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The introduction of glycoconjugate vaccines marks an important point in the fight against various infectious diseases. The covalent conjugation of relevant polysaccharide antigens to immunogenic carrier proteins enables the induction of a long-lasting and robust IgG antibody response, which is not observed for pure polysaccharide vaccines. Although there has been remarkable progress in the development of glycoconjugate vaccines, many crucial parameters remain poorly understood. In particular, the influence of the conjugation site and strategy on immunogenic properties of the final glycoconjugate vaccine is the focus of intense research. Here, we present a comparison of two cysteine selective conjugation strategies, elucidating the impact of both modifications on the structural integrity of the carrier protein, as well as on the immunogenic properties of the resulting glycoconjugate vaccine candidates. Our work suggests that conjugation chemistries impairing structurally relevant elements of the protein carrier, such disulfide bonds, can have a dramatic effect on protein immunogenicity., Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 675671. CS is recipient of the the grant No 861194 (PAVax) under EU Horizon 2020 program.

Comprendere il comportamento, l'evoluzione e le caratteristiche del mare è una questione essenziale per affrontare alcune grandi sfide attuali in materia di ambiente: il cambiamento climatico, il ciclo del carbonio, l'acidificazione degli oceani, le variazioni della circolazione marina e i loro effetti, ecc. Per questo, il numero di studi sul mare è in aumento da alcuni anni a questa parte. La temperatura del sistema-mare è esplicitamente menzionata nell'allegato III della Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008) come uno dei parametri che richiedono maggiore attenzione. Le misurazioni significative e coerenti della temperatura dell'acqua di mare sono essenziali per comprendere la sua influenza in quasi tutti i processi marini, nonché per comprendere i meccanismi di scambio di calore tra il mare e l'atmosfera.

Industrial applications, like steam turbines and pumps, require an adequate rotor and bearing modeling to predict its dynamic behavior. The use of robust models allows simulating the dynamic condition in order to prevent critical operation and possible faults. In general, the dynamic analyses of rotating systems are performed with deterministic models, however, they do not take into account uncertainties that could affect the system response. Thus, uncertainties analysis related to the components that compose the rotating machines are important to better estimate the response and guarantee the adequate operational conditions of the rotor system. This paper aims to analyze the dynamic behavior of rotors considering journal bearing parametric uncertainties. The shaft is modeled with the Timoshenko beam and a computational model is constructed by means of the Finite Element Method (FEM), where the rotor is supported by short fluid film bearings (Orcvik model). Uncertainties in the bearings’ parameters are taken into account. The probability theory is used for the uncertainty modeling, and Monte Carlo simulations are applied to approximate the statistics of the response. The analyses performed in this paper evaluate mainly the influence of uncertainties in the first natural frequency and the vibration orbit of the shaft inside the bearing. It has been observed that the response of the system, for instance, the first natural frequency and the rotor’s orbit, might change due to uncertain bearing coefficients, and the radial clearance is the most influent parameter in the simulations delevoped.

Here we show that a four-membered oxygen ring – oxetane – can be readily grafted into native peptides and proteins through site-selective bis-alkylation of cysteine residues present as disulfides under mild and biocompatible conditions. The selective installation of the oxetane graft enhances stability and activity, as demonstrated for a range of biologically relevant cyclic peptides, including somatostatin, proteins and antibodies, such as a Fab arm of the antibody Herceptin® and a designed antibody DesAb-A against the human Amyloid- peptide. Markedly, oxetane grafting of the genetically detoxified diphtheria toxin CRM197 improves significantly the immunogenicity of this protein in mice, which illustrates the general utility of this strategy to modulate the stability and biological activity of therapeutic proteins containing disulfides in their structures.

1 - Mediterranean lagoons are naturally exposed, during the dry season, to dystrophic and hypoxic events determining dis-equilibrium conditions along temporal and spatial scales, which are linked to metabolism and life cycle of the biotic components. 2 - In summer 2008, Lesina lagoon (SE Italian coastline) was interested by a geographically localized dystrophic crisis which affected up to 8% of the total lagoon surface. 3 - Temporal dynamics of principal descriptors of abiotic (water, sediment) and biotic (phytoplankton, benthic macroinvertebrate) compartments have been followed during the 2008 by collecting data inside stressed and control lagoon areas before a dystrophic event and in the six months after the dystrophic event. 4 - The aim of the study was to analyse the pathways of ecosystem responses to dystrophic stress, searching for the characteristic scales of ecosystem compartment resistance and resilience. 5 - The characteristic time-scale of abiotic and biotic component time responses varied from days, for the selected markers of the water column, to year, for the benthic ones. Short-term biotic and abiotic responses in the water column were strongly coupled while biotic and abiotic responses at the sediment level were remarkably un-coupled. Dynamics and recovery time of water column and benthic components do not match in Lesina following the dystrophic crisis, highlighting an intrinsic individualistic behavior within the lagoon community driving ecosystem processes and ecosystem level responses. 6 - Taxonomic and non-taxonomic descriptors of both phytoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates showed different response patterns as early warning signals and overall resilience. The emphasized differences in the stability components, i.e., resistance and resilience, of water column and sediment abiotic and biotic characteristics as well as of taxonomic and non-taxonomic descriptors has key implication in planning monitoring strategies and programs for transitional waters in the Mediterranean and Black Sea EcoRegions. © 2013 University of Salento - SIBA.

Reproductive biotechnologies provide innovative support tools which are increasingly being applied to aquatic species. The development of tools for the assessment of changes in gamete quality as a function of gonad stage is a key issue in the establishment of species-specific protocols for gamete management and embryo production that guarantee the supply of high quality samples. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sperm motility parameters, during the various phases of the gonad cycle, of Paracentrotus lividus specimens sampled from a population living along the mid-to-lower Adriatic coast of Italy. In this location, particularly favourable environmental conditions enable a prolonged reproductive period, and gonads containing mature gametes (whether developing or relict after spawning events) have been recorded nearly all year round. Specifically, each collected specimen was assigned a gonad stage following histological analysis and the sperm motility parameters, recorded by computerised analysis, were evaluated in relation to the assigned values. In addition, their fertilisation capacity was evaluated. Sperm motility was found to change during the gonad cycle: the highest motility percentages (>. 90%) and sperm velocities (curvilinear velocity >. 300 ?m/s) were observed during the spawning stage. Conversely, no effect on the fertilisation capacity was observed (>. 85%, regardless of the gonad stage). It can therefore be concluded that an objective assessment of sperm motility parameters, mainly velocity levels, is a helpful tool for evaluating the quality of P. lividus semen samples on collection, as it makes it possible to identify samples from mature and spawning individuals. Statement of relevance: The development of reproductive biotechnologies in aquaculture depends on the continuous supply of viable gametes, and on the development of assessment tools able to discern among different gamete physiological conditions. Sperm velocity evaluations by computerised analysis proved to be able to discern samples coming from mature and in spawning sea urchins, those having the best physiological conditions and motility values.

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896), a native to western Atlantic coasts, is widely recorded in various Mediterranean regions, including the Gargano lagoons in the Adriatic Sea. This study investigated selected biological traits of Callinectes sapidus females in the Lesina and Varano lagoons during their breeding migration to more saline waters. In total, 19 individuals of Callinectes sapidus, 15 females and four males, were collected in the lagoons near the mouths of the seaward channels. The specimens' Carapace Width ranged from 115 to 230 mm, classifying them as medium to large crabs. In Varano lagoon in April and May 2014, two ovigerous females with egg masses of 63.39 g and 11.65 g respectively were captured. This represents the first record of ovigerous females of C. sapidus in this lagoon. The average Gonado-Somatic Index was 2.91 +/- 1.82 and 1.65 +/- 0.65 for the specimens captured in Varano and Lesina lagoons, respectively. The average Hepato-Somatic Index was 3.88 +/- 0.80 and 4.22 +/- 0.31 for specimens captured in Varano and Lesina, respectively. Egg diameter ranged between 0.23 and 0.35 mm. Histological analysis of gonads showed stages from III to V, with individuals in emission or postissuance stages. This study presents evidence of the establishment of C. sapidus populations in Varano lagoon in the south-west Adriatic Sea and provides additional information on this species in the Lesina and Varano lagoons.

The results presented in this work are related to an anoxic event occurred in Lesina lagoon (SE Italy) in summer 2008. The main aim is to describe the temporal dynamics of physicochemical characteristics of both sediment and overlaying water inside and outside the critical area. Nine sampling campaigns were carried out on a weekly basis. At each occasion T, S, pH, DO, nutrients and chl a were measured in water and TOC, TN, TP, TFe and ORP were performed on superficial sediments. Multivariate analysis was used in order to evaluate differences between inner and outer sites and assess the relationships between sediments and overlaying water. The factor "location" was significant for the observed physicochemical differences, as also tested by Anosim test one-way which supported evident differences in sediments (R = 0.599, p = 0.01%) and water (R = 0.381, p = 0.01%) between inner and outer sites. Wide fluctuations of oxygen and chlorophyll a were observed in the sites located within the anoxic area, with a peak of biomass of 180 µg.L-1 followed by saturation of oxygen higher than 100%. PCA analysis on sediment variables indicated a clear separation between inner and outer sites along the first axis (PC1) strongly associated with TOC, TN and ORP. A relationship between the content of TP in sediments and TP in water, followed by a phytoplanktonic bloom, was observed and confirmed by statistical correlation methods based on Spearman rank (Rho = 0,569, significance level of 0.01%).

Lo scopo del lavoro è stato quello di descrivere lo stato ecologico della Sacca Orientale della laguna di Lesina (FG), considerando la comunità macrobentonica e la vegetazione sommersa. Sono stati fatti campionamenti stagionali (2010) in 13 stazioni. In ogni stazione sono state misurate T°C, Salinità e O% dell'acqua e prelevato mediante box-corer (0.0225m2) la macrofauna bentonica e la vegetazione. Il campione, separato dalla vegetazione è stato setacciato in situ, con setaccio di 1 mm. Per ogni stazione è stata rilevata la biomassa umida (gr/m2) e le specie vegetali, l'abbondanza (ind/m2), la biomassa umida (gr/m2) e calcolato gli indici strutturali della comunità bentonica. Per la vegetazione sono state identificate 8 categorie, 7 determinate a livello di specie e 1 a livello di genere. Della macrofauna bentonica sono stati identificati 16 taxa, 15 a livello di specie e 1 a livello di genere, raggruppati in 13 famiglie. Il numero maggiore di famiglie apparteneva ai crostacei (4). Il gruppo più abbondante sono stati i gasteropodi (50%), seguito dai bivalvi (21%) e crostacei (11%). I bivalvi e i crostacei sono stati i più ricchi di specie (4). L'abbondanza media non ha mostrato differenze significative sia tra i campionamenti che tra le stazioni (Anova, p non significativo). Differenze significative tra i mesi sono state osservate per l'indice di Shannon (p

Aphanius fasciatus (Valenciennes), Atherina boyeri Risso and Knipowitschia panizzae (Verga) are considered resident fish species in Italian coastal lagoons, which spend their entire life cycle within the brackish waters. They are short-lived species, with a small size, and a rapid growth and attainment of sexual maturity. All these fish species are included in the IUCN Red List with the status of Least Concern. A. fasciatus and K. panizzae are additionally listed in the Appendix III of the Bern Convention and in the Annex II of the European Union Habitat Directive. The aim of this study was to determine the population structures, to assess the length-weight relationships (LWRs) and to estimate the growth parameters of the target species in the lagoons of Lesina and Varano. This information is necessary for population assessments, which provide information that may be used in the management of fish populations in lagoon systems. Sampling of specimens was seasonally conducted in the two lagoons from May 2008 to February 2010. Fishes were caught at eleven stations by fyke nets with 6 mm mesh size at the end. In the laboratory, all specimens were identified to species, measured for total length and weighted. Sex was macroscopically determined. A total of 3,242 specimens of A. fasciatus, 1,664 specimens of A. boyeri and 1,060 specimens of K. panizzae were analyzed. The length frequency distribution, the LWR and the growth parameters were derived for each species in each lagoon. LWRs were estimated by linear regression analysis of the log-converted weight and total length data. Parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function were determined through the ELEFAN-I software, using length frequency distribution. This study presents the first estimation for K. panizzae of LWRs and von Bertalanffy growth model parameters. Comparisons of the results were performed in relation to the lagoon environments and considering the knowledge about the species.

Soft bottom macrozoobenthic distribution, as well as its composition, biomass and diversity were studied at 9 stations in the Gulf of Manfredonia. Polychaeta were numerically the dominant component (71%), followed by Crustacea (21%) and Bivalvia (2%). The highest biodiversity was observed at the stations in near-shore of the study area.