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Few studies focused on behaviour adaptations of organisms to marine litter (ML) pollution in Mediterranean Sea. This research, investigates on some behavior traits of Octopus vulgaris, focusing on the interaction with ML during the artisanal fishing activities by the bottom traps in a small coastal area of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. For the first time, this pilot study uses an integrated approach based on the Fishermen Ecological Knowledge as well as the analysis of ML found in the traps. First assessment of plastic ingestion in this species are also reported. Plastic and metal were the predominant ML categories observed into the bottom traps. A total of 62 plastics, mainly small microplastics and fibres shaped, were ingested. The ML finding in the bottom traps suggests an interesting behavior of the common octopus regarding its interaction with ML, in fact, it seems to bring ML inside its dens, as a collector., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this research was to assess marine litter abundance and its effects on the benthic fauna in an area of the central Mediterranean Sea exploited by fisheries using fish aggregating devices (FAD). The study was carried out by means of a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV). Derelict fishing gear, mainly FAD ropes, represented the main source of marine debris, contributing 96.2% to the overall litter. About 47% of debris items (mostly FAD ropes) entangled colonies of the protected black coral Leiopathes glaberrima. The results of this research will assist in the monitoring of "impact/harm" to the coral and other benthic communities, as recommended by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and by the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme. Preventive and mitigation measures (i.e., biodegradable fishing gear, onboard technology to locate and retrieve gear, reception and/or payment for old/retrieved gear, and introduction of no-take zones) to reduce the problem are discussed., 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 © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hazard from shipwrecks on communities by a holistic approach taking into account different effects on biological communities. Multibeam and Remotely Operated Vehicles surveys recorded ecological assessment of fish and benthic species on three shipwrecks flooded during the Second World War on Maërl beds habitats in the strait of Sicily. Pollution levels of a wide range of chemicals of ecotoxicological concern were also measured in sediments and in fish species from different trophic levels. Statistical analysis evidenced significant differences among pollutant levels between both sediments and fish collected in shipwreck sites and controls. Concerning fish, significant effects due to the vessel's cargo type and flooding position are recorded. In spite of that, our results underline that shipwrecks are also a hotspots of biodiversity and a habitat for preservation strategies in marine ecosystems that need to be monitored., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Micronutrient status is increasingly recognized to play an important role in the health and well-being of pregnant women and in the development and long-term health of the offspring. On 26th - 28th February 2009, The Child Health Foundation invited leading experts in this area to a scientific workshop at Obergurgl, Austria to review and critically discuss current knowledge, to identify issues that may need to be addressed in future recommendations, and to highlight priorities and opportunities for future research. This report summarizes updated key conclusions of the workshop with regards to micronutrients' intake and physiological role related to mother, placenta and fetus, as well as relevance for adverse pregnancy and long-term outcomes., (2011 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Protocols were developed to apply Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to the dry-curing of Italian Parma ham. NMR relaxation analyses were performed on dry-cured hams at different processing stages to evaluate the ranges of variation of (1)H relaxation times T(1) and T(2) in representative ham muscle tissues, due to dehydration and salt uptake. MRI maps of the same ham sections were acquired, allowing T(1) and T(2) average values to be computed in selected Regions of Interest (ROI) inside muscle Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus and Biceps femoris. Chloride and moisture were determined by conventional chemical methods on the same ROIs, and MRI T(1) and T(1)/T(2) ratio were selected in a model (R(2)=0.90, P<0.05) fitting the salt content of the analysed muscle cores. Short Time Inversion Recovery (STIR) sequences were also applied to green and cured hams, but on fresh samples only, a bright image, displaying a clear separation between lean and fat tissue, was obtained.

The TRIM family members are defined by the presence of the tripartite motif (RING, B-box and coiled-coil domains or RBCC). They have been implicated in a variety of processes, such as regulation of development and oncogenesis. We report the expression analysis of a member of this family, TRIM9. Its expression is mainly confined to the central nervous system. The developing neocortex, the dorsal thalamus, the midbrain, the basal area of the hindbrain and spinal cord show high level of expression during embryogenesis. In adult brain, TRIM9 is detected in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, in the hippocampus, and in the cortex.