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We quantify the impact of work from home (WFH) on housing demand by leveraging a unique dataset of online housing sales advertisements in Italy and considering intensity in the adoption of WFH. By exploiting both the time series and the geographical variation in WFH adoption after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we estimate that intensive WFH is the main driver of a significant recomposition of housing demand toward larger, single-family properties with outdoor spaces. This suggests that hybrid working arrangements involving a sizable amount of home-office work may have long-lasting consequences on housing markets and the organization of cities.

Both biochar (B) and vermicompost (V) can provide the soil with soluble organic matter. We evaluated the effect of B in reducing nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) losses from soil via leac...

The Mediterranean diet has, among its cornerstones, the use of olive oil for its nutraceutical and organoleptic properties. Despite the numerous merits, olive-oil mill wastewater (OMWW), which is generated by the olive-oil extraction process, is one of the most serious environmental pollutants in the Mediterranean countries. The polluting potential of OMWW is due to its high content of tannins, polyphenols, polyalcohols, pectins and lipids. In order to close the recovery cycle of a fortified citrus olive oils previously developed, we tested the ability of five microalgae of the Chlorella group (SEC_LI_ChL_1, CL_Sc, CL_Ch, FB and Idr) in lowering the percentage of total phenolic compounds in vegetation water. This was obtained with three different extraction processes (conventional, and lemon and orange peels) at three concentrations each (10%, 25% and 50%). The results showed that strains Idr, FB and CL_Sc from the Lake Massaciuccoli can tolerate vegetation water from conventional and lemon peel extractions up to 25%; these strains can also reduce the phenolic compounds within the tests. The application of microalgae for OMWW treatment represents an interesting opportunity as well as an eco-friendly low-cost solution to be developed within companies as a full-scale approach, which could be applied to obtain a fortified microalgal biomass to be employed in nutraceutical fields.

The differential effects of UV-B on the inhibition or activation of protective mechanisms to maintain cells photosynthetically active were investigated in native microalgae. Four strains were used, including two Chlorella sorokiniana strains, F4 and LG1, isolated from a Mediterranean inland swamp and a recycled cigarette butt’s substrate, respectively, and two isolates from an Ecuadorian highland lake related to Pectinodesmus pectinatus (PEC) and Ettlia pseudoalveolaris (ETI). Monocultures were exposed to acute UV-B (1.7 W m−2) over 18 h under controlled conditions. UV-B-untreated microalgae were used as the control. Comparative physiological responses, including photosynthetic pigments, non-enzymatic antioxidants, and chlorophyll a fluorescence, were evaluated at specific time points. Results showed that UV-B significantly compromised all the physiological parameters in F4, thereby resulting in the most UV-B-sensitive strain. Contrarily, UV-B exposure did not lead to changes in the PEC physiological traits, resulting in the best UV-B-resistant strain. This could be attributed to the acclimation to high light habitat, where maintaining a constitutive phenotype (at the photosynthetic level) is strategically advantageous. Differently, LG1 and ETI at 12 h of UV-B exposure showed different UV-B responses, which is probably related to acclimation, where in LG1, the pigments were recovered, and the antioxidants were still functioning, while in ETI, the accumulation of pigments and antioxidants was increased to avoid further photodamage. Consequently, the prolonged exposure in LG1 and ETI resulted in species-specific metabolic regulation (e.g., non-enzymatic antioxidants) in order to constrain full photoinhibition under acute UV-B.

In this study, the potential of ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation to alleviate the effects of pollutants in cigarette butt wastewater (CBW) was investigated using different Chlorella sorokiniana strains (F4, R1 and LG1). Microalgae were treated with UV-B (1.7 W m−2) for 3 days prior to their exposure to CBW and then incubated for 4 days in the absence or presence of UV-B. UV-B-untreated microalgae were used as the control. Comparative physiological responses, including photosynthetic pigments and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as nicotine and nicotyrine removal, were evaluated in 7-day cultures. UV-B treatments did not negatively impact algal chlorophyll or carotenoid production. UV-B acclimation was strain-dependent, correlating with native environment adaptations and genetic constitutions. UV-B as a pretreatment had long-term positive effects on non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity. However, LG1 needed more time to readjust the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance, as it was the most UV-B-sensitive. Phenolic compounds played an important role in the antioxidant system response to UV-B, while flavonoids did not contribute to the total antioxidant capacity. Although cross-resistance between UV-B and CBW was observed in F4 and R1, only R1 showed nicotine/nicotyrine catabolism induction due to UV-B. Overall, the results suggest that UV-B activates defense pathways associated with resistance or tolerance to nicotine and nicotyrine.

The Mediterranean diet has among its cornerstones the use of olive oil for its nutraceutical and organoleptic properties. Despite the numerous merits, olive-oil mill wastewater (OMWW), which is generated by the olive-oil extraction process, is one of the most serious environmental pollutants in the Mediterranean countries. The polluting potential of OMWW is due to its high content of tannins, polyphenols, polyalcohols, pectins and lipids. In this experiment, we tested the ability of five microalgae of the Chlorella group (SEC_LI_ChL_1, CL-Sc, CL-Ch, FB and Idr) in lowering the percentage of total phenolic compounds in vegetation water. In order to close the recovery cycle of a fortified citrus olive oils previously developed, we tested the vegetation wa-ter obtained with three different extraction processes (conventional, lemon and orange peels) at three concentrations each (10%, 25% and 50%). Results showed that strains Idr, FB and CL-Sc from the Lake Massaciuccoli can tolerate vegetation water from conventional and lemon peels extraction up to 25%; these strains can also reduce the phenolic compounds within the tests. The results demonstrate that the application of microalgae for OMWW treatment represent an inter-esting opportunity, and an eco-friendly low-cost solution to be developed within the companies as a full-scale approach.

Beyond the inhibitory action against the gibberellin biosynthesis, some plant growth retardants (PGRs) can play an important role in regulating plant responses to abiotic stress through the induction of different tolerance mechanisms. The aim of the present study was the exploitation of the potential of PGRs in enhancing the resistance to drought stress in Stevia rebaudiana Bert. Therefore, the effects of three PGRs on stevia plants grown under drought stress condition were investigated. Stevia plants were first subjected to water stress and, second, treated with PGRs to detect PGRs effect on biometric, productive and phytochemical characteristics of drought stressed-plants. The control plants were uniformly irrigated at 3-day intervals, while water-stress conditions were imposed by watering the plants at 12-day intervals. Subsequently, the Chlorocholine chloride (CCC, as Copalyl diphosphate synthase inhibitor and Kaurene synthase inhibitor), Paclobutrazol (PBZ, as Kaurene oxidase inhibitor) and Daminozide (DAM, as anti-gibberellins) were applied in drought stressed-plants. The CCC and DAM were sprayed on stevia shoots, while PBZ was drenched. The obtained results showed that leaf dry weight of stevia plants was significantly reduced by drought stress, but this parameter increased as a consequence of CCC and PBZ treatments. Drought stress also caused a significant reduction in total steviol glycoside (SVglys) content. This reduction was more pronounced in drought stressed-plants treated with CCC, while PBZ was able to counteract the SVglys reduction, with SVgly content similar to that observed in the control. Similarly, PBZ was able to increase the soluble sugar production and total antioxidant capacity in the leaves of stressed-stevia plants. These findings suggested that CCC and, in particular, PBZ had a protective effect on stevia growth under drought stress by induction of antioxidant defenses and soluble sugar production. CCC seems to inhibit gibberellin biosynthesis, preventing the SVglys production, while DAM and PBZ, as gibberellin inhibitors, didn't have a negative effect on SVglys production in drought stressed-plants. This observation seems to emphasize their role in limiting the rate of target enzymes of CCC in SVglys biosynthetic pathway. Moreover, the induction of glucose production, as a substrate for SVglys biosynthesis, could be a convincing evidence for SVglys promotion in PBZ treated-plants.

Microalgal-based remediation is an ecofriendly and cost-effective system for wastewater treatment. This study evaluated the capacity of microalgae in the remediation of wastewater from cleaning process of smoked cigarette butts (CB). At laboratory scale, six strains (one from the family Scenedesmaceae, two Chlamydomonasdebaryana and three Chlorellasorokiniana) were exposed to different CB wastewater dilutions to identify toxicity levels reflected in the alteration of microalgal physiological status and to determine the optimal conditions for an effective removal of contaminants. CB wastewater could impact on microalgal chlorophyll and carotenoid production in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the resistance and remediation capacity did not only depend on the microalgal strain, but also on the chemical characteristics of the organic pollutants. In detail, nicotine was the most resistant pollutant to removal by the microalgae tested and its low removal correlated with the inhibition of photosynthetic pigments affecting microalgal growth. Concerning the optimal conditions for an effective bioremediation, this study demonstrated that the Chlamydomonas strain named F2 showed the best removal capacity to organic pollutants at 5% CB wastewater (corresponding to 25 butts L−1 or 5 g CB L−1) maintaining its growth and photosynthetic pigments at control levels.

β-glucans can activate the animal innate immune system by acting as immune-modulators and inducing various stimulatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans administered orally for 96 h on Apis mellifera workers (newly emerged and nurse bees). β-glucans were included in honey and syrup. Survival rate and phenoloxidase activity were measured. In both newly emerged and nurse bees, β-glucans supplementation did not affect survival rate (p > 0.05). Conversely, phenoloxidase activity was higher in both newly emerged bees (p = 0.048) and nurse bees (p = 0.014) fed with a honey diet enriched with β-glucans compared to those fed with only honey. In both the newly emerged and nurse bees, no statistical differences in phenoloxidase activity were recorded between the group fed with a syrup-based diet enriched with β-glucans and the control group (p > 0.05). The absence of significant variation in survival suggests that the potential negative effect of β-glucans in healthy bees could be mitigated by their metabolism. Conversely, the inclusion of β-glucans in a honey-based diet determined an increase of phenoloxidase activity, suggesting that the effect of β-glucan inclusion in the diet of healthy bees on phenoloxidase activity could be linked to the type of base-diet. Further investigations on β-glucans metabolism in bees, on molecular mechanism of phenoloxidase activation by 1,3-1,6 β-glucans, and relative thresholds are desirable. Moreover, investigation on the combined action of honey and β-glucans on phenoloxidase activity are needed.

Increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) due to global change can affect plant development and metabolism. Quinoa tolerates extreme conditions including high UV levels. However, the physiological mechanisms behind its abiotic stress tolerance are unclear, especially those related to UV-B. We previously demonstrated that 9.12 kJ m−2 d−1 may induce UV-B-specific signaling while 18.24 kJ m−2 d−1 promotes a UV-B-independent response. Here, we explored the effects of these UV-B doses on hormonal regulation linked to plant morphology and defense among diverse varieties. Changes in fluorescence parameters of photosystem II, flavonoids and hormones (indoleacetic acid (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA)) were surveyed under controlled conditions. Here, we showed that the sensitivity to short acute UV-B doses in varieties from different habitats is influenced by their parental lines and breeding time. UV-B sensitivity does not necessarily correlate with quinoa’s geographical distribution. The role of flavonoids in the UV-B response seems to be different depending on varieties. Moreover, we found that the extent of changes in JA and SA correlate with UV-B tolerance, while the increase of ABA was mainly related to UV-B stress.

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) is a widely practiced treatment for primary (PH) and incisional (IH) hernias, with acceptable outcomes. Prevention of recurrence is crucial and still highly debated. Purpose of this study was to evaluate predictive factors of recurrence following LVHR with intraperitoneal onlay mesh with a single type of mesh for both PH and IH. A retrospective, multicentre study of data collected from patients who underwent LVHR for PH and IH with an intraperitoneal monofilament polypropylene mesh from January 2014 to December 2018 at 8 referral centers was conducted, and statistical analysis for risk factors of recurrence and post-operative outcomes was performed. A total of 1018 patients were collected, with 665 cases of IH (65.3%) and 353 of PH (34.7%). IH patients were older (p

In this paper we study the allocative (in)efficiency of employment protection in relation to firing costs, in a general equilibrium model with labor market frictions. The optimal firing costs depend on the level of unemployment benefits and the degree of centralized wage bargaining, two features of the labor market that induce downward wage rigidity and trigger inefficient employment separations. When restrictions on firing employees with permanent contracts are inefficiently high, the introduction of temporary contracts improves welfare but does not fully restore efficiency. A quantitative analysis for the Italian economy shows that the firing costs before the recent labor market reforms were 30% higher than the optimal level, implying a consumption loss of almost 2% in the steady state. The introduction of fixed-term jobs in the early 2000’s closed one fourth of the gap between inefficient and efficient allocation, although it led to higher unemployment rates and turnover.

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, household consumption fell dramatically and the propensity to save rose to unprecedented levels. In this paper we investigate the drivers of households' behaviour in Italy from a macro and microeconomic perspective. At the aggregate level, we find that only half of the slump in private consumption can be explained by the deterioration in economic conditions. The residual contribution can be traced back to other pandemic-related factors - such as the fear of infection, the lockdown policies and increased uncertainty about the future - whose relevance varies between expenditure categories. By complementing the macro analysis with microdata from the Bank of Italy's Special Survey of Italian Households, we find that, apart from any economic reasons, spending is held back more by fear of infection and uncertainty about the future than by the restrictive measures. Households where the head is self-employed are mainly discouraged by the fear of infection and uncertainty, whereas those where the head is unemployed are more concerned about their economic situation.

We quantify the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on housing demand of Italian households by exploiting new information on their search activity on the market. The data comes from two unique datasets: the Italian Housing Market Survey, conducted quarterly on a large sample of real estate agents, and the universe of weekly housing sales advertisements taken from Immobiliare.it, a popular online portal for real estate services in Italy. The latter includes high-frequency and house-specific measures of online interest of potential home buyers. The pandemic induced a large increase in demand for houses located in areas with lower population density, mainly driven by a significant shift in preferences towards larger, single-family housing units, endowed with outdoor spaces. Fear of contagion, lockdown measures and the rise of remote working arrangements all likely shaped the evolution of housing demand, with potential long-lasting consequences on the housing market.

Strong labor force participation cyclicality during the Covid-19 pandemic has put further into question the capacity of standard Phillips Curve (PC) models to fully capture labor market cyclical conditions. In this paper, we jointly estimate natural unemployment and participation rates (i.e. compatible with constant inflation) through an augmented PC informed by structural labor market flows across employment, unemployment and inactivity. Focusing on Italy we find that, during the pandemic: (i) natural unemployment has remained unchanged, while natural participation has declined slightly, mostly due to a rise in retirement flows driven by a temporary reduction in pension eligibility rules; (ii) virtually all slack was accounted for by the participation margin, which added significant downward pressures to inflation dynamics.

Turfgrasses are monocotyledonous plants from the family Poaceae. They are widely used in green spaces and are considered one of the most economically important horticultural crops in the world. Turfgrass quality is affected by several environmental factors including light, which is involved in the quality decline of transplanted sod. Ultraviolet-B (UV–B) is an important regulator of plant growth and development. Plants growing and/or stored in protected systems, such as in sod production, may be more vulnerable to UV-B damage than those growing in the field due to acclimation. Few studies on the effects of UV-B on turfgrass physiology have been published. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of UV-B irradiation on the photosynthetic performance of five cool-season turfgrasses, namely Agrostis stolonifera L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Poa supina Schrad., Poa pratensis L. and Lolium perenne L. Turfgrasses were exposed to 18.25 kJ m−2 d−1 biologically effective UV-B in growth chambers under controlled conditions. Measurements included photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchanges monitored for 16 d-UV-B treatment and after recovery. Content of pigments decreased with UV-B exposure with significant differences among the species. UV-B also affected the photosystem II (PSII) efficiency depending on the exposure period and species. Similarly, gas exchange parameters showed different effects among species after UV-B exposure compromising the assimilation of CO2. Multivariate analysis highlighted three main clusters of species confirming their different UV-B tolerance and ability to restore PSII photochemistry after recovery, from which Festuca arundinacea resulted to be the most tolerant.

In this paper we investigate the time-varying properties of job creation in the United States in connection to the macro-economy. We address this issue through a time-varying parameter VAR (TVP-VAR) with stochastic volatility. We identify four structural shocks by combining zero long-run restrictions and short-run sign restrictions based on a NK-DSGE model with frictional labor markets. Our main findings are as follows. First, at business cycle frequencies for most part of the sample the lion share of the volatility of job creation is explained by non-technology shocks; this challenges the conventional practice of addressing the labor market volatility puzzle (Shimer, 2005) under the assumption that technology shocks are the main driver of fluctuations in hiring. Second, permanent supply shocks had a negative impact on job creation during the Great Inflation period–a result reminiscent of the “hours puzzle” (Gali, 1999). We show that the main candidate in explaining such structural change is the more passive conduct of monetary policy at that time. It follows that the results derived from partial equilibrium models of the labor market, which imply a rise in hiring as technology improves, neglect important transmission channels and may be misleading.

Resumo Objetivo Analisar o ambiente de trabalho do enfermeiro considerando: autonomia, controle, relações entre médicos e enfermeiros e suporte organizacional; verificar o estilo de liderança ideal, na percepção do enfermeiro, e o real de acordo com a avaliação de um dos seus liderados; correlacionar as variáveis ambiente de trabalho e liderança real. Métodos Estudo correlacional realizado nas unidades assistenciais dum hospital geral de São Paulo, SP, Brasil. A amostra de conveniência constituiu-se de 62 duplas (enfermeiros e técnicos/auxiliares de enfermagem). Os enfermeiros responderam três instrumentos: 1-) caracterização; 2-) Brasilian Nursing Work Index Revised (B-NWI-R) que mensura: autonomia, controle, relações entre médicos e enfermeiros e suporte organizacional; e 3-) Grid & Liderança em Enfermagem: comportamento ideal que mensura cinco estilos: 1.1, 1.9, 5.5, 9.1 e 9.9. Os técnicos/auxiliares em enfermagem responderam: 1-) caracterização e 2-) Grid & Liderança em Enfermagem: comportamento real considerando o enfermeiro como líder imediato. Os dados foram analisados com análise de variância (ANOVA- p ≤0,05). Resultados A média do B-NWI-R foi de 2,2. O estilo 1.1 foi o considerado ideal pelos enfermeiros (58,1%), seguido de 35,5% do 9.1. Esses foram os mais apontados pelos técnicos, porém, nesta sequência 9.1 e 1.1. Não houve relação do ambiente de trabalho com liderança real do enfermeiro (p=0,39). Conclusão O ambiente de trabalho mostrou-se favorável à prática de enfermagem. O estilo de liderança ideal dos enfermeiros não apresentou correspondência com o real avaliado pelos técnicos ou auxiliares de enfermagem e o ambiente de trabalho não se relacionou com a liderança dos enfermeiros. Resumen Objetivo Analizar el ambiente de trabajo del enfermero considerando: autonomía, control, relaciones entre médicos y enfermeros y soporte organizacional; verificar el estilo de liderazgo ideal en la visión del enfermero, y el real según la evaluación de uno de sus liderados; correlacionar las variables ambientales de trabajo y liderazgo real. Métodos Estudio correlacional realizado en unidades de atención de hospital general de São Paulo, SP, Brasil. La muestra se constituyó con 62 duplas (enfermeros y técnicos/auxiliares de enfermería). Los enfermeros respondieron tres instrumentos: 1-) caracterización; 2-) Brasilian Nursing Work Index Revised (B-NWI-R), que mide: autonomía, control, relaciones entre médicos y enfermeros y soporte organizacional; y 3-) Grid & Liderazgo en Enfermería: comportamiento ideal que mide cinco estilos: 1.1, 1.9, 5.5, 9.1 y 9,9. Los técnicos y auxiliares respondieron: 1-) caracterización; y 2-) Grid & Liderazgo en enfermería: comportamiento ideal considerando al enfermero como líder inmediato. Datos analizados con análisis de varianza (ANOVA- p≤0,05). Resultados La media del B-NWI-R fue 2,2. El estilo 1.1 fue considerado el ideal por los enfermeros (58,1%), seguido del 9.1 (35,5%). Fueron también los más señalados por los técnicos, aunque en la secuencia inversa. No hubo relación del ambiente de trabajo con el liderazgo real del enfermero (p=0,39). Conclusión El ambiente de trabajo se mostró favorable a la práctica de enfermería. El estilo de liderazgo ideal para enfermero no mostró correspondencia con el real evaluado en técnicos/auxiliares de enfermería. El ámbito de trabajo no se relacionó con el liderazgo de los enfermeros. Abstract Objective To analyze the nursing work environment considering: autonomy, control, relationships between physicians and nurses, and organizational support; to examine the ideal leadership style in the perception of nurses, and the real leadership style according to evaluation from one of their subordinates; and to correlate the variables work environment and real leadership. Methods A correlational study was carried out in the healthcare units of a general hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The convenience sample was made up of 62 pairs (nurses and nursing technicians/aides). Nurses responded to three instruments, as follows: 1) characterization; 2) Brazilian Nursing Work Index-Revised (B-NWI-R), which measured autonomy, control, relationships between physicians and nurses, and organizational support; and 3) grid and leadership in nursing, which measured the ideal behavior according to five styles (1.1; 1.9; 5.5; 9.1; and 9.9). Nursing technicians/aides responded to two instruments: 1) characterization and 2) grid and leadership in nursing, which measured the real behavior considering nurses as direct leaders. Data analysis was carried out with the use of variance analysis (ANOVA, p ≤0.05). Results The mean of the B-NWI-R was 2.2. Style 1.1 was considered as ideal by nurses (58.1%), followed by style 9.1 (35.5%). Styles 9.1 and 1.1 were the most pointed out by nursing technicians/aides. No relationship between the work environment and nurses’ real leadership (p=0.39) was found. Conclusion The work environment proved to be favorable to nursing practice. Nurses’ ideal leadership style did not present a correspondence with the real leadership style evaluated by nursing technicians/aides, and the work environment was not associated with nursing leadership.

Fungi have a crucial role in the correct maturation of salami, but special attention should be addressed to the production of the nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, and carcinogenic mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OTA). In a monitoring study conducted in Northern Italy, OTA was detected by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in 13 out 133 samples of traditional salami (9.8% of the total count). Mycological analysis of these samples yielded 247 fungal isolates which were identified to species level. The most frequent species were Penicillium nalgiovense, P. solitum, and P. chrysogenum. P. nordicum, an OTA-producing species commonly found in proteinaceous food, was not found in these samples. Three isolates were found to be Aspergillus westerdijkiae, an OTA-producing species. In order to check the results of the microbiological identification, 19 different strains of Aspergillus and 94 of Penicillium were tested for the presence of a sequence common to OTA-producing fungi by real-time PCR. None of the studied isolates, including the three A. westerdijkiae, possessed the otanpsPN target which is common to OTA-producing strains. Two out of three isolates of the A. westerdijkiae were also PCR-negative for the otanpsPN gene and did not produce OTA in culture. Conversely, this target sequence was amplified from the DNA purified from 14 salami casings including three casings harboring A. westerdijkiae. The amplification of sequences specific for OTA-producing strains performed on total genomic DNA extracted directly from salami casings provided a more suitable approach than PCR analysis of isolates from salami for the OTA-related otanpsPN gene to evaluate the risk of OTA contamination.

Low oxygen conditions occur in grass sites due to high and frequent precipitation, poor soil quality, and over-irrigation followed by slow drainage. Three warm-season and one cool-season grasses were analyzed at metabolic level during a time-course experiment performed in a controlled anoxic environment. Prolonged oxygen depletion proved detrimental by leading to premature death to all the species, with the exception of seashore paspalum. Moreover, the anoxia tolerance observed in these grasses has been associated with slow use of carbohydrates, rather than with their relative abundance, which was more important than their antioxidant capacity. Further physiological characterization of eight seashore paspalum genotypes to anoxia was also performed, by examining the variation in photosystem II (PSII) efficiency and gas exchange during post-anoxia recovery. Multivariate analysis highlighted the presence of three main clusters of seashore paspalum genotypes, characterized by different ability to restore the PSII photochemistry during recovery after one day of anoxia. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the analysis of post-anoxia recovery of fluorescence and gas exchange parameters can represent a fast and reliable indicator for selecting species and cultivars more able to acclimate their photosynthetic apparatus.

Hericium erinaceus(Bull.) Pers. is a medicinal mushroom capable of inducing a large number of modulatory effects on human physiology ranging from the strengthening of the immune system to the improvement of cognitive functions. In mice, dietary supplementation withH. erinaceusprevents the impairment of spatial short-term and visual recognition memory in an Alzheimer model. Intriguingly other neurobiological effects have recently been reported like the effect on neurite outgrowth and differentiation in PC12 cells. Until now no investigations have been conducted to assess the impact of this dietary supplementation on brain function in healthy subjects. Therefore, we have faced the problem by considering the effect on cognitive skills and on hippocampal neurotransmission in wild-type mice. In wild-type mice the oral supplementation withH. erinaceusinduces, in behaviour test, a significant improvement in the recognition memory and, in hippocampal slices, an increase in spontaneous and evoked excitatory synaptic current in mossy fiber-CA3 synapse. In conclusion, we have produced a series of findings in support of the concept thatH. erinaceusinduces a boost effect onto neuronal functions also in nonpathological conditions.

En suelos de cultivo de centeno, arroz y maíz, se realizaron estudios “in vitro” para observar antagonismo fúngico de 123 cepas aisladas ,que comprenden 50 especies representativas de hongos mesotermo y queratinofílicos frecuentemente presentes en estos terrenos. Este fue visualizado por el método de cultivos duales en agar contra cepas de B. subtillis

Hongos mesofílicos, termofílicos y queratinofílicos en el suelo y hongos mesofílicos sobre el filoplano del arroz (Oryza sativa) fueron aislados en diversos estados de cultivo y desarrollo de los granos, a partir de un campo cercano a Pavia (Norte de Italia)Los hongos mesofílicos aislados del suelo comprenden 24 géneros con 35 especies, Acremonium strictum y Aspergillus fumigatus fueron dominantes y estuvieron presentes durante todas las etapas de desarrollo del arroz.Cladosporium cladosporioides. Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium brevicompactum, Phoma fimeti y Trichoderma harzianum fueron aislados con frecuencia.Los hongos termófilos estuvieron representados por 7 géneros y 7 especies. La especie termotolerante Aspergillus fumigatus y la termofílica Thermomyces lanuginosus fueron dominantes.Los hongos queratinofílicos incluyen los géneros Arthroderma,Chrysosporium, Keratinomyces, Microsporum y Trichophyton. Chrysosporium indicum, Ch. keratinophilum fueron dominantes.los hongos del filoplano abarcaron 26 géneros con 48 especies. Los más frecuentes fueron Alternaría altenata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Epicoccum purpurascens, Fusarium moniliforme y Gibberella acuminata.Comparando los hongos registrados en nuestros anteriores estudios sobre campos de maíz y trigo observamos que entre los hongos termofílicos y del filoplano las especies dominantes eran aproximadamente las mismas: en tanto que los especies dominantes mesofílicos y queratinofílicas difieren en cada cereal investigado

Desde Octubre 1982 a Julio 1983 un total de 1772 colonias fúngicas se aislaron desde suelos de trigales en Lombardía. Se estudiaron hongos mesófilos, termófilos y queratinófilos. Entre los mesófilos (59 especies) se detectan como dominantes: Fusarium oxysporum, Lipomyces starkeyi, penicillium janthinellum; como frecuentes, Cryptococcus albidus, Gibberella acuminata, Gliocladium roseum, Rhizopus stolonifer; y otros raros Bahusakala olivaceonigra, Pseudallescheria boydii, Truncotella angustata, Verticillium lecanii, Pyrenochaeta ilicis, Myrotheclum roridum, Drechslera dematioidea. Entre los termófilos (15 especies) como dominantes, Aspergillus fumigatus y Rhizomucor pusillus; frecuentes, Scytalidium thermophilum y thermomyces lanuginosus. Entre los queratinofílicos (11 especies), como dominantes Myceliophthora anamorfo de Ctenomyces serratus, Microsporum gypseum fulvum complex y Chrysosporium merdarium como frecuentes, Chrysosporium keratinophilum y Ctenomyces serratus. Durante Febrero y Abril, la incidencia de todos los grupos aumenta notoriamente.

Se compararon las especies fúngicas detectadas en el filoplano del trigo durante su ciclo de vida con el registro de esporas aéreas ambientales en la zona norte de Italia. Del filoplano se aislaron 68 especies pertenecientes a 35 géneros, que incluyeron: Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans var. pullullans Cladosporium dodosporioides y Epicoccum purpurascens (presentes todos los meses). Se registraron ocasionalmente unos pocos patógenos tales como Drechslera anamorfo de Cochliobolus Sativus, Erysiphe graminis y Septoria tritici.En general, se aprecia una transición gradual en las especies desde el inicio del desarrollo de la senescencia de la hoja con un aparente cambio de la población fúngica en abrilLos géneros dominantes en el aire que mostraron un alto peak de concentración entre junio y agosto corresponden a Cladosporium, Alternaria, Epicoccum y Fusarium.Destacamos la gran abundancia de hongos en abril, con una relativa baja concentración en el aire; en junio y julio, la situación fue a la inversa.

Promotion of nonfood species production to marginal, degraded lands abandoned by mainstream agriculture is affected by extremes of water availability (droughts and floods), which have increased in frequency and intensity and account for severe yield reduction. Arundo donax L., known as giant cane or giant reed, spontaneously grows in different kinds of environments with limitation to low temperature and is thus widespread in temperate and hot areas around the world. Moreover, this perennial rhizomatous grass has been recognized as a leading candidate crop in the Mediterranean for lignocellulosic feedstock due to its high C3 photosynthetic capacity, positive energy balance and low agroecological management demand. In this study, the photosynthetic performance and growth response of A. donax to waterlogging and submergence stress following a time course as well as their respective re-oxygenation were analyzed under reproducible and controlled environment conditions. Results of growth response showed that biomass production was strongly conditioned by the availability of oxygen. In fact, only waterlogged plants showed similar growth capacity to those under control conditions, while plants under submergence resulted in a dramatic reduction of this trait. The simultaneous measurements of both gas exchanges and chlorophyll fluorescence highlighted an alteration of both stomatal and non-stomatal photosynthetic behaviors during a short/medium period of oxygen deprivation and re-oxygenation. Photosynthetic CO2 uptake was strictly related to a combination of stomatal and mesophyll diffusional constrains, depending on the severity of the treatment and exposure time. Conditions of waterlogging and hypoxia revealed a slight growth plasticity of the species in response to prolonged stress conditions, followed by a fast recovery upon reoxygenation. Moreover, the rapid restoration of physiological functions after O2 deprivation testifies to the environmental plasticity of this species, although prolonged O2 shortage proved detrimental to A. donax by hampering growth and photosynthetic CO2 uptake.

Se presentan los resultados de un año de investigación sobre hongos termófilos en el aire de la ciudad de Pavia (Italia).Se detectan ocho especies, las más frecuentes son: Aspergillus fumigatus Fres., Thermomyces lanuginosus, Tsiklinsky, y Rhizomucor pusillus (Lindt) Schipper.

Figure S2. UV-B induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in maca. (PDF 131 kb)

Figure S1. Representative phenotypes of UV-B-treated and untreated maca before and after recovery. (PDF 319 kb)

Amalia Guglielminetti was born in Turin in 1881. He had a religious school education, conditioned by the presence of his grandfather, who assumed the role of pater familias after the death of Amalia's father. His first book of poems was published in 1901, but it was considered too childish and simple. With the second, however, Le vergini folli (of which we have translated the first section, dedicated to souls), he achieved success and his verses, well structured and of great technical perfection, earned him the praise of her teacher, Arturo Graf, of the critic Dino Mantovani and of the poet Guido Gozzano, especially because of their spontaneity. However, she considered that she had barely touched the essence of art and considered that she should continue working to reach that state. Amalia Guglielminetti was a very prolific writer who dedicated herself not only to poetry, but also to theater (both comedy and tragedy) and narrative. After an attempt to become a journalist in Rome, he returned to Turin, where he died in 1941 because of an injury done when he was going down to an air raid shelter.

Standing surgical procedures are performed commonly in horses under sedation. The use of a xylazine and remifentanil combination has not been investigated in horses. We proposed to evaluate behavioral and cardiopulmonary effects of an intravenous (IV) infusion of xylazine with remifentanil for sedation in horses. Xylazine (0.8 mg/kg IV) followed in 3 minutes by remifentanil (0.0005 mg/kg IV), and a constant rate infusion of xylazine and remifentanil (0.65 mg/kg/h; 0.0225 mg/kg/h, respectively) was administered in three horses. Heart rate, respiratory rate (RR), arterial blood pressures, quality of sedation, pH, partial pressure of arterial CO 2 (PaCO 2 ), partial pressure of arterial O 2 (PaO 2 ), ataxia, sedation, and sedation overall outcome were assessed. Heart rate and RR remained within normal values during sedation without significant changes from baseline. Systolic, mean, and diastolic arterial blood pressures were increased during sedation. There were no significant changes in pH, PaCO 2 , and PaO 2 . Sedation developed immediately after injection of xylazine in the three horses but did not increase after remifentanil bolus or IV infusion of both drugs. None of the mares had ataxia. Adverse effects during and after sedation were present: excitement, increase in locomotor activity, and decrease in the gastrointestinal motility. The combination of xylazine and remifentanil sedation protocol produces adverse effects. This protocol cannot be recommended for clinical conditions, at the described doses.

Xylazine and remifentanil in constant rate infusion (CRI) could be used for sedation in horses without adverse effects. The objective was to evaluate behavioral and cardiopulmonary effects of an intravenous (IV) infusion of xylazine and remifentanil for sedation in horses. Xylazine (0.8 mg/kg IV) followed after 3 minutes by a CRI of xylazine and remifentanil (0.65 mg/kg/h and 6 μg/kg/h, respectively) was administered in 10 healthy horses for 60 minutes. Sedation, ataxia, and cardiopulmonary, hematological, and blood gases variables were evaluated. Heart rate decreased significantly during the first 25 minutes after CRI of xylazine and remifentanil, whereas the respiratory rate showed a significant decrease at 20 minutes and remained significantly low until the endpoint. There were no statistically significant fluctuations in blood arterial pressure, blood pH, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, lactate, creatinine, calcium, chlorine, and sodium, compared with baseline values. Blood partial pressure of arterial oxygen and bicarbonate values were significantly higher compared with baseline values, whereas potassium decreased. Sedation and ataxia developed immediately after the administration of xylazine in all horses. All horses recovered successfully within 10 minutes after interruption of the CRI of xylazine and remifentanil, with no ataxia. No adverse effects were observed. The use of a combination of xylazine and remifentanil as sedation protocol has no adverse effects at the described dosage.

Forecasting house prices is a difficult task given the strong relationship between real estate markets, economic activity and financial stability, but it is an important one. This paper evaluates the out-of-sample forecasting performance of various models of house prices in a quasi-real time setting. Focusing on Italy, we consider two structural models (using simultaneous equations) and a Bayesian VAR and compute both conditional and unconditional forecasts. We find that the models perform better than a simple autoregressive benchmark; however, the relative forecast accuracy depends on the forecast horizon and also changes over time. For the full sample period the simultaneous equation model, which takes into account credit supply restrictions and real estate taxation, shows the best performance measured in terms of root mean squared forecasting error (RMSFE). In the first part of the sample (2005-2010), medium-term forecasts of house prices greatly benefit from conditioning on the evolution of households’ disposable income, whereas from 2010 onwards the path of the stock of mortgages becomes important.

29 páginas La creación de organismos de regulación en Argentina se produjo en el marco de la reforma del Estado y de las privatizaciones que se llevaron a cabo en la década de los noventa. Los organismos reguladores argentinos son personas públicas estatales que forman parte de la administración pública descentralizada y no dependen del Poder Legislativo. En el sector de las telecomunicaciones y con motivo de la privatización de la Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (ENTEL), se constituyó en 1990 la Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (CNT), la cual —en virtud de su fusión con la Comisión Nacional de Correos y Telégrafos (CNCT)— después se transformó en la Comisión Nacional de Comunicaciones (CNC). En los noventa, en el sector de los servicios de comunicación audiovisual no se modificaron sustancialmente las funciones de regulación y control delimitadas por la Ley de Radiodifusión n.° 22.285 (1980) atribuidas al Comité Federal de Radiodifusión (COMFER). Con motivo del dictado de las Leyes n.° 26.522 (2009) de comunicación audiovisual y 27.078 (2014) de tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones, se puso fin a la existencia del COMFER y de la CNC, respectivamente, y para reemplazarlas se crearon la Autoridad Federal de Servicios de Comunicación Audiovisual (AFSCA) y la Autoridad Federal de Tecnologías de la Información (AFTIC), ambas como organismos autárquicos en el ámbito del Poder Ejecutivo nacional. Las dos entidades concentraron las funciones de autoridades de aplicación de los marcos regulatorios, de control y de regulación. A partir del cambio de gobierno acaecido el 10 de diciembre de 2015, se produjeron dos importantes modificaciones en el sector de los servicios TIC y de comunicación audiovisual. Estos fueron: la creación del Ministerio de Comunicaciones y del Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM), este último como el continuador, a todos los efectos legales, de la AFSCA y de la AFTIC. El ENACOM se constituyó en el entendimiento de que la convergencia tecnológica demandaba que existiera un ente único de control y regulación.

Background and aims: Trichoderma harzianum 6776 is a novel and beneficial tomato fungal isolate. To investigate the mechanisms underlying the T. harzianum 6776-tomato interaction, several physiological and biochemical responses were explored on dwarf tomato plants, cv. Micro-Tom. Methods: Growth of treated and untreated plants was evaluated by measuring the height and biomass production of plants. The leaf pigment content and sugar partitioning in plant organs were evaluated by biochemical analysis. The photosynthetic parameters were measured by a miniaturized PAM fluorometer and a portable gas-exchange system. The hormonal analysis in root and xylem sap was performed by gas cromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: T. harzianum 6776 positively affected plant growth, increasing the leaf pigment content and improving the photosynthetic activity at both stomatal and non-stomatal levels. Differences in pigment composition and photosynthetic performance were reflected in the carbohydrate content and their partitioning. In the absence of a pathogen, root and xylem vessel stress and growth-related hormone balance were affected by the interaction with T. harzianum 6776, with an increase in jasmonic and indoleacetic acids and a decrease in salicylic acid content. Conclusions: This study shows the complex connection between increased hormone accumulation and transport, altered sugar partitioning and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency induced by T. harzianum 6776, and how growth promotion is the result of the combination of these drastic changes in Micro-Tom plants.

Periglacial areas are one of the least studied habitats on Earth, especially in terms of their fungal communities. In this work, both molecular and culture-dependent methods have been used to analyse the microfungi in soils sampled on the front of the East Dosde Glacier (Valtellina, Northern Italy). Although this survey revealed a community that was rich in fungal species, a distinct group of psychrophilic microfungi has not been detected. Most of the isolated microfungi were mesophiles, which are well adapted to the sensitive climatic changes that occur in this alpine environment. A discrepancy in the results that were obtained by means of the two diagnostic approaches suggests that the used molecular methods cannot entirely replace traditional culture-dependent methods, and vice versa.

Steviol glycosides (SVglys) are a group of diterpenoids mainly present in the leaves of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). An experiment was conducted to find the functional role of SVglys compounds in stevia affected by drought stress. In this study, a liquid blend of SVglys (200 ppm) was sprayed on stevia plants grown in well-watered (90% field capacity) and drought-stress conditions (45% field capacity) and then the morphological traits and metabolites were evaluated. It was observed that leaf losses caused by drought stress were stopped through external application of SVglys and consequently the harvest index of stevia was increased. Metabolite analysis of stevia leaves showed that the total SVglys content was significantly decreased due to drought stress, but was compensated by external application of SVglys. Among the SVglys, Rebaudioside A responded more to external SVglys. A slight promotion in total antioxidant activity of stevia leaves was observed when external SVglys was applied. The glucose ...

Production of nonfood species is promoted to marginal, degraded lands abandoned by mainstream agricultural, where extremes in water availability (droughts and floods) have increased frequency and intensity and account for severe reductions in yields. A metabolic analysis of anoxic and hypoxic stress response was performed in a time-course experiment on Arundo donax L., a perennial rhizomatous grass identified as a leading candidate crop for lignocellulosic feedstock in the Mediterranean environment, due to its positive energy balance, and low ecological/agro-management demands. Tolerance to oxygen deprivation was determined after reoxygenation. Giant reed displayed time-dependent reduction in absolute growth and alterations in the derived physiological attributes under low oxygen stress. Our results show that although giant reed's responses to anoxic and hypoxic treatments share a common energy crisis related to the anaerobic metabolism, they differ in terms of ADH activity and related gene response. In leaves and roots tissues, the expression of this anaerobic gene was strongly enhanced under anoxia, whereas the ADH expression under submergence condition was relatively low. The activity profiles of ADH were not completely reflected in the expression patterns in either tissue. A high basal activity of the enzyme was recorded in both leaves and roots in normoxic tissues. In leaves, the treatments did not significantly affect ADH activity, remaining relatively stables at low levels during the time-course experiment. A different pattern of ADH was observed in roots, with a stronger, albeit transient, induction in both oxygen deficiency treatments.

The purpose of the present study was to determine threshold values of soil moisture content for Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) and to evaluate the effects of drought stress on the main metabolites of this species. For these purposes, a greenhouse experiment was carried out with four soil moisture levels and plant growth, steviol glycoside (SVglys) contents, soluble sugars and antioxidant capacity were investigated at variable soil moisture content. Irrigation was scheduled at 3, 6, 9 and 12-day irrigation intervals, based on soil moisture content at 90, 75, 60 and 45% of field capacity (FC) respectively. The results showed that soil water depletion up to 60% FC (9-day irrigation interval) had no negative effect on plant growth and leaf dry weight, whereas a significant growth reduction occurred at 45% FC (12-day irrigation interval). Similarly, the total SVglys content increased when soil moisture was depleted to 60% FC (9-day irrigation interval), but these metabolites contents decreased by 45% FC treatment. Although Stevia growth and SVglys content significantly decreased under severe drought stress (45% FC), the total antioxidant capacity and soluble sugars increased in the identical condition. The obtained results suggest that Stevia plants can grow well with a soil water content near to 60% FC, showing a good SVglys content. The Stevia tolerance to mild water stress is noteworthy, especially in water limited regions. In addition, it was found that soil water depleted to 45% FC was detrimental to Stevia in greenhouse conditions. The improvement of antioxidant capacity and soluble sugar content by soil water stress conditions could be considered as physiological and biochemical responses to a progressive drought stress in Stevia and may be an acclimation response to drought stress.

A key barrier to widespread use of warm-season grasses in the transition zone between the temperate and subtropical climates is represented by the winter dormancy, a temporary suspension of visible growth of any plant structure including the meristem. In this environment, species with different photosynthetic carbon cycle coexist, leading to asynchrony in growth among warm- and cool-season grasses. The objectives of the present study were (i) to assess the carbohydrate content in four representative zoysiagrasses Zoysia japonica ‘El Toro’, ‘Meyer’, Z. pacifica, and Z. matrella ‘Zeon’ during three successive phases of vegetation phenology, senescence, dormancy, and green-up, and (ii) to characterize the metabolic responses to phenological variations under natural acclimation. Japanese lawn grass genotypes ‘El Toro’ and ‘Meyer’ showed longer dormancy periods than fine-leaved Z. pacifica and ‘Zeon’. In Japanese lawn grass genotypes, the progressive decline of photosynthetic pigments was similar to that observed in the color retention. Over the experimental period, a significantly greater amount of starch reserves was observed in sprigs (horizontal stems) in the Japanese lawn grasses than in the fine-leaved zoysiagrasses. In general, total soluble sugars (TSS) in leaves and sprigs did not show evidence of sugar starvation during the senescence phase. TSS increased significantly during cold acclimation, resulting in a higher metabolic activity at the onset of green-up to support spring regreening in all zoysiagrasses except ‘Meyer’ leaves.

In this paper volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from durum wheat cultivars and landraces were analyzed using PTR-TOF-MS. The aim was to characterize the VOC’s profile of the wholemeal flour and of the kernel to find out if any VOCs were specific to varieties and sample matrices. The VOC data is accompanied by SDS-PAGE analyses of the storage proteins (gliadins and glutenins). Statistical analyses was carried out both on the signals obtained by MS and on the protein profiles. The difference between the VOC profile of two cultivars or two preparations of the same sample - matrices, in this case kernel vs wholemeal flour - can be very subtle; the high resolution of PTR-TOF-MS - down to levels as low as pptv - made it possible to recognize these differences. The effects of grinding on the VOC profiles were analyzed using SIMPER and Tanglegram statistical methods. Our results show that it is possible describe samples using VOC profiles and protein data.

One of the key questions about the current economic recovery in the euro area is why the decline in unemployment recorded since the second half of 2013 has been accompanied by subdued growth in nominal wages. In this paper we adopt a Phillips curve framework to assess whether alternative indicators of labour market slack can explain the current modest wage dynamics in the euro area and in its five largest economies. Our results suggest that the intensive margin of labour utilization plays a relevant role in wage growth: our estimates indicate that the shape of the Phillips curve becomes flatter for lower levels of hours per worker, implying that wage growth is less responsive to unemployment. Looking ahead, a significant recovery in the intensive margin appears key to achieve a robust increase in nominal wage growth.

Arundo donax L. (Poaceae), giant reed, is a rhizomatous shrubby grass that is cultivated in subtropical and warm temperate regions for a multitude of uses. Recently, it has been identified as a leading sustainable, non-food crop for lignocellulosic biofuels due to its low ecological and agronomic demands. Lack of cold hardiness may limit its diffusion into colder areas of the transition zone. The objectives of this study were to (i) quantify freeze tolerance (LT50) of coldacclimated and non-acclimated Arundo donax L. plants using reproducible, controlled environment conditions, (ii) determine the effect of prolonged exposure to freeze stress on tolerance by keeping plants at a constant, sublethal temperature and (iii) study the relationship of non-structural carbohydrates (total soluble sugars, glucose, fructose and sucrose) and proline accumulation with cold hardiness. In vitro-propagated plants of the Honduran and Hungarian ecotypes of Arundo donax L. were chosen for this study. Cold acclimation treatment was imposed for 1 week using a controlled environment chamber set at 10°C and with a 12-h photoperiod of 200 lmol m � 2 s � 1 photosynthetically active radiation. Freeze tolerance ranged from � 12� 8°C (Honduran) to � 16� 4°C (Hungarian ecotype). In all the organs analysed, total soluble sugars significantly increased during cold acclimation, with concentrations between 1� 8- and 4� 7-fold higher than in non-acclimated plants. The higher concentrations of sugars and proline in cold-acclimated plants were positively associated with enhanced giant reed freeze tolerance (2� 9°C lower). Our results confirm that during cold acclimation, metabolic changes related to increased freezing tolerance occur in giant reed.