials., La prevenzione primaria e secondaria della insufficienza renale cronica da nefroangiosclerosi è rappresentata dallo stretto controllo dei valori pressori e dalla riduzione della proteinuria. In presenza di proteinuria, il controllo pressorio va ottenuto con il blocco del sistema renina-angiotensina anche in pazienti con importante riduzione della funzione renale. La terapia di associazione di ACE inibitore con sartano non sembra portare vantaggi aggiuntivi ma può essere saggiata in pazienti selezionati con proteinuria persistente superiore al grammo/die. L'associazione ACE inibitore con antialdosteronico sembra promettere bene ma occorrono ulteriori studi, possibilmente multicentrici.

Nephroangiosclerotic chronic kidney disease's primary and secondary prevention is actually based on blood pressure control and reduction of proteinuria. In proteinuric patients, blood pressure control has to be obtained by blocking renin–angiotensin axis, even in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. Combination therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) drugs and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) doesn't imply addictive protective effects. It could be tested in selected patients with proteinuria levels above 1 g/day. Combination therapy with ACEi and anti–aldosteronic agents seems to be promising but we need more multicentric trials., La prevenzione primaria e secondaria della insufficienza renale cronica da nefroangiosclerosi è rappresentata dallo stretto controllo dei valori pressori e dalla riduzione della proteinuria. In presenza di proteinuria, il controllo pressorio va ottenuto con il blocco del sistema renina-angiotensina anche in pazienti con importante riduzione della funzione renale. La terapia di associazione di ACE inibitore con sartano non sembra portare vantaggi aggiuntivi ma può essere saggiata in pazienti selezionati con proteinuria persistente superiore al grammo/die. L'associazione ACE inibitore con antialdosteronico sembra promettere bene ma occorrono ulteriori studi, possibilmente multicentrici.