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Thermal camouflage is a highly coveted technology aimed at enhancing the survivability of military equipment against infrared (IR) detectors. Recently, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have shown low IR emissivity, widely tunable opto-electronic properties, and compatibility with stealth applications. Among these, graphene and graphene-like materials are the most appealing 2D materials for thermal camouflage applications. In multilayer graphene (MLG), charge density can be effectively tuned through sufficiently intense electric fields or through electrolytic gating. Therefore, MLG's optical properties, like infrared emissivity and absorbance, can be controlled in a wide range by voltage bias. The large emissivity modulation achievable with this material makes it suitable in the design of thermal dynamic camouflage devices. Generally, the emissivity modulation in the multilayered graphene medium is governed by an intercalation process of non-volatile ionic liquids under a voltage bias. The electrically driven reduction of emissivity lowers the apparent temperature of a surface, aligning it with the background temperature to achieve thermal camouflage. This characteristic is shared by other graphene-based materials. In this review, we focus on recent advancements in the thermal camouflage properties of graphene in composite films and aerogel structures. We provide a summary of the current understanding of how thermal camouflage materials work, their present limitations, and future opportunities for development.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical opportunistic pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. The high rates of antibiotic-resistance acquisition make most antibiotics ineffective. Thus, new medical countermeasures are urgently needed. Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are prime candidates for developing novel drug targets and antibacterial strategies. However, there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of A. baumannii OMPs. This study reports the impact of OmpA-like protein on bacterial physiology and virulence in A. baumannii strain AB5075. We found that PsaB (ABUW_0505) negatively correlates to stress tolerance, while ArfA (ABUW_2730) significantly affects bacterial stiffness, cell shape, and cell envelope thickness. Furthermore, we expand our knowledge on YiaD (ABUW_3045), demonstrating structural and virulence roles of this porin, in addition to meropenem resistance. This study provides solid foundations for understanding how uncharacterized OMPs contribute to A. baumannii's physiological and pathological processes, aiding the development of innovative therapeutic strategies against A. baumannii infections., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Cancer cells modulate their metabolism, creating an acidic microenvironment that, in turn, can favor tumor progression and chemotherapy resistance. Tumor cells adopt strategies to survive a drop in extracellular pH (pHe). In the present manuscript, we investigated the contribution of mitochondrial sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) to the adaptation and survival of cancer cells to a low pHe. SIRT3-overexpressing and silenced breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells were grown in buffered and unbuffered media at pH 7.4 and 6.8 for different times. mRNA expression of SIRT3 and CAVB, was measured by RT-PCR. Protein expression of SIRT3, CAVB and autophagy proteins was estimated by western blot. SIRT3-CAVB interaction was determined by immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assays (PLA). Induction of autophagy was studied by western blot and TEM. SIRT3 overexpression increases the survival of both cell lines. Moreover, we demonstrated that SIRT3 controls intracellular pH (pHi) through the regulation of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase VB (CAVB). Interestingly, we obtained similar results by using MC2791, a new SIRT3 activator. Our results point to the possibility of modulating SIRT3 to decrease the response and resistance of tumor cells to the acidic microenvironment and ameliorate the effectiveness of anticancer therapy.

Rotenone is a pesticide used in research for its ability to induce changes similar, in vivo and in vitro, to those observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). This includes a selective death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Nonetheless, the precise mechanism through which rotenone modifies structure and function of neurons remains unclear. The PC12 cells closely resemble dopamine terminal neurons. This makes it a preferred model for studying the morphology of central dopamine neurons and predicting neurotoxicity. In this paper, we investigated the effects of 0.5 µM rotenone for 24-48 h on PC12 cell viability and ultrastructure (TEM), trying to identify primary and more evident alterations that can be related to neuronal damages similar to that seen in animal PD models. Cell viability decreased after 24 h rotenone treatment, with a further decrease after 48 h. Ultrastructural changes included vacuolar degeneration, mitochondrial mild swelling, decrease in the number of neuropeptide granules, and the loss of cell-to-cell adhesion. These findings are in agreement with previous research suggesting that rotenone, by inhibiting energy production and increasing ROS generation, is responsible for significant alterations of the ultrastructure and cell death of PC12 cells. Our data confirm the link between rotenone exposure, neuronal damage, and changes in dopamine metabolism, suggesting its role in the pathogenesis of PD.

Objective: Drug-induced sleepiness is a frequent cause of emergency department (ED) visits for frail patients. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of anticholinergic burden on 90-day revisitation risk for frail patients who visit the ED due to drug-induced sleepiness., Methods: This was a retrospective study in which patients treated at a fragility care area of an ED who sought consultation for drug-associated sleepiness from June 2020 to June 2021 were included. To evaluate the 90-day revisitation risk factors, a multivariate analysis was performed, including those factors with a p<0.200 from a previous univariate model. A Cox regression model was performed to assess the impact of a high burden on the time until 90-day ED revisitation., Results: One hundred and forty-eight patients were included (mean age 80.7±12.3 years). The median number of drugs that patients were currently on at emergency admission was eight (range 2-19), while at hospital discharge it was nine (range 2-20), with the median number of central nervous system (CNS) depressant drugs on admission being three (range 1-6). Thirty-five (23.6%) patients revisited the ED 90 days after discharge for sleepiness or agitation. In the multivariate model, a significant association was observed between a high anticholinergic burden during treatment at discharge (OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.36 to 9.71), chronic kidney disease (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.19 to 6.81), and the risk of 90-day revisitation. Patients with high anticholinergic burden had a shorter time to revisit than those with medium or low anticholinergic burden (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.99)., Conclusions: Patients with pharmacological sleepiness and a high anticholinergic burden in their chronic treatment carry a greater risk of revisitation to EDs, and should be considered candidates for specific interventions after visiting these units., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© European Association of Hospital Pharmacists 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The limited ability of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in removing globotriaosylceramide from cardiomyocytes is recognized for advanced Fabry disease cardiomyopathy (FDCM). Prehypertrophic FDCM is believed to be cured or stabilized by ERT. However, no pathologic confirmation is available. We report here on the long-term clinical-pathologic impact of ERT on prehypertrophic FDCM., Methods and Results: Fifteen patients with Fabry disease with left ventricular maximal wall thickness ≤10.5 mm at cardiac magnetic resonance required endomyocardial biopsy because of angina and ventricular arrhythmias. Endomyocardial biopsy showed coronary small-vessel disease in the angina cohort, and vacuoles in smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes ≈20% of the cell surface containing myelin bodies at electron microscopy. Patients received α-agalsidase in 8 cases, and β-agalsidase in 7 cases. Both groups experienced symptom improvement except 1 patients treated with α-agalsidase and 1 treated with β-agalsidase. After ERT administration ranging from 4 to 20 years, all patients had control cardiac magnetic resonance and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy because of persistence of symptoms or patient inquiry on disease resolution. In 13 asymptomatic patients with FDCM, left ventricular maximal wall thickness and left ventricular mass, cardiomyocyte diameter, vacuole surface/cell surface ratio, and vessels remained unchanged or minimally increased (left ventricular mass increased by <2%) even after 20 years of observation, and storage material was still present at electron microscopy. In 2 symptomatic patients, FDCM progressed, with larger and more engulfed by globotriaosylceramide myocytes being associated with myocardial virus-negative lymphocytic inflammation., Conclusions: ERT stabilizes storage deposits and myocyte dimensions in 87% of patients with prehypertrophic FDCM. Globotriaosylceramide is never completely removed even after long-term treatment. Immune-mediated myocardial inflammation can overlap, limiting ERT activity.

The need to reduce the use of pesticides in viticulture is increasing the interest in wines produced using fungal-resistant grapevine varieties, which are characterized by relevant contents of both monoglucoside and diglucoside anthocyanins. Aging in wooden barrels induces oxygen permeation into wine, but little is known about diglucoside anthocyanin evolution. Cabernet cortis wine was subjected to addition of oxygen and oak chips, and the anthocyanin changes were followed for 1 month. Decreases of 90% total monoglucosides, 80% acylated monoglucosides, 65% diglucosides, and 90% acylated diglucosides were observed. Monoglucosides formed pyranoanthocyanins, and the lower steric hindrance favored their polymerization with flavanols. Instead, the decrease in diglucosides was correlated to the number of hydroxyl groups of ring B, indicating the predominant oxidation of aglycones. However, three flavonol-anthocyanin-diglucoside derivatives named (epi)catechin-ethyl-Mv-dihexoside, (epi)catechin-ethyl-Pn-dihexoside, and (epi)catechin-Mv-dihexoside A-type were identified in wine for the first time. These research findings are useful for tuning suitable oenological practices to stabilize the color of these wines (type of barrel, aging times, oxygenation practices) and lower the malvin content, which currently is recommended by the OIV at a maximum of 15 mg/L and is a critical issue for their commercialization.

Introduction: Fabry's disease (FD) is a genetic X-linked systemic and progressive rare disease characterized by the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (GB3) into the lysosomes of many tissues. FD is due to loss-of-function mutations of α-galactosidase, a key-enzyme for lysosomal catabolism of glycosphingolipids, which accumulate as glycolipid bodies (GB). In homozygous males the progressive deposition of GB3 into the cells leads to clinical symptoms in CNS, skin, kidney, etc. In testis GB accumulation causes infertility and alterations of spermatogenesis. However, the precise damaging mechanism is still unknown. Our hypothesis is that GB accumulation reduces blood vessel lumen and increases the distance of vessels from both stromal cells and seminiferous parenchyma; this, in turn, impairs oxygen and nutrients diffusion leading to subcellular degradation of seminiferous epithelium and sterility., Methods: To test this hypothesis, we have studied a 42-year-old patient presenting a severe FD and infertility, with reduced number of spermatozoa, but preserved sexual activity. Testicular biopsies were analyzed by optical (OM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Activation and cellular localization of HIF-1α and NFκB was analyzed by immunofluorescence (IF) and RT-PCR on homogeneous tissue fractions after laser capture microdissection (LCMD)., Results: OM and TEM showed that GB were abundant in vessel wall cells and in interstitial cells. By contrast, GB were absent in seminiferous epithelium, Sertoli's and Leydig's cells. However, seminiferous tubular epithelium and Sertoli's cells showed reduced diameter, thickening of basement membrane and tunica propria, and swollen or degenerated spermatogonia. IF showed an accumulation of HIF-1α in stromal cells but not in seminiferous tubules. On the contrary, NFκB fluorescence was evident in tubules, but very low in interstitial cells. Finally, RT-PCR analysis on LCMD fractions showed the expression of pro-inflammatory genes connected to the HIF-1α/NFκB inflammatory-like pathway., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that infertility in FD may be caused by reduced oxygen and nutrients due to GB accumulation in blood vessels cells. Reduced oxygen and nutrients alter HIF-1α/NFκB expression and localization while activating HIF-1α/NFκB driven-inflammation-like response damaging seminiferous tubular epithelium and Sertoli's cells., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Sansone, Barreca, Belli, Aventaggiato, Russo, Perrone, Russo, Tafani and Frustaci.)

Nicotine, the primary psychoactive agent in tobacco leaves, has led to the widespread use of tobacco, with over one billion smokers globally. This article provides a historical overview of tobacco and discusses tobacco dependence, as well as the biological effects induced by nicotine on mammalian cells. Nicotine induces various biological effects, such as neoangiogenesis, cell division, and proliferation, and it affects neural and non-neural cells through specific pathways downstream of nicotinic receptors (nAChRs). Specific effects mediated by α7 nAChRs are highlighted. Nicotine is highly addictive and hazardous. Public health initiatives should prioritize combating smoking and its associated risks. Understanding nicotine's complex biological effects is essential for comprehensive research and informed health policies. While potential links between nicotine and COVID-19 severity warrant further investigation, smoking remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Effective public health strategies are vital to promote healthier lifestyles.

Cancer cells show increased glutamine consumption. The glutaminase (GLS) enzyme controls a limiting step in glutamine catabolism. Breast tumors, especially the triple-negative subtype, have a high expression of GLS. Our recent study demonstrated that GLS activity and ammonia production are inhibited by sirtuin 5 (SIRT5). We developed MC3138, a selective SIRT5 activator. Treatment with MC3138 mimicked the deacetylation effect mediated by SIRT5 overexpression. Moreover, GLS activity was regulated by inorganic phosphate (Pi). Considering the interconnected roles of GLS, SIRT5 and Pi in cancer growth, our hypothesis is that activation of SIRT5 and reduction in Pi could represent a valid antitumoral strategy. Treating cells with MC3138 and lanthanum acetate, a Pi chelator, decreased cell viability and clonogenicity. We also observed a modulation of MAP1LC3B and ULK1 with MC3138 and lanthanum acetate. Interestingly, inhibition of the mitophagy marker BNIP3 was observed only in the presence of MC3138. Autophagy and mitophagy modulation were accompanied by an increase in cytosolic and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). In conclusion, our results show how SIRT5 activation and/or Pi binding can represent a valid strategy to inhibit cell proliferation by reducing glutamine metabolism and mitophagy, leading to a deleterious accumulation of ROS.

Pain is the most common complaint reported by children who access the emergency departments, but despite its frequency and the availability of many international guidelines, it often remains underreported and undertreated. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Pain Society have reiterated the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in order to eliminate pain in children. In all pediatric settings, an adequate assessment is the initial stage in a proper clinical approach to pain, especially in the emergency departments; therefore, an increasing number of age-related tools have been validated. A wide range of analgesic agents are currently available for pain management, and they should be tailored according to the patient's age, the drug's pharmacokinetics and the intensity of pain. In order to facilitate the choice of the appropriate drug, a treatment algorithm based on a ladder approach can be used. Moreover, non-pharmacological techniques should be considered to alleviate anxiety and distress in pediatric age. This review aims to offer a simple but intuitive description of the best strategies for pain relief in children, starting with the prompt recognition and quantification of pain through adequate assessment scales, and following with the identification of the most appropriate therapeutic choice among the ones available for pediatric age.

Background: Fabry disease cardiomyopathy (FDCM) has manifested some resistance to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), particularly in its advanced phase. Recently, myocardial inflammation of autoimmune origin has been demonstrated in FDCM., Aims: The objective of this study was the assessment of circulating anti-globotriaosylceramide (GB3) antibodies as potential biomarkers of myocardial inflammation in FDCM, defined by the additional presence of ≥CD3+ 7 T lymphocytes/low-power field associated with focal necrosis of adjacent myocytes. Its sensitivity was based on the evidence of overlapping myocarditis at left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy., Methods and Results: From January 1996 to December 2021, 85 patients received a histological diagnosis of FDCM in our department and 48 (56.5%) of them had an overlapping myocardial inflammation with negative PCR for common cardiotropic viruses, positive antiheart, and antimyosin abs. The presence of anti-GB3 antibodies was evaluated with an in-house ELISA assay (BioGeM scarl Medical Investigational Research, MIR-Ariano Irpino, Italy), along with antiheart and antimyosin abs, in the FDCM patients and compared with control healthy individuals. The correlation between levels of circulating anti-GB3 autoantibody myocardial inflammation and FDCM severity was assessed. Anti-Gb3 antibodies were above the positivity cut-off in 87.5% of FDCM subjects with myocarditis (42 out of 48), while 81.1% of FDCM patients without myocarditis were identified as negative for Gb3 antibodies. Positive anti-Gb3 abs correlated with positive antiheart and antimyosin abs., Conclusions: The present study suggests a potential positive role of anti-GB3 antibodies as a marker of overlapping cardiac inflammation in patients with FDCM.

Life on Earth has evolved in the presence of a gravity constraint. Any change in the value of such a constraint has important physiological effects. Gravity reduction (microgravity) alters the performance of muscle, bone and, immune systems among others. Therefore, countermeasures to limit such deleterious effects of microgravity are needed considering future Lunar and Martian missions. Our study aims to demonstrate that the activation of mitochondrial Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) can be exploited to reduce muscle damage and to maintain muscle differentiation following microgravity exposure. To this effect, we used a RCCS machine to simulate microgravity on ground on a muscle and cardiac cell line. During microgravity, cells were treated with a newly synthesized SIRT3 activator, called MC2791 and vitality, differentiation, ROS and, autophagy/mitophagy were measured. Our results indicate that SIRT3 activation reduces microgravity-induced cell death while maintaining the expression of muscle cell differentiation markers. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that SIRT3 activation could represent a targeted molecular strategy to reduce muscle tissue damage caused by microgravity.

The aims of our study are to: (i) investigate the ability of nicotine to modulate the expression level of inflammatory cytokines in A549 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2; (ii) elucidate the ultrastructural features caused by the combination nicotine+SARS-CoV-2; and (iii) demonstrate the mechanism of action. In this study, A549 cells pretreated with nicotine were either exposed to LPS or poly(I:C), or infected with SARS-CoV-2. Treated and untreated cells were analyzed for cytokine production, cytotoxicity, and ultrastructural modifications. Vero E6 cells were used as a positive reference. Cells pretreated with nicotine showed a decrease of IL6 and TNFα in A549 cells induced by LPS or poly(I:C). In contrast, cells exposed to SARS-CoV-2 showed a high increase of IL6, IL8, IL10 and TNFα, high cytopathic effects that were dose- and time-dependent, and profound ultrastructural modifications. These modifications were characterized by membrane ruptures and fragmentation, the swelling of cytosol and mitochondria, the release of cytoplasmic content in extracellular spaces (including osmiophilic granules), the fragmentation of endoplasmic reticulum, and chromatin disorganization. Nicotine increased SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effects, elevating the levels of inflammatory cytokines, and inducing severe cellular damage, with features resembling pyroptosis and necroptosis. The protective role of nicotine in COVID-19 is definitively ruled out.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a physiological process during embryogenesis, can become pathological in the presence of different driving forces. Reduced oxygen tension or hypoxia is one of these forces, triggering a large number of molecular pathways with aberrant EMT induction, resulting in cancer and fibrosis onset. Both hypoxia-induced factors, HIF-1α and HIF-2α, act as master transcription factors implicated in EMT. On the other hand, hypoxia-dependent HIF-independent EMT has also been described. Recently, a new class of seven proteins with deacylase activity, called sirtuins, have been implicated in the control of both hypoxia responses, HIF-1α and HIF-2α activation, as well as EMT induction. Intriguingly, different sirtuins have different effects on hypoxia and EMT, acting as either activators or inhibitors, depending on the tissue and cell type. Interestingly, sirtuins and HIF can be activated or inhibited with natural or synthetic molecules. Moreover, recent studies have shown that these natural or synthetic molecules can be better conveyed using nanoparticles, representing a valid strategy for EMT modulation. The following review, by detailing the aspects listed above, summarizes the interplay between hypoxia, sirtuins, and EMT, as well as the possible strategies to modulate them by using a nanoparticle-based approach.

As of 27 March 2022, the β-coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 487 million individuals worldwide, causing more than 6.14 million deaths. SARS-CoV-2 spreads through close contact, causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); thus, emergency lockdowns have been implemented worldwide to avoid its spread. COVID-19 is not the first infectious disease that humankind has had to face during its history. Indeed, humans have recurrently been threatened by several emerging pathogens that killed a substantial fraction of the population. Historical sources document that as early as between the 10th and the 6th centuries BCE, the authorities prescribed physical-social isolation, physical distancing, and quarantine of the infected subjects until the end of the disease, measures that strongly resemble containment measures taken nowadays. In this review, we show a historical and literary overview of different epidemic diseases and how the recommendations in the pre-vaccine era were, and still are, effective in containing the contagion.

Background: The impact of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on cardiomyocytes and intestinal cells, affected by Fabry disease (FD), is still unclear. Methods: Six patients with FD, including five family members with GLA mutation c.666delC and one with GLA mutation c.658C > T, manifesting cardiomyopathy and intestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, diarrhea and malabsorption) were included in the study. Clinical outcome, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), endomyocardial and gastro-intestinal biopsies were evaluated before and after 2 years of treatment with agalsidase-α (0.2 mg/kg every other week). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assessments of mannose-6-phosphate receptors (IGF-II-R) on intestinal and myocardial frozen tissue were obtained at diagnosis and after 2 years of ERT. Results: After ERT left ventricular maximal wall thickness, ranging from pre (<10.5 mm) to mild (<15 mm) and moderate hypertrophy (16 mm), was not associated with significant changes at CMR. Degree of dyspnea, mean cardiomyocyte diameter and % vacuolated areas of cardiomyocytes, representing intracellular GL3, remained unmodified. In contrast, intestinal symptoms improved with disappearance of diarrhea, recovery of anemia and weight gain, correlating with near complete clearance of the enterocytes from GL3 inclusions. IGF-II-R expression was remarkably higher even at histochemistry in intestinal tissue compared with myocardium (p < 0.001) either at baseline and after ERT, thus justifying intestinal recovery. Conclusions: Human cells affected by FD may respond differently to ERT: while cardiomyocytes retain their GL3 content after 2 years of treatment, gastro-intestinal cells show GL3 removal with recovery of function. This divergent response may be related to differences in cellular turnover, as well as tissue IGF-II-R expression.

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are clinically diagnosed using neuropsychological and cognitive tests, expensive neuroimaging-based approaches (MRI and PET) and invasive and time-consuming lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample collection to detect biomarkers. Thus, a rapid, simple and cost-effective approach to more easily access fluids and tissues is in great need. Here, we exploit the chemical direct reprogramming of patient skin fibroblasts into neurons (chemically induced neurons, ciNs) as a novel strategy for the rapid detection of different pathological markers of neurodegenerative diseases. We found that FAD fibroblasts have a reduced efficiency of reprogramming, and converted ciNs show a less complex neuronal network. In addition, ciNs from patients show misfolded protein accumulation and mitochondria ultrastructural abnormalities, biomarkers commonly associated with neurodegeneration. Moreover, for the first time, we show that microfluidic technology, in combination with chemical reprogramming, enables on-chip examination of disease pathological processes and may have important applications in diagnosis. In conclusion, ciNs on microfluidic devices represent a small-scale, non-invasive and cost-effective high-throughput tool for protein misfolding disease diagnosis and may be useful for new biomarker discovery, disease mechanism studies and design of personalised therapies.

Objective: The authors investigated the incidence, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGB) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), who were attending the emergency department (ED), before hospitalization., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all COVID-19 patients diagnosed with UGB in 62 Spanish EDs (20% of Spanish EDs, case group) during the first 2 months of the COVID-19 outbreak. We formed 2 control groups: COVID-19 patients without UGB (control group A) and non-COVID-19 patients with UGB (control group B). Fifty-three independent variables and 4 outcomes were compared between cases and controls., Results: We identified 83 UGB in 74,814 patients with COVID-19 who were attending EDs (1.11%, 95% CI=0.88-1.38). This incidence was lower compared with non-COVID-19 patients [2474/1,388,879, 1.78%, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.71-1.85; odds ratio (OR)=0.62; 95% CI=0.50-0.77]. Clinical characteristics associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 patients presenting with UGB were abdominal pain, vomiting, hematemesis, dyspnea, expectoration, melena, fever, cough, chest pain, and dysgeusia. Compared with non-COVID-19 patients with UGB, COVID-19 patients with UGB more frequently had fever, cough, expectoration, dyspnea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, interstitial lung infiltrates, and ground-glass lung opacities. They underwent fewer endoscopies in the ED (although diagnoses did not differ between cases and control group B) and less endoscopic treatment. After adjustment for age and sex, cases showed a higher in-hospital all-cause mortality than control group B (OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.09-3.86) but not control group A (OR=1.14, 95% CI=0.59-2.19) patients., Conclusions: The incidence of UGB in COVID-19 patients attending EDs was lower compared with non-COVID-19 patients. Digestive symptoms predominated over respiratory symptoms, and COVID-19 patients with UGB underwent fewer gastroscopies and endoscopic treatments than the general population with UGB. In-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients with UGB was increased compared with non-COVID patients with UGB, but not compared with the remaining COVID-19 patients., (Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Abnormal aldosterone signaling is a recognized source of cardiovascular damage. Its influence on cardiomyocyte structure, function, and hormonal receptors when associated with heart failure is still unreported., Methods: Twenty-six consecutive patients with heart failure (LVEF < 40%) and normal coronaries and valves underwent left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) for evaluation of myocardial substrate. Biopsy samples were processed for histology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis of myocardial aldosterone receptor and aquaporin-1 correlated with plasma aldosterone (AD) and renin activity (PRA). Eight patients with virus-negative inflammatory cardiomyopathy (ICM) had a control EMB after 6 months of immunosuppressive therapy and recovery of cardiac function with re-evaluation of cardiomyocyte structure and receptor expression., Results: EMB in addition to the diagnosis of myocarditis (15 cases), dilated cardiomyopathy CM (6), alcohol CM (2), and diabetic CM (3) showed vacuolar degeneration and cloudy swelling of cardiomyocytes corresponding at electron microscopy to ions and water accumulation into cytosol, membrane-bound vesicles, nucleus, and other organelles, and was associated with an increased AD, PRA, and myocardial expression of aldosterone receptor (2.6 fold) and aquaporin 1 (2.7 fold). In the 8 patients recovered from ICM, cardiomyocyte diameter reduced with disappearance of intracellular vacuoles and normalization of cytosol, nucleus, and cell organelles' electron-density, along with down-regulation of aldosterone receptor and aquaporin-1., Conclusion: Human heart failure is associated with overexpression of myocardial aldosterone receptor and aquaporin-1. These molecular changes are paralleled by intracellular water overloading and cardiomyocyte swelling and dysfunction. Cardiac recovery is accompanied by down-regulation of hormonal receptors and normalization of cell structure and composition.

Pemphigus is a rare disease characterized by bullous lesions of the skin and mucous membranes. The aetiology is autoimmune and related to the formation of IgG autoantibodies against desmogleins, which are structural proteins of desmosomes that ensure the stability of contacts between cells. Cardiac involvement in patients with pemphigus is poorly documented. We report the data in the literature on this topic and a case of pemphigus-associated autoimmune myocarditis with damage of intercalated disc responding to immunosuppressive therapy. The occurrence of cardiomyopathy with left ventricular dysfunction in patients affected by pemphigus should be appropriately screened with endomyocardial biopsy as it could be the myocardial extension of a potentially reversible autoimmune disorder., (© 2021 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity plays a key role in regulating systemic energy. The activation of BAT results in increased energy expenditure, making this tissue an attractive pharmacological target for therapies against obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) affects BAT function by regulating adipogenic transcription factor expression and mitochondrial respiration. We analyzed the expression of SIRT5 in the different adipose depots of mice. We treated 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and mouse primary preadipocyte cultures with the SIRT5 inhibitor MC3482 and investigated the effects of this compound on adipose differentiation and function. The administration of MC3482 during the early stages of differentiation promoted the expression of brown adipocyte and mitochondrial biogenesis markers. Upon treatment with MC3482, 3T3-L1 adipocytes showed an increased activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is known to stimulate brown adipocyte differentiation. This effect was paralleled by an increase in autophagic/mitophagic flux and a reduction in lipid droplet size, mediated by a higher lipolytic rate. Of note, MC3482 increased the expression and the activity of adipose triglyceride lipase, without modulating hormone-sensitive lipase. Our findings reveal that SIRT5 inhibition stimulates brown adipogenesis in vitro, supporting this approach as a strategy to stimulate BAT and counteract obesity.

Hydrophobic surfaces are highly desired for several applications due to their exceptional properties such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-friction and others. Such surfaces can be prepared via numerous methods including plasma technology, a dry technique with low environmental impact. In this paper, the effect of a one-step sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) plasma treatment upon the low velocity impact behavior of basalt/epoxy composites has been investigated by using several characterization techniques. A capacitive coupled radiofrequency plasma system was used for the plasma surface treatment of basalt/epoxy composites, and suitable surface treatment conditions were experimentally investigated with respect to gas flow rate, chamber pressure, power intensity, and surface treatment time by measuring the water droplet contact angle of treated specimens. The contact angle measurements showed that treating with SF 6 plasma would increase the hydrophobicity of basalt/epoxy composites; moreover, the impact results obtained on reinforced epoxy basalt fiber showed damage in a confined area and higher impact resistance for plasma-treated basalt systems.

In this work, the development and testing of a novel fiber-optic based label-free biosensor is presented, whose performance were verified through the detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum. The device is based on a long period grating fabricated in a double cladding fiber with a W-shaped refractive index (RI) profile. As a result, the working point of the device was tuned to the mode transition region by chemical etching of the outer fiber cladding, obtaining a significant enhancement of the RI sensitivity and an excellent visibility of the grating resonances due to the mode transition in an all-silica structure. The fiber transducer was coated with a nanometric thin layer of graphene oxide in order to provide functional groups for the covalent immobilization of the biological recognition element. A very low limit of detection of about 0.15 ng/mL was obtained during the detection of CRP in serum, and a large working range (1 ng/mL - 100 μg/mL) of clinical relevance has been also achieved., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The main purpose of this study is to introduce a modified method for recovering and recycling huge number of cigarette butts (CBs) and convert them into a fashion product. CBs are non-biodegradable waste, generally, discarded improperly into the environment. CBs consist of cellulose acetate, which can be recovered through extraction and purification processes. CBs are the most numerically frequent form of waste in the world. A relevant portion of CBS are discarded improperly into the environment. The principal filter components are plasticized cellulose acetate fibers that have the slowest degradation rate (up to years). In fact, a limiting step is the hydrolysis of cellulose acetate polymer into cellulose and acetic acid, which is extremely slow under ambient conditions and represents a relevant environmental risk. A number of studies have been realized on recycling cigarette butts with encouraging results, and several methods have been studied, including recycling of cigarette butts in asphalt concrete and fired clay bricks, as a carbon source, sound-absorbing material, corrosion inhibitor, biofilm carrier, and many more. In this study, we propose a novel, green, low cost, simple, and efficient extraction method of cellulose acetate fibers (CA) from discarded cigarette butts (DCBs). CBs extraction procedure involves a two-step process consisting of washings in water and some subsequent washings in ethanol. The obtained samples of CA are dried at 60 °C for 60 min in the oven. The quality and properties of cellulose acetate extracted and purified are comparable to the pure cellulose acetate fiber used for cigarette butts. The preliminary results obtained on the recovered CA look promising to the use of this recovery material from cigarette butts to obtain a wide consumption fashion product, such as eyeglass frames.

Oxidative stress induced post-translational protein modifications are associated with the development of inflammatory hypersensitivities. At least 90% of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in the mitochondria, where the mitochondrial antioxidant, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), is located. MnSOD's ability to reduce ROS is enhanced by the mitochondrial NAD + -dependent deacetylase sirtuin (SIRT3). SIRT3 can reduce ROS levels by deacetylating MnSOD and enhancing its ability to neutralize ROS or by enhancing the transcription of MnSOD and other oxidative stress-responsive genes. SIRT3 can be post-translationally modified through carbonylation which results in loss of activity. The contribution of post-translational SIRT3 modifications in central sensitization is largely unexplored. Our results reveal that SIRT3 carbonylation contributes to spinal MnSOD inactivation during carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia in rats. Moreover, inhibiting ROS with natural and synthetic antioxidants, prevented SIRT3 carbonylation, restored the enzymatic activity of MnSOD, and blocked the development of thermal hyperalgesia. These results suggest that therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting post-translational modifications of SIRT3 may provide beneficial outcomes in pain states where ROS have been documented to play an important role in the development of central sensitization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study, based on research undertaken in Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and the USA, presents a preliminary reconstruction of the time, the political climate, and the debate sparked in Brazil and Argentina by the visit of Guglielmo Ferrero and his wife, Gina Lombroso Ferrero, in 1907, and two voyages by the jurist and criminal sociologist Enrico Ferri in 1908 and 1910. These three Italian intellectuals associated with the Positive School of Criminology in Turin, led by the physician and physical anthropologist Cesare Lombroso, visited Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile on the invitation, among others, of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (Academia Brasileira de Letras) and the Argentinean newspaper La Nación.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) causes a cardiomyopathy (CM) which substrate and evolution after aldosterone normalization are unreported., Methods: Four male patients with aldosterone-secreting adrenal adenoma and cardiomyopathy (PACM, group A) were evaluated with 2D-echo, Magnetic Resonance (CMR), coronary angiography and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy. Biopsy samples were processed for histology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and Western Blot analysis of myocardial aldosterone receptors and aquaporin 1 and 4. Results were compared with endomyocardial samples from 5 patients with hypertensive cardiomyopathy of equivalent severity and normal plasma aldosterone (group B) and surgical samples from 5 controls (group C). One PACM patient was re-examined with CMR and endomyocardial biopsy 12 months after adrenalectomy with aldosterone and cardiac normalization., Results: Coronary arteries were normal in all. Group A showed prominent myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, with water accumulation in the cytosol and organelles of cardiomyocytes and microvascular smooth muscle cells, associated to reduced myofibril concentration and 2.8-fold increase in myocardial aldosterone receptors and aquaporin 1. At CMR, LGE areas were diffusely present. After aldosterone normalization, cardiomyocyte diameter reduced with disappearance of intracellular vacuoles, recovery of electron-density of cytosol and cell organelles, and myofibrillar content, persisting fibrosis and down-regulation of aldosterone receptors and aquaporin 1 channels. At CMR, myocardial mass reduced with recovery of cardiac contractility. LGE signal remained unchanged., Conclusion: PACM is a reversible entity characterized by over-expression of aldosterone receptors and aquaporin 1. It induces a reversible intracellular water overloading causing impaired cardiomyocyte relaxation, contraction and ultrastructural integrity., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Amyloidoses are heterogeneous diseases that result from the deposition of toxic insoluble β -sheet fibrillar protein aggregates in different tissues. The cascade of molecular events leading to amyloidoses and to the related clinical manifestations is not completely understood. Nevertheless, it is known that tissue damage associated to this disease involves alteration of tissue architecture, interaction with cell surface receptors, inflammation elicited by the amyloid protein deposition, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. However, another important aspect to consider is that systemic protein massive deposition not only subverts tissue architecture but also determines a progressive cellular hypertrophy and dilation of the extracellular space enlarging the volume of the organ. Such an alteration increases the distance between cells and vessels with a drop in pO 2 that, in turn, causes both necrotic cell death and activation of the hypoxia transcription factor HIF-1 α . Herewith, we propose the hypothesis that both cell death and hypoxia represent two important events for the pathogenesis of damage and progression of amyloidoses. In fact, molecules released by necrotic cells activate inflammatory cells from one side while binding to HIF-1 α -dependent membrane receptors expressed on hypoxic parenchymal cells on the other side. This latter event generates a signaling cascade triggering NF κ B activation and chronic inflammation. Finally, we also suggest that this scenario, once proved and detailed, might suggest important targets for new therapeutic interventions.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and while there is increasing evidence that a Mediterranean diet might decrease the risk of a stroke, the effects of dietary fat composition on stroke outcomes have not been fully explored. We hypothesize that the brain damage provoked by a stroke would be different depending on the source of dietary fat. To test this, male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 4 weeks with a standard low-fat diet (LFD), a high-fat diet (HFD) rich in saturated fatty acids (HFD-SFA), an HFD containing monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) from olive oil (HFD-OO), or an HFD containing MUFAs from olive oil plus polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA/EPA) (HFD-OO-ω3). These mice were then subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). Behavioural tests and histological analyses were performed 24 and/or 48 h after tMCAo in order to elucidate the impact of these diets with different fatty acid profiles on the ischemic lesion and on neurological functions. Mice fed with HFD-OO-ω3 displayed better histological outcomes after cerebral ischemia than mice that received an HFD-SFA or LFD. Furthermore, PUFA- and MUFA-enriched diets improved the motor function and neurological performance of ischemic mice relative to those fed with an LFD or HFD-SFA. These findings support the use of DHA/EPA-omega-3-fatty acid supplementation and olive oil as dietary source of MUFAs in order to reduce the damage and protect the brain when a stroke occurs.

Mitochondria are the cellular center of energy production and of several important metabolic processes. Mitochondrion health is maintained with a substantial intervention of mitophagy, a process of macroautophagy that degrades selectively dysfunctional and irreversibly damaged organelles. Because of its crucial duty, alteration in mitophagy can cause functional and structural adjustment in the mitochondria, changes in energy production, loss of cellular adaptation, and cell death. In this review, we discuss the dual role that mitophagy plays in cancer and age-related pathologies, as a consequence of oxidative stress, evidencing the triggering stimuli and mechanisms and suggesting the molecular targets for its therapeutic control. Finally, a section has been dedicated to the interplay between mitophagy and therapies using nanoparticles that are the new frontier for a direct and less invasive strategy.

Metformin has been shown to inhibit glutaminase (GLS) activity and ammonia accumulation thereby reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Since tumour cells are addicted to glutamine and often show an overexpression of glutaminase, we hypothesize that the antitumoral mechanism of metformin could be ascribed to inhibition of GLS and reduction of ammonia and ammonia-induced autophagy. Our results show that, in different tumour cell lines, micromolar doses of metformin prevent cell growth by reducing glutamate, ammonia accumulation, autophagy markers such as MAP1LC3B-II and GABARAP as well as degradation of long-lived proteins. Reduced autophagy is then accompanied by increased BECN1/BCL2 binding and apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, GLS-silenced cells reproduce the effect of metformin treatment showing reduced MAP1LC3B-II and GABARAP as well as ammonia accumulation. Since metformin is used as adjuvant drug to increase the efficacy of Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we co-treated tumour cells with micromolar doses of metformin in the presence of cisplatin observing a marked reduction of MAP1LC3B-II and an increase of caspase 3 cleavage. In conclusion, our work demonstrates that the anti-tumoral action of metformin is due to the inhibition of glutaminase and autophagy and could be used to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Background: Chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis and sinusitis are common health problems with a significant impact on public health, and are suspected to be influenced by ageing factors. Nasal inhalation with thermal water may be used to reduce symptoms, inflammation and drug intake. A pre-post clinical study was conducted in 183 consecutive adult and elderly patients with chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis or sinusitis, to evaluate whether thermal water nasal inhalations could improve their symptoms, clinical signs and rhinomanometry measurements, and influence inflammatory biomarkers levels in nasal epithelial cells., Results: Participants profile revealed that they were aged on average (mean age and SD 60.6 ± 15.2 years, median 65, range 20-86, 86 aged ≤ 65 years (47%), 96 aged > 65 years (53%)) and extremely concerned about wellbeing. Older age was associated with better compliance to inhalation treatment. Total symptom and clinical evaluation scores were significantly ameliorated after treatment ( p  < 0.001), with no substantial difference according to age, while rhinomanometry results were inconsistent. Persistence of symptom improvement was confirmed at phone follow up 1 year later ( n  = 74). The training set of 48 inflammatory genes (40 patients) revealed a strong increase of CXCR4 gene expression after nasal inhalations, confirmed both in the validation set (143 patients; 1.2 ± 0.68 vs 3.3 ± 1.2; p  < 0.0001) and by evaluation of CXCR4 protein expression (40 patients; 1.0 ± 0.39 vs 2.6 ± 0.66; p  < 0.0001). CXCR4 expression was consistently changed in patients with rhinitis, pharyngitis or sinusitis. The increase was smaller in current smokers compared to non-smokers. Results were substantially unchanged when comparing aged subjects (≥ 65 years) or the eldest quartile (≥ 71 years) to the others. Other genes showed weaker variations (e.g. FLT1 was reduced only in patients with sinusitis)., Conclusions: These results confirm the clinical impact of thermal water nasal inhalations on upper respiratory diseases both in adults and elders, and emphasize the role of genes activating tissue repair and inflammatory pathways. Future studies should evaluate CXCR4 as possible therapeutic target or response predictor in patients with chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis or sinusitis., Trial Registration: Communication to Italian Ministry of Health - ICPOM 000461. Registered 10/11/2014., Competing Interests: Approval has been obtained by the competent Ethics Committees of IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, and of the Liguria Region. All eligible patients admitted to the spa received detailed information about the study by the physician in charge of the treatment, and thereafter were asked to sign an informed consent. Only patients who accepted to participate to the study and signed the consent form were requested to donate biological samples and were administered the questionnaire.Not applicable.The authors declare that they have no competing interests.Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The uptake of major and trace elements in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) can be influenced by soil, climate, geographic origin, and rootstock type. Rootstocks were mainly selected to resist phylloxera and for specific tolerance to lime, mineral uptake, drought, and salinity. The relationship among concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements was studied in soil and leaves from two Italian grapevine cultivars, "Cabernet Sauvignon" and "Corvina," employed to produce renowned controlled designation of origin (DOC) wines. The cultivars were raised on the same rootstock SO4 in two different areas of the Veneto Region (Northern Italy). The elements were studied by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and data were elaborated by non-parametric tests and multivariate linear discrimination analysis. The related index of bioaccumulation was calculated to define the specific assimilation of the elements from soil to leaves. A statistically significant correspondence between soil and leaf samples was observed for Mg, Sm, V, and Zr. The results allowed to discriminate soil and leaf samples of the two cultivars according to geographical provenance, possibly providing geochemical markers (fingerprints) useful against fraudulent use of DOC wine labels.

Sirtuins are conserved NAD + -dependent deacylases. SIRT1 is a nuclear and cytoplasmic sirtuin involved in the control of histones a transcription factors function. SIRT3 is a mitochondrial protein, which regulates mitochondrial function. Although, both SIRT1 and SIRT3 have been implicated in resistance to cellular stress, the link between these two sirtuins has not been studied so far. Here we aimed to unravel: i) the role of SIRT1-SIRT3 axis for cellular response to oxidative stress and DNA damage; ii) how mammalian cells modulate such SIRT1-SIRT3 axis and which mechanisms are involved. Therefore, we analyzed the response to different stress stimuli in WT or SIRT1-silenced cell lines. Our results demonstrate that SIRT1-silenced cells are more resistant to H 2 O 2 and etoposide treatment showing decreased ROS accumulation, γ-H2AX phosphorylation, caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. Interestingly, we observed that SIRT1-silenced cells show an increased SIRT3 expression. To explore such a connection, we carried out luciferase assays on SIRT3 promoter demonstrating that SIRT1-silencing increases SIRT3 promoter activity and that such an effect depends on the presence of SP1 and ZF5 recognition sequences on SIRT3 promoter. Afterwards, we performed co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrating that SIRT1 binds and deacetylates the transcription inhibitor ZF5 and that there is a decreased interaction between SP1 and ZF5 in SIRT1-silenced cells. Therefore, we speculate that acetylated ZF5 cannot bind and sequester SP1 that is free, then, to increase SIRT3 transcription. In conclusion, we demonstrate that cells with low SIRT1 levels can maintain their resistance and survival by increasing SIRT3 expression. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1835-1844, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Labor induction has been associated with breastfeeding suppression, but reasons for why this association exists have not been well determined., Methods: We examined the influence of elective labor induction by vaginal prostaglandin at gestational week 41 +3 days on affective, cognitive, and behavioural adaptations early in puerperium and on breastfeeding pattern at 1 and 3months., Results: One hundred and eighty consecutive puerperae were assigned to two groups: mothers having received vaginal prostaglandin E2 gel (Prepidil®, dinoprostone) before labor (PGE group, n=90) and mothers having received no treatment (unmedicated group, n=90). The day of discharge mothers completed the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale, (EPDS), State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y), and Mother to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). Later they participated in telephone interviews concerning their breastfeeding practices at 1 and 3months, which were classified according to WHO definitions. When compared with unmedicated, PGE group puerperae scored [median, (IQR)] significantly higher EPDS [9 (7-13) vs 5 (3-8), p 0.003], STAI-state [46 (39-51) vs 39 (34-48), p 0.002], STAI-trait [39 (36-48) vs 34 (32-45), p 0.04], and MIBS [10 (5.25-10) vs 5 (3-4), p 0.002] scores. In addition, while the breastfeeding practices were similar at hospital discharge, at follow-up the labor induced mothers were less likely to maintain full breastfeeding with respect to untreated mothers: 1month (p 0.001); and 3months (p 0.003)., Conclusion: We present evidence that elective induction of labor by prostaglandins at gestational week 41 +3 days is associated with reduced exclusive breastfeeding rates at 1 and 3months after discharge and higher EPDS, STAI, and MIBS scores., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Graphene oxide (GO) is a photoluminescent material whose application in integrated optoelectronics has been strongly limited due to poor emission intensity and handling procedures not compatible with standard microelectronic ones. In this work, a hybrid GO-porous silicon (GO-PSi) structure is realized in order to investigate the emission properties of GO infiltrated into an aperiodic porous multilayered matrix. A photoluminescence enhancement by a factor 32, compared to the same amount of GO deposited on a flat silicon surface, is demonstrated. Photoluminescence measurements also show wavelength modulation of the emitted signal.

The renowned Vitis vinifera L. cultivar "Glera" (Magnoliopsida Vitaceae) has been grown for hundreds of years in the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli to produce the sparkling Prosecco wine, with controlled designation of origin (DOC). We evaluated the relationship among the concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) in soil and in "Glera" grape berries in vineyards belonging to five different localities in the Veneto alluvial plain, all included in the DOC area of Prosecco. The concentration of REE in samples of soil and juice or solid residues of grape berries was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the index of bioaccumulation was calculated to define the specific assimilation of these elements from soil to grape berries. The concentration of REE in soil samples allowed an identification of each locality examined, and REE were mostly detected in solid grape berry residues in comparison to juice. These data may be useful to associate REE distribution in soil and grape berries to a specific geographical origin, in order to prevent fraudulent use of wine denomination labels.

Viticulture is widely practiced in dry regions, where the grapevine is greatly exposed to water stress. Optimizing plant water use efficiency (WUE) without affecting crop yield, grape and wine quality is crucial to limiting use of water for irrigation and to significantly improving viticulture sustainability. This study examines the use in vineyards of particle film technology (engineered kaolin) and compares it to a film-forming antitranspirant (pinolene), traditionally used to limit leaf water loss, and to an untreated control. The trial was carried out under field conditions over three growing seasons, during which moderate to very severe plant water stress (down to -1.9 MPa) was measured through stem water potential. Leaf stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthesis rate (An) were measured during the seasons and used to compute intrinsic WUE (WUEi, defined as An/gs ratio). Leaf temperature was also recorded and compared between treatments. Bunch quantity, bunch and berry weight, sugar accumulation, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents were measured. Finally, microvinifications were performed and resultant wines subjected to sensory evaluation.Results showed that the use of kaolin increased grapevine intrinsic WUE (+18% on average as compared to unsprayed vines) without affecting berry and bunch weight and quantity, or sugar level. Anthocyanin content increased (+35%) in kaolin treatment, and the wine was judged more attractive (p-value <0.05) and slightly more appreciated (p-value < 0.1) than control. Pinolene did not increase WUEi, limiting An more than gs; grapes with this treatment contained lower sugar and anthocyanin content than control, and the obtained wine was the least appreciated. This study demonstrates that particle film technology can improve vine WUEi and wine quality at the same time, while traditional antitranspirants were not as effective for these purposes. This positive effect can be used in interaction with other already-demonstrated uses of particle film technology, such as pest control and sunburn reduction, in order to achieve more sustainable vineyard management.

The present geochemical study concerns the impact of viticultural practices in the chemical composition of the grape cultivar "Negroamaro" in Apulia, a southern Italian region renowned for its quality wine. Three types of soil management (SM), two cover cropping with different mixtures, and a soil tillage were considered. For each SM, the vines were irrigated according to two irrigation levels. Chemical composition of soil and of berries of Vitis vinifera cultivar "Negroamaro" were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and multivariate statistics (linear discrimination analysis). In detail, we investigated major and trace elements behavior in the soil according to irrigation levels, the related index of bioaccumulation (BA) and the relationship between trace element concentration and soil management in "Negroamaro" grapes. The results indicate that soil management affects the mobility of major and trace elements. A specific assimilation of these elements in grapes from vines grown under different soil management was confirmed by BA. Multivariate statistics allowed to associate the vines to the type of soil management. This geochemical characterization of elements could be useful to develop fingerprints of vines of the cultivar "Negroamaro" according to soil management and geographical origin.