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Due to meteorological conditions variability and to the variability of exposure patterns, which can be largely different during a working day, personal dosemeters use can be necessary to obtain a correct quantitative evaluation of the radiation dose absorbed by an exposed worker. Different classes of personal dosemeters exist and, among them, electronic dosemeters and polysulphone film dosemeters. An experimental campaign is presented conduced in a cultivated area of Tuscany and some aspects are discussed about an experimental campaign performed on a population of volunteers on a central Italy beach near Rome. The aim of the present work is to show some relevant issues in a dosimetric approach to the exposure evaluation of outdoor workers and, in general, of the public during recreational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Operating with a high frequency and a wave guide antenna, the ion Bernstein wave (IBW) experiment on the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade is not dominated, as expected, by nonlinear plasma edge phenomena. By coupling IBW power, a simultaneous increase of plasma density and central electron temperature (>=2 keV) is produced when the confinement magnetic field is adjusted to set an ion cyclotron resonant layer in the plasma bulk. Transport analysis indicates a reduction of the electron thermal transport inside the internal resonant layer larger than a factor of 2. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the density of molybdenum atoms produced by sputtering of a TZM target by argon ions by laser induced fluorescence (LIF) using tunable dye laser. Excitation transition involved; Source of the fluorescence signal; Calibration of the detection system; Evaluation of the LIF diagnostic performance on the Frascati Tokamak upgrade.

Measures the density of iron atoms produced by bombardment of a stainless steel target by argon ions by laser induced fluorescence using a tunable dye laser. Excitation transition involved; Measurements of the fluorescence signal.

Discusses the measurement of plasma radiation in the infrared range at six lines of sight from z equal to -20 centimeters to z equal to eight centimeters above the equatorial plane, using the detection system of the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade Thomson scattering system. Comparison of plasma emission measurements; Determination of the gaunt factor.

Objectives . It is prescribed to determine blue-light hazard (BLH) weighted radiances, L B , for an assessment of spotlights with an angular subtense α ≥ 11 mrad . The BLH weighted irradiance, E B , can be used alternatively for smaller sources. Appropriate instruments are not common among persons commissioned with risk assessment (RA), and especially L B measurements may be challenging. Therefore, a practical BLH RA approach is proposed that is based on illuminance, E v , pre-calculated blackbody BLH efficacies of luminous radiation, K B,v Planck , and solid angle considerations. Methods . The practicality of this method was examined and compared against other RA approaches. Results . To ensure comparability of the applied instruments, measurements were performed close to a radiance standard, showing deviations within the lamp's expanded uncertainties ( < 4 % ), whereas the deviations were ± 15 % for longer distances. Focusing on a complex light-emitting diode (LED) spotlight, all detected values could be converted to L B by means of the RA methods within ± 20 % . Two field tests with several spotlights yielded maximum permissible exposure durations (MPED) obtained from the different RA approaches that agreed among each other within uncertainties largely below ± 30 % . Conclusion . The general practicality of the proposed E v method can be concluded for a workplace BLH RA of white-light sources.

Sea urchins are emblematic models in developmental biology and display several characteristics that set them apart from other deuterostomes. To uncover the genomic cues that may underlie these specificities, we generated a chromosome-scale genome assembly for the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and an extensive gene expression and epigenetic profiles of its embryonic development. We found that, unlike vertebrates, sea urchins retained ancestral chromosomal linkages but underwent very fast intrachromosomal gene order mixing. We identified a burst of gene duplication in the echinoid lineage and showed that some of these expanded genes have been recruited in novel structures (water vascular system, Aristotle's lantern, and skeletogenic micromere lineage). Finally, we identified gene-regulatory modules conserved between sea urchins and chordates. Our results suggest that gene-regulatory networks controlling development can be conserved despite extensive gene order rearrangement., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

TITF1 (Thyroid Transcription Factor-1) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor. Previous studies showed that Titf1 null mice are characterized by failure of tracheo-oesophageal separation and impaired lung morphogenesis resulting in Pulmonary Hypoplasia (PH). In this study, we aim to evaluate the role of TITF1 in the pathogenesis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in humans. We investigated TITF1 expression in human trachea and lungs and performed direct mutation analysis in a CDH population. We studied 13 human fetuses at 14 to 24 weeks of gestation. Five μm sections were fixed in paraformaldehyde and incubated with anti-TITF1 primary antibody. Positive staining was visualized by biotinylated secondary antibody. We also performed TITF1 screening on genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood of 16 patients affected by CDH and different degrees of PH, searching for mutations, insertions, and/or deletions, by sequencing the exonic regions of the gene. Histochemical studies showed positive brown staining of fetal follicular thyroid epithelium, normal fetal trachea, and normal fetal lung bronchial epithelium. Fetal esophageal wall was immunohistochemically negative. Molecular genetic analysis showed complete identity between the sequences obtained and the Wild Type (WT) form of the gene in all cases. No mutation, insertion and/or deletion was detected. Although TITF1 is expressed in the human fetal lung and has been considered to have a role in the pathogenesis of PH in CDH, the results of our study do not support the hypothesis that TITF1 mutations play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of CDH.

Diatoms are photosynthetic organisms with potential biotechnological applications in the bioremediation sector, having shown the capacity to reduce environmental concentrations of different pollutants. The diatom Cylindrotheca closterium is known to degrade di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), one of the most abundant phthalate esters in aquatic environments and a known endocrine-disrupting chemical. In this study, we present for the first time the in silico identification of two putative DBP hydrolases (provisionally called DBPH1 and DBPH2) in the transcriptome of C. closterium. We modeled the structure of both DBPH1-2 and their proposed interactions with the substrate to gain insights into their mechanism of action. Finally, we analyzed the expression levels of the two putative hydrolases upon exposure of C. closterium to different concentrations of DBP (5 and 10 mg/l) for 24 and 48 h. The data showed a DBP concentration-dependent increase in expression levels of both dbph1 and 2 genes, further highlighting their potential involvement in phthalates degradation. This is the first identification of phthalate-degrading enzymes in microalgae, providing new insights into the possible use of diatoms in bioremediation strategies targeting phthalates., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Occupational solar radiation exposure is a relevant heath risk in the fishing sector. Our aim was to provide a detailed evaluation of individual UV exposure in three different fishing activities in Italy, with personal UV dosimeters and a simple formula to calculate the fraction of ambient erythemal UV dose received by the workers. The potential individual UV exposure of the fishermen was between 65 and 542 Joules/m 2 . The percentages of the ambient exposure were estimated between 2.5% and 65.3%. Workers' UV exposure was mainly influenced by the characteristics of the work activity, the postures adopted, and the type of boats. Overall, our data showed that 43% of the daily measurements could result largely above the occupational limits of 1-1.3 standard erythemal dose (i.e., 100 Joules/m 2 ) per day, in case of exposure of uncovered skin areas. Measurements of individual UV exposure are important not only to assess the risk but also to increase workers' perception and stimulate the adoption of preventive measures to reduce solar UV risk. Furthermore, the simple method proposed, linking ambient erythemal UV dose to the workers' exposure, can be a promising tool for a reliable assessment of the UV risk, as time series of environmental UV dose are widely available.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in aged populations. Mitochondrial damage is one of the key features of ALI. Hyperoxia-induced lung injury model in mice has been widely used for ALI study because it features many ALI phenotypes including, but not limited to, mitochondrial and vascular endothelial cell damage. Recently, accumulating evidence has shown that mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) has a protective effect against oxidative stress mediated cell damage in epithelial cells. However, it is not known whether ALDH2 protects against oxidative stress in vascular endothelial cells. In this current study, we attempted to find the capacity of Alda-1 [(N-(1,3benzodioxol-5-ylmethyl)-2,6- dichloro-benzamide), an ALDH2 activator] to protect against oxidative stress in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC). HMVEC pretreated with Alda-1 prior to hyperoxic exposure vs non-treated controls showed i) lower 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) levels, ii) significantly decreased expressions of Bax and Cytochrome C, iii) partially restored activity and expression of ALDH2 and iv) significantly improved mitochondrial membrane potential. These results suggest that ALDH2 protein in lung vascular endothelial cells is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of ALI and that Alda-1 is a potential treatment option.

Seagrasses form extensive meadows in shallow coastal waters and are among the world's most productive ecosystems. Seagrasses can produce both clonally and sexually, and flowering has long been considered infrequent, but important for maintaining genetically diverse stands. Here we investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in flowering of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, an iconic species endemic to the Mediterranean. We generated a de novo transcriptome of this non-model species for leaf, male and female flower tissue of three individuals, and present molecular evidence for genes that may be involved in the flowering process and on the reproductive biology of the species. We present evidence that suggests that P. oceanica exhibits a strategy of protogyny, where the female part of the hermaphroditic flower develops before the male part, in order to avoid self-fertilization. We found photosynthetic genes to be up-regulated in the female flower tissues, indicating that this may be capable of photosynthesis. Finally, we detected a number of interesting genes, previously known to be involved in flowering pathways responding to light and temperature cues and in pathways involved in anthocyanin and exine synthesis. This first comparative transcriptomic approach of leaf, male and female tissue provides a basis for functional genomics research on flower development in P. oceanica and other seagrass species., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Starfish have been instrumental in many fields of biological and ecological research. Oocytes of Astropecten aranciacus, a common species native to the Mediterranean Sea and the East Atlantic, have long been used as an experimental model to study meiotic maturation, fertilization, intracellular Ca2+ signaling, and cell cycle controls. However, investigation of the underlying molecular mechanisms has often been hampered by the overall lack of DNA or protein sequences for the species. In this study, we have assembled a transcriptome for this species from the oocytes, eggs, zygotes, and early embryos, which are known to have the highest RNA sequence complexity. Annotation of the transcriptome identified over 32,000 transcripts including the ones that encode 13 distinct cyclins and as many cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), as well as the expected components of intracellular Ca2+ signaling toolkit. Although the mRNAs of cyclin and CDK families did not undergo significant abundance changes through the stages from oocyte to early embryo, as judged by real-time PCR, the transcript encoding Mos, a negative regulator of mitotic cell cycle, was drastically reduced during the period of rapid cleavages. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using the homologous amino acid sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit I from A. aranciacus and 30 other starfish species indicated that Paxillosida, to which A. aranciacus belongs, is not likely to be the most basal order in Asteroidea. Taken together, the first transcriptome we assembled in this species is expected to enable us to perform comparative studies and to design gene-specific molecular tools with which to tackle long-standing biological questions.

Bacterioplankton are fundamental components of marine ecosystems and influence the entire biosphere by contributing to the global biogeochemical cycles of key elements. Yet, there is a significant gap in knowledge about their diversity and specific activities, as well as environmental factors that shape their community composition and function. Here, the distribution and diversity of surface bacterioplankton along the coastline of the Gulf of Naples (GON; Italy) were investigated using flow cytometry coupled with high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Heterotrophic bacteria numerically dominated the bacterioplankton and comprised mainly Alphaproteobacteria , Gammaproteobacteria , and Bacteroidetes Distinct communities occupied river-influenced, coastal, and offshore sites, as indicated by Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, distance metric (UniFrac), linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe), and multivariate analyses. The heterogeneity in diversity and community composition was mainly due to salinity and changes in environmental conditions across sites, as defined by nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations. Bacterioplankton communities were composed of a few dominant taxa and a large proportion (92%) of rare taxa (here defined as operational taxonomic units [OTUs] accounting for <0.1% of the total sequence abundance), the majority of which were unique to each site. The relationship between 16S rRNA and the 16S rRNA gene, i.e., between potential metabolic activity and abundance, was positive for the whole community. However, analysis of individual OTUs revealed high rRNA-to-rRNA gene ratios for most (71.6% ± 16.7%) of the rare taxa, suggesting that these low-abundance organisms were potentially active and hence might be playing an important role in ecosystem diversity and functioning in the GON. IMPORTANCE The study of bacterioplankton in coastal zones is of critical importance, considering that these areas are highly productive and anthropogenically impacted. Their richness and evenness, as well as their potential activity, are very important to assess ecosystem health and functioning. Here, we investigated bacterial distribution, community composition, and potential metabolic activity in the GON, which is an ideal test site due to its heterogeneous environment characterized by a complex hydrodynamics and terrestrial inputs of varied quantities and quality. Our study demonstrates that bacterioplankton communities in this region are highly diverse and strongly regulated by a combination of different environmental factors leading to their heterogeneous distribution, with the rare taxa contributing to a major proportion of diversity and shifts in community composition and potentially holding a key role in ecosystem functioning., (Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.)

The most frequent initial manifestation of thyroid cancer is the appearance of a nodule. More than 20% of the general population has a palpable thyroid nodule and the percentage rises to 70% based on ultrasound identification. In 95% of cases the nodule is simply a hyperplastic or benign lesion. The most reliable diagnostic test for thyroid nodules is fine needle aspiration (FNA), but cytological discrimination between malignant and benign follicular neoplasms remains difficult. Cytological analysis is now, almost routinely, being combined with molecular genetics to enable the pathologist to make a more objective diagnosis. In this study, we performed the molecular analysis using a new simplified procedure that involves a panel of BRAF, RAS, RET and RET/PTC gene mutations in easily obtainable FNA samples, in the attempt to improve the efficacy of the FNA diagnosis of thyroid nodules and thus patient management. In this new procedure, PCR and sequencing analysis are used to detect point mutations, and, in parallel, RT-PCR is used to detect the chimeric RET/PTC1 and RET/PTC3 transcripts in RNA extracted from FNA.

Diatoms produce and release polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) during senescence in culture and at the end of blooms in nature and these compounds play different ecological roles, as infochemicals, allelochemicals and pheromones In order to elucidate the toxic effects of PUAs, we isolated six bacterial strains from the Mediterranean Sea during a diatom bloom and tested their tolerance to PUA in terms of growth and cell membrane properties. Based upon 16S rRNA sequencing, these bacteria were assigned to the genera Pseudomonas, Sufflavibacter, Halomonas, Vibrio, Idiomarina, and Labrenzia. Growth of these strains was reduced by 50% (EC 50 ) at PUA concentrations ranging from 600 to 1700 μM of 2E,4E/Z-heptadienal (HEPTA), 400-800 μM of 2E, 4E/Z-octadienal (OCTA), and 70-400 μM of 2E, 4E/Z-decadienal (DECA). Two of these strains, Vibrio sp. and Halomonas, sp. were also investigated for membrane fatty acid composition in terms of adaptive modifications of their degree of saturation (ratio between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids) by GC-FID. A direct correlation between hydrophobicity and PUA toxicity was observed, and these bacteria were also found to react to PUAs by increasing the degree of saturation of their membranes fatty acids. Tested PUAs were 4-fold more toxic than the well-investigated n-alkanols, most probably due to their additional chemical aldehyde toxicity to disrupting proteins by the formation of Schiff's bases, and therefore, they act as very toxic and effective poison, probably accumulating in cytoplasmic membranes because of their high hydrophobicity., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Pb-resistant bacterial strain (named hereinafter Pb15) has been isolated from highly polluted marine sediments at the Sarno River mouth, Italy, using an enrichment culture to which Pb(II) 0.48mmoll(-1) were added. 16S rRNA gene sequencing (Sanger) allowed assignment of the isolate to the genus Bacillus, with Bacillus pumilus as the closest species. The isolate is resistant to Pb(II) with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4.8mmoll(-1) and is also resistant to Cd(II) and Mn(II) with MIC of 2.22mmoll(-1) and 18.20mmoll(-1), respectively. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) showed that Pb inoculated in the growth medium is absorbed by the bacterial cells at removal efficiencies of 31.02% and 28.21% in the presence of 0.48mmoll(-1) or 1.20mmoll(-1) Pb(II), respectively. Strain Pb15 forms a brown and compact biofilm when grown in presence of Pb(II). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) confirm that the biofilm contains Pb, suggesting an active biosorption of this metal by the bacterial cells, sequestering 14% of inoculated Pb as evidenced by microscopic analyses. Altogether, these observations support evidence that strain Pb15 has potentials for being used in bioremediation of its native polluted sediments, with engineering solutions to be found in order to eliminate the adsorbed Pb before replacement of sediments in situ., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Occupational exposure to solar radiation may induce both acute and long-term effects on skin and eyes. Personal exposure is very difficult to assess accurately, as it depends on environmental, organisational and individual factors. The ongoing climate change interacting with stratospheric ozone dynamics may affect occupational exposure to solar radiation. In addition, tropospheric levels of environmental pollutants interacting with solar radiation may be altered by climate dynamics, so introducing another variable affecting the overall exposure to solar radiation. Given the uncertainties regarding the direction of changes in exposure to solar radiation due to climate change, compliance of outdoor workers with protective measures and a proper health surveillance are crucial. At the same time, education and training, along with the promotion of healthier lifestyles, are of paramount importance.

Distribution shifts are a common adaptive response of marine ectotherms to climate change but the pace of redistribution depends on species-specific traits that may promote or hamper expansion to northern habitats. Here we show that recently, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) has begun to nest steadily beyond the northern edge of the species' range in the Mediterranean basin. This range expansion is associated with a significant warming of spring and summer sea surface temperature (SST) that offers a wider thermal window suitable for nesting. However, we found that post-hatchlings departing from this location experience low winter SST that may affect their survival and thus hamper the stabilization of the site by self-recruitment. The inspection of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change model projections and observational data on SST trends shows that, despite the annual warming for this century, winter SST show little or no trends. Therefore, thermal constraints during the early developmental phase may limit the chance of population growth at this location also in the near future, despite increasingly favourable conditions at the nesting sites. Quantifying and understanding the interplay between dispersal and environmental changes at all life stages is critical for predicting ectotherm range expansion with climate warming.