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Abstract Environmental pollutants used as plasticizers in food packaging and in thousands of everyday products have become harmful for their impact on human health. Among them, phthalates, recognized as emerging endocrine disruptors (EDs) can induce toxic effects leading to different health disorders. Only few studies evaluated the effects of di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP) in in vivo models and no studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of DnHP on the endocannabinoid system (ECS), one of the majors signaling pathways involved in the microbiota–gut–brain axis. Due to the current relevance of probiotic bacteria as beneficial dietary interventions, the present study was aimed at evaluating the potential neuroprotective impact of daily administration of Lactiplantibacillus (Lpb.) plantarum IMC513 on zebrafish adults exposed to DnHP, with a focus on ECS modulation. Gene expression analysis revealed a promising protective role of probiotic through the restoration of ECS genes expression to the control level, in the brain of zebrafish daily exposed to DnHP. In addition, the levels of main endocannabinoids were also modulated. These findings confirm the potential ability of probiotics to interact at central level by modulating the ECS, suggesting the use of probiotics as innovative dietary strategy to counteract alterations by EDs exposure.

Phytosterols (PSs) are bioactive compounds in the sterol family, present in numerous complex food and plant matrices in free and conjugated forms. The interest in these compounds arises for phytotherapeutic purposes, particularly for their action on cholesterol metabolism and impact on cardiovascular diseases. There is a need to develop approaches that can selectively extract target analytes and accurately identify and quantify them with high precision. This work proposed the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for PSs with a sonochemical approach, enabling a rapid polymerization step (5 min). This proposed MIP was able to extract 8 PSs (brassicasterol, stigmastanol, campesterol, campestanol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, Δ5-avenasterol, α-spinasterol) from a wide range of plant and food matrices belonging to different classes (Brassicaceae, dried fruits and Leguminosae) and was coupled to ultra-high liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). MIP based on dispersed solid phase extraction (dSPE-MIP) and targeted analysis has proven to be particularly effective in addressing the challenges associated with the complexity of plant-derived matrices, minimising interferences. This was demonstrated by the excellent control of the matrix effect, which was within ±15 %, ensuring the robustness and reliability of the method. The identification and quantification of 8 different PSs was successfully achieved with satisfactory recovery values ranging from 65 % to 100 %. The proposed strategy offers an affordable alternative to classical methods, providing enhanced sensitivity, selectivity and overall performance.

Lupin seeds are recognized for their nutritional value and potential health benefits, but they contain also a significant amount of alkaloids, an anti-nutritive class of compounds, which vary significantly in composition within and between species due to environmental factors. In this study, we developed a predictive multi-experiment approach using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole with linear ionic trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-LIT-MS/MS) for comprehensive alkaloid profiling and geographical classification of Lupinus albus L. samples originating from four different Italian regions. Six targeted quinolizidine alkaloids were detected and 21 other alkaloids were putatively identified. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to explore the data structure and successfully classify samples according to their geographical origin. The data demonstrate the efficacy of the developed approach in providing valuable insights in alkaloid profiles of lupin seeds and their potential as markers for geographical traceability.

Abstract Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is listed as one of the top 10 most disabling neuropsychiatric conditions in the world. The neurobiology of OCD has not been completely understood and efforts are needed in order to develop new treatments. Beside the classical neurotransmitter systems and signalling pathways implicated in OCD, the possible involvement of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has emerged in pathophysiology of OCD. We report here selective downregulation of the genes coding for enzymes allowing the synthesis of the endocannabinoids. We found reduced DAGLα and NAPE-PLD in blood samples of individuals with OCD (when compared to healthy controls) as well as in the amygdala complex and prefrontal cortex of dopamine transporter (DAT) heterozygous rats, manifesting compulsive behaviours. Also mRNA levels of the genes coding for cannabinoid receptors type 1 and type 2 resulted downregulated, respectively in the rat amygdala and in human blood. Moreover, NAPE-PLD changes in gene expression resulted to be associated with an increase in DNA methylation at gene promoter, and the modulation of this gene in OCD appears to be correlated to the progression of the disease. Finally, the alterations observed in ECS genes expression appears to be correlated with the modulation in oxytocin receptor gene expression, consistently with what recently reported. Overall, we confirm here a role for ECS in OCD at both preclinical and clinical level. Many potential biomarkers are suggested among its components, in particular NAPE-PLD, that might be of help for a prompt and clear diagnosis.

The growing interest in vegetable proteins, namely those derived from lupins, has raised concerns over potential safety risks associated with these food products. Lupin serves as the main host for the mycotoxin-producing fungus called Diaporthe toxica. This species, which is associated with animal diseases, has been scarcely characterized. Recently, phomopsin-A (PHO-A), the main mycotoxin produced by D. toxica, was found to be harmful to humans. Therefore, this study aimed at characterizing D. toxica growth and spore formation both in vitro and on lupin samples. In addition, the production of PHO-A and alkaloids was investigated on lupin beans by using three different inoculation methods. Particularly, growth and spore production were evaluated on different media, while PHO-A and alkaloid production were determined by means of µSPE extraction followed by UHPLC-MS/MS and HPLC-MS/MS, respectively. The results have demonstrated differences in growth on different media, with potato and oat-flakes-based media being the best options. Conversely, D. toxica was not able to produce spores on agar media, but only on lupin beans. Moreover, a thorough analysis of PHO-A production revealed an increase over time, reaching values up to 1082.17 ppm after 21 days on artificially rehydrated samples. On the other side, the analysis of alkaloids revealed impressive results, as this species produced great quantities of the quinolizidine alkaloids (QA) that are normally present in lupin seeds such as lupanine, sparteine, multiflorine, and hydroxylupanine. On balance, considering these results, different metabolic pathways were demonstrated in D. toxica, which are not adequately described in the existing literature. These data are of paramount importance to deepen the knowledge about a fungal species that is important to ensure the safety of lupin and lupin-based products.

Phomopsin A (PHO-A), a potent mycotoxin produced by the pathogenic fungus Diaporthe toxica, is a growing international concern due to the high toxicity and prevalence in lupin plants, a vital source of food and feed. This hexapeptide mycotoxin has raised health concerns for both animals and humans, prompting regulatory bodies to set maximum allowable levels in lupin products.Different analytical methods have been developed for PHO-A detection, including Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with different detectors; they often lack sensitivity and selectivity required to meet maximum regulatory limits (MRL). In this work, we present a robust and sensitive method for PHO-A quantification and determination, developed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).This method incorporates a selective clean-up step using Micro Solid Phase Extraction (µ-SPE) to efficiently purify samples, ensuring a rapid, efficient, and selective recovery of PHO-A from the complex lupin matrix. The clean-up step not only helps in achieving lower detection limits but also minimizes matrix effects and contamination. The proposed method was validated following international guidelines, demonstrating reliable recovery, matrix effects, linearity, accuracy, and precision.Additionally, this method was successfully applied to artificially contaminated Lupinus albus L. samples, confirming the suitability for assessing PHO-A contamination. This analytical approach fills a critical gap in the literature by providing a specific, sensitive, and selective method for PHO-A analysis, contributing to the safety of lupin products and field monitoring.

Space-related stressors such as microgravity are associated with cellular and molecular alterations of the immune and inflammatory homeostasis that have been linked to the disorders that astronauts suffer from during their missions. Most of the research of the past 30 years has consistently established that innate adaptive immune cells represent a target of microgravity, which leads to their defective or dysfunctional activation, as well as to an altered ability to produce soluble mediators—e.g., cytokines/chemokines and bioactive lipids—that altogether control tissue homeostasis. Bioactive lipids include a vast array of endogenous molecules of immune origin that control the induction, intensity and outcome of the inflammatory events. However, none of the papers published so far focus on a newly characterized class of lipid mediators called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), which orchestrate the “resolution of inflammation”—i.e., the active control and confinement of the inflammatory torrent mostly driven by eicosanoids. SPMs are emerging as crucial players in those processes that avoid acute inflammation to degenerate into a chronic event. Given that SPMs, along with their metabolism and signaling, are being increasingly linked to many inflammatory disorders, their study seems of the outmost importance in the research of pathological processes involved in space-related diseases, also with the perspective of developing therapeutic countermeasures. Here, we show that microgravity, simulated in the rotary cell culture system (RCCS) developed by NASA, rearranges SPM receptors both at the gene and protein level, in human monocytes but not in lymphocytes. Moreover, RCCS treatment reduces the biosynthesis of a prominent SPM like resolvin (Rv) D1. These findings strongly suggest that not only microgravity can impair the functioning of immune cells at the level of bioactive lipids directly involved in proper inflammation, but it does so in a cell-specific manner, possibly perturbing immune homeostasis with monocytes being primary targets.

Abstract In the collective imagination derived from scientific and popular literature, Triceratops often faced each other in combat. Thus, from the second half of the twentieth century, these ceratopsids were described as pugnacious animals. This arises primarily from the interpretation of extracranial fenestrae in ceratopsids being the result of combat trauma. However, the diagnosis of the traumatic nature of these anatomical variants of their neck frill requires evidence of bone healing and remodelling by microscopy analysis. Here, we present the case of the Triceratops horridus known as Big John, which is one of the largest specimens discovered in the Hell Creek Formation (Upper Cretaceous; MT, USA). Its right squamosal bone shows an extrafenestra with irregular margins and signs of inflammation. Microscopy analysis revealed newly formed and healing bone, with histological signs typical of the bone remodelling phase. Chemical analysis revealed sulphur that was derived from glycosaminoglycan’s and sulphated glycoproteins of the preosseous osteoid substance present in the healing phases of a bone trauma. Histological and microanalytical analyses confirm that the squamosal fenestra of Big John is the result of a traumatic event, which might indeed have occurred during combat with another Triceratops.

Reported lizard material from the Wapiti Formation (central-western Alberta, Canada) is limited to fragmentary remains of Kleskunsaurus grandeprairiensis and Socognathus unicuspis, a partial dentary attributed to Chamops cf. C. segnis, and a vertebra reportedly comparable to those of the much larger lizard Palaeosaniwa canadensis. P. canadensis is a Late Cretaceous North American member of Monstersauria, a Mesozoic and Cenozoic anguimorph group represented today by five species of Heloderma. Here, we document new squamate material from the DC Bonebed locality (Wapiti Unit 3; Campanian), including a right frontal identified as cf. P. canadensis and a taxonomically indeterminate squamate astragalocalcaneum. A partial skeleton from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana provisionally attributed to P. canadensis has a frontal resembling the corresponding element from the DC Bonebed in overall shape, in having narrowly separated facets for the prefrontal and postorbitofrontal, and in bearing osteoderms similar to the DC specimen’s in ornamentation and configuration. The Two Medicine and DC specimens differ from a roughly contemporaneous frontal from southern Alberta referred to the monstersaur Labrodioctes montanensis. The DC specimen confirms the presence of monstersaurian squamates in the Wapiti Formation, representing the northernmost record of any definitive Late Cretaceous monstersaur to date.

Abstract During the latest Cretaceous, the European Archipelago was characterized by highly fragmented landmasses hosting putative dwarfed, insular dinosaurs, claimed as fossil evidence of the “island rule”. The Villaggio del Pescatore quarry (north-eastern Italy) stands as the most informative locality within the palaeo-Mediterranean region and represents the first, multi-individual Konservat-Lagerstätte type dinosaur-bearing locality in Italy. The site is here critically re-evaluated as early Campanian in age, thus preceding the final fragmentation stages of the European Archipelago, including all other European localities preserving hypothesized dwarfed taxa. New skeletal remains allowed osteohistological analyses on the hadrosauroid Tethyshadros insularis indicating subadult features in the type specimen whereas a second, herein newly described, larger individual is likely somatically mature. A phylogenetic comparative framework places the body-size of T. insularis in range with other non-hadrosaurid Eurasian hadrosauroids, rejecting any significant evolutionary trend towards miniaturisation in this clade, confuting its ‘pygmy’ status, and providing unmatched data to infer environmentally-driven body-size trends in Mesozoic dinosaurs.

Murraya koenigii (M. koenigii) is recognized as one of the most significant Indian medicinal plants, due to its therapeutic properties. In fact, various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antifungal, are attributed to carbazole alkaloids (CAs) and their metabolites, but it is still difficult to achieve a full classification of these compounds because of their heterogeneous structures. For this reason, the development of new strategies for their identification is necessary. In this work, a reliable method, including the simultaneous quantification of three main CAs of Murraya (Mahanimbine, Koenimbine and Koenigicine) and a putative identification for other compounds belonging to the huge family of CAs, was developed by means of HPLC-MS/MS. Also, an efficient extraction procedure followed by a suitable clean-up step was presented, in order to obtain reliable recoveries (resulted from 60 to 85% for all the analytes). The analyses were performed by using predictive multi experiment approach based on information-dependent acquisition (IDA), coupling multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and precursor ion (PI) as survey scans, and enhanced product ion scan (EPI) as dependent scan. Competitive Fragmentation Modeling-ID (CFM-ID) was used to predict MS/MS spectra from the chemical structures of the compounds in order to create a suitable MRM inclusion list. The obtained results showed that this method can simultaneously provide quantitative information for the target analytes (Mahanimbine (7.22–5.62 mg/kg), Koenimbine (1.26–1.62 mg/kg) and Koenigicine (0.44–1.77 mg/kg)) and a putative identification for several compounds belonging to different classes of CAs which are not included in the target list, thanks to PI survey scan.

The Wapiti Formation of northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia, Canada, preserves an Upper Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrate fauna that is latitudinally situated between those documented further north in Alaska and those from southern Alberta and the contiguous U.S.A. Therefore, the Wapiti Formation is important for identifying broad patterns in vertebrate ecology, diversity, and distribution across Laramidia during the latest Cretaceous. Tracksites are especially useful as they provide a range of palaeoecological, palaeoenvironmental, and behavioural data that are complementary to the skeletal record. Here, we describe the Tyrants Aisle locality, the largest in-situ tracksite known from the Wapiti Formation. The site occurs in the lower part of Unit 4 of the formation (~72.5 Ma, upper Campanian), exposed along the southern bank of the Redwillow River. More than 100 tracks are documented across at least three distinct track-bearing layers, which were deposited on an alluvial floodplain. Hadrosaurid tracks are most abundant, and are referable to Hadrosauropodus based on track width exceeding track length, broad digits, and rounded or bilobed heel margins. We suggest the hadrosaurid trackmaker was Edmontosaurus regalis based on stratigraphic context. Tyrannosaurids, probable troodontids, possible ornithomimids, and possible azhdarchid pterosaurs represent minor but notable elements of the ichnofauna, as the latter is unknown from skeletal remains within the Wapiti Formation, and all others are poorly represented. Possible social behaviour is inferred for some of the hadrosaurid and small theropod-like trackmakers based on trackway alignment, suitable spacing and consistent preservation. On a broad taxonomic level (i.e., family or above), ichnofaunal compositions indicate that hadrosaurids were palaeoecologically dominant across Laramidia during the late Campanian within both high-and low-latitude deposits, although the role of depositional environment requires further testing.

Lupin alkaloids (LAs) represent a class of toxic secondary metabolites in plants, in particular in Lupinus spp.; they are produced as a defense mechanism due to their strong bitter taste and are very dangerous for human and animals. In this work, a sensitive and reliable high performance liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analytical method for the identification and quantification of thirteen lupin alkaloids was developed and validated according to FDA guidelines. Efficient extraction and clean-up steps, carried out by solid-phase extraction, were finely tuned on the basis of the characteristics of the analytes and lupin samples, providing good selectivity with minimized matrix interference. The effectiveness of the method was proven by the satisfactory recovery values obtained for most of the analytes and a matrix effect ≤23% for all tested levels. In addition, a sensitive and reliable determination of the target compounds was obtained; LOQs were between 1 and 25 µg Kg−1, i.e., below the requested maximum levels (−1). The method was applied to evaluate the LAs profile in different batches of raw L. albus L. samples, varying in size and across farming treatments.

Aflatoxins (AFs) are fungi secondary metabolites produced by the Aspergillus family. These compounds can enter the food chain through food contamination, representing a risk to human health. Commercial immunoaffinity columns are widely used for the extraction and cleanup of AFs from food samples; however, their high cost and large solvent consumption create a need for alternative strategies. In this work, an alternative strategy for producing molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) was proposed to extract aflatoxins AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2 from complex food samples, using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The MIPs were synthesized via a low-cost and rapid (5 min) sonochemical free-radical polymerization, using 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid as a dummy template. MIPs-based solid phase extraction performance was tested on 17 dietary supplements (vegetables, fruits, and cereals), obtaining appreciable recovery rates (65–90%) and good reproducibility (RSD ≤ 6%, n = 3); the selectivity towards other mycotoxins was proved and the data obtained compared with commercial immunoaffinity columns. The proposed strategy can be considered an alternative affordable approach to the classical immunoaffinity columns, since it is more selective and better performing.

Type 1 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no effective treatment to date. Using mice modeling SCA1, it has been demonstrated that a drug that amplifies mGlu1 receptor activation (mGlu1 receptor PAM, Ro0711401) improves motor coordination without the development of tolerance when cerebellar dysfunction manifests (i.e., in 30-week-old heterozygous ataxin-1 [154Q/2Q] transgenic mice). SCA1 is also associated with cognitive dysfunction, which may precede cerebellar motor signs. Here, we report that otherwise healthy, 8-week-old SCA1 mice showed a defect in spatial learning and memory associated with reduced protein levels of mGlu1α receptors, the GluN2B subunit of NMDA receptors, and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in the hippocampus. Systemic treatment with Ro0711401 (10 mg/kg, s.c.) partially corrected the learning deficit in the Morris water maze and restored memory retention in the SCA1 mice model. This treatment also enhanced hippocampal levels of the endocannabinoid, anandamide, without changing the levels of 2-arachidonylglycerol. These findings suggest that mGlu1 receptor PAMs may be beneficial in the treatment of motor and nonmotor signs associated with SCA1 and encourage further studies in animal models of SCA1 and other types of SCAs.

Hadrosaurid (duck-billed) dinosaur bonebeds are exceedingly prevalent in upper Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) strata from the Midwest of North America (especially Alberta, Canada, and Montana, U.S.A) but are less frequently documented from more northern regions. The Wapiti Formation (Campanian–Maastrichtian) of northwestern Alberta is a largely untapped resource of terrestrial palaeontological information missing from southern Alberta due to the deposition of the marine Bearpaw Formation. In 2018, the Boreal Alberta Dinosaur Project rediscovered the Spring Creek Bonebed, which had been lost since 2002, along the northern bank of the Wapiti River, southwest of Grande Prairie. Earlier excavations and observations of the Spring Creek Bonebed suggested that the site yielded young hadrosaurines. Continued work in 2018 and 2019 recovered ~300 specimens that included a minimum of eight individuals, based on the number of right humeri. The morphology of several recovered cranial elements unequivocally supports lambeosaurine affinities, making the Spring Creek sample the first documented occurrence of lambeosaurines in the Wapiti Formation. The overall size range and histology of the bones found at the site indicate that these animals were uniformly late juveniles, suggesting that age segregation was a life history strategy among hadrosaurids. Given the considerable size attained by the Spring Creek lambeosaurines, they were probably segregated from the breeding population during nesting or caring for young, rather than due to different diet and locomotory requirements. Dynamic aspects of life history, such as age segregation, may well have contributed to the highly diverse and cosmopolitan nature of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurids.

Polyphenols (PCs) are a numerous class of bioactive molecules and are known for their antioxidant activity. In this work, the potential of the quadrupole/linear ion trap hybrid mass spectrometer (LIT-QqQ) was exploited to develop a semi-untargeted method for the identification of polyphenols in different food matrices: green coffee, Crocus sativus L. (saffron) and Humulus lupulus L. (hop). Several conjugate forms of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid were detected using neutral loss (NL) as a survey scan coupled with dependent scans with enhanced product ion (EPI) based on information-dependent acquisition (IDA) criteria. The presented approach is focused on a specific class of molecules and provides comprehensive information on the different conjugation models that are related to specific base molecules, thus allowing a quick and effective identification of all possible combinations, such as mono-, di-, or tri-glycosylation or another type of conjugation such as quinic acid esters.

Preserved labile tissues (e.g., skin, muscle) in the fossil record of terrestrial vertebrates are increasingly becoming recognized as an important source of biological and taphonomic information. Here, we combine a variety of synchrotron radiation techniques with scanning electron and optical microscopy to elucidate the structure of 72 million-year-old squamous (scaly) skin from a hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. Scanning electron and optical microscopy independently reveal that the three-dimensionally preserved scales are associated with a band of carbon-rich layers up to a total thickness of ∼75 microns, which is topographically and morphologically congruent with the stratum corneum in modern reptiles. Compositionally, this band deviates from that of the surrounding sedimentary matrix; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and soft X-ray spectromicroscopy analyses indicate that carbon appears predominantly as carbonyl in the skin. The regions corresponding to the integumentary layers are distinctively enriched in iron compared to the sedimentary matrix and appear with kaolinite-rich laminae. These hosting carbonyl-rich layers are apparently composed of subcircular bodies resembling preserved cell structures. Each of these structures is encapsulated by calcite/vaterite, with iron predominantly concentrated at its center. The presence of iron, calcite/vaterite and kaolinite may, independently or collectively, have played important roles in the preservation of the layered structures.

The diffusion of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is highly dynamic and the available substances change over time, resulting in forensic laboratories becoming highly engaged in NPS control. In order to manage NPS diffusion, efficient and innovative legal responses have been provided by several nations. Metabolic profiling is also part of the analytical fight against NPS, since it allows to identify the biomarkers of drug intake which are needed for the development of suitable analytical methods in biological samples. We have recently reported the characterization of two new analogs of fentanyl, i.e., 4-fluoro-furanylfentanyl (4F-FUF) and isobutyrylfentanyl (iBF), which were found for the first time in Italy in 2019; 4F-FUF was identified for the first time in Europe and was notified to the European Early Warning System. The goal of this study was the characterization of the main metabolites of both drugs by in vitro and in vivo experiments. To this end, incubation with mouse hepatocytes and intraperitoneal administration to mice were carried out. Samples were analyzed by means of liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS), followed by untargeted data evaluation using Compound Discoverer software with a specific workflow, designed for the identification of the whole metabolic pattern, including unexpected metabolites. Twenty metabolites were putatively annotated for 4F-FUF, with the dihydrodiol derivative appearing as the most abundant, whereas 22 metabolites were found for iBF, which was mainly excreted as nor-isobutyrylfentanyl. N-dealkylation of 4F-FUF dihydrodiol and oxidation to carbonyl metabolites for iBF were also major biotransformations. Despite some differences, in general there was a good agreement between in vitro and in vivo samples.

Abstract Background Following extreme climatic warming events, Eocene Lagerstätten document aquatic and terrestrial vertebrate faunas surprisingly similar to modern counterparts. This transition in marine systems is best documented in the earliest teleost-dominated coral reef assemblage of Pesciara di Bolca, northern Italy, from near the end of the Eocene Climatic Optimum. Its rich fauna shows similarities with that of the modern Great Barrier Reef in niche exploitation by and morphological disparity among teleost primary consumers. However, such paleoecological understanding has not transcended trophic levels above primary consumers, particularly in carcharhiniform sharks. Results We report an exceptionally preserved fossil school shark (Galeorhinus cuvieri) from Pesciara di Bolca. In addition to the spectacular preservation of soft tissues, including brain, muscles, and claspers, this male juvenile shark has stomach contents clearly identifiable as a sphyraenid acanthomorph (barracuda). This association provides evidence that a predator–prey relationship between Galeorhinus and Sphyraena in the modern coral reefs has roots in the Eocene. A growth curve of the living species of Galeorhinus fitted to G. cuvieri suggests that all specimens of G. cuvieri from the lagoonal deposits of Bolca represent sexually and somatically immature juveniles. Conclusion The modern trophic association between higher-degree consumers (Galeorhinus and Sphyraena) has a counterpart in the Eocene Bolca, just as Bolca and the Great Barrier Reef show parallels among teleost primary consumers. Given the age of Bolca, trophic networks among consumers observed in modern coral reefs arose by the exit from the Climatic Optimum. The biased representation of juveniles suggests that the Bolca Lagerstätte served as a nursery habitat for G. cuvieri. Ultraviolet photography may be useful in probing for exceptional soft tissue preservation before common acid preparation methods.

In this work, the concentration of nine cannabinoids, six neutral cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBC, CBG, CBN and CBDV) and three acidic cannabinoids (THCA CBGA and CBDA), was used to identify the Italian retailers of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp), reinforcing the idea that the practice of categorizing hemp samples only using THC and CBD is inadequate. A high-performance liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for screening and simultaneously analyzing the nine cannabinoids in 161 hemp samples sold by four retailers located in different Italian cities. The hemp samples dataset was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis with the aim to identify the hemp retailers without any other information on the hemp samples like Cannabis strains, seeds, soil and cultivation characteristics, geographical origin, product storage, etc. The univariate analysis highlighted that the hemp samples could not be differentiated by using any of the nine cannabinoids analyzed. To evaluate the real efficiency of the discrimination among the four hemp retailers a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied. The PLS-DA results showed a very good discrimination between the four hemp retailers with an explained variance of 100% and low classification errors in both calibration (5%) and cross validation (6%). A total of 92% of the hemp samples were correctly classified by the cannabinoid variables in both fitting and cross validation. This work contributed to show that an analytical method coupled with multivariate analysis can be used as a powerful tool for forensic purposes.

The rebbachisaurid sauropod Tataouinea hannibalis represents the first articulated dinosaur skeleton from Tunisia and one of the best preserved in northern Africa. The type specimen was collected from the lower Albian, fluvio-estuarine deposits of the Ain el Guettar Formation (southern Tunisia). We present detailed analyses on the sedimentology and facies distribution at the main quarry and a revision of the vertebrate fauna associated with the skeleton. Data provide information on a complex ecosystem dominated by crocodilian and other brackish water taxa. Taphonomic interpretations indicate a multi-event, pre-burial history with a combination of rapid segregation in high sediment supply conditions and partial subaerial exposure of the carcass. After the collection in 2011 of the articulated sacrum and proximalmost caudal vertebrae, all showing a complex pattern of pneumatization, newly discovered material of the type specimen allows a detailed osteological description of Tataouinea. The sacrum, the complete and articulated caudal vertebrae 1-17, both ilia and ischia display asymmetrical pneumatization, with the left side of vertebrae and the left ischium showing a more extensive invasion by pneumatic features than their right counterparts. A pneumatic hiatus is present in caudal centra 7 to 13, whereas caudal centra 14-16 are pneumatised by shallow fossae. Bayesian inference analyses integrating morphological, stratigraphic and paleogeographic data support a flagellicaudatan-rebbachisaurid divergence at about 163 Ma and a South American ancestral range for rebbachisaurids. Results presented here suggest an exclusively South American Limaysaurinae and a more widely distributed Rebbachisaurinae lineage, the latter including the South American taxon Katepensaurus and a clade including African and European taxa, with Tataouinea as sister taxon of Rebbachisaurus. This scenario would indicate that South America was not affected by the end-Jurassic extinction of diplodocoids, and was most likely the centre of the rapid radiation of rebbachisaurids to Africa and Europe between 135 and 130 Ma.

Il Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini di Bologna (MGGC)[1] rappresenta una delle più importanti realtà museali del panorama scientifico mondiale di settore. Esso ha per scopo primario la conservazione e la valorizzazione di ricche collezioni, molte delle quali di importanza storica e scientifica, in considerazione delle modalità di costituzione e del contenuto di numerosi reperti paleontologici antichi. Una delle tante peculiarità che rendono il MGGC un unicum nello scenario museale è il suo design interno, rimasto immutato dal periodo in cui Giovanni Capellini lo fondò nel 1881, configurandosi oggi come un museo dell’ottocento all’interno di un museo moderno. Al fine di arricchire l’esperienza dei visitatori prima, durante e dopo la permanenza al museo, sono state studiate e sviluppate alcune applicazioni digitali che sfruttano le potenzialità offerte dalle moderne tecnologie di visualizzazione ed interazione.

Two new specimens of the oviraptorid theropod Nemegtomaia barsboldi from the Nemegt Basin of southern Mongolia are described. Specimen MPC-D 107/15 was collected from the upper beds of the Baruungoyot Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian), and is a nest of eggs with the skeleton of the assumed parent of Nemegtomaia on top in brooding position. Much of the skeleton was damaged by colonies of dermestid coleopterans prior to its complete burial. However, diagnostic characters are recovered from the parts preserved, including the skull, partial forelimbs (including the left hand), legs, and distal portions of both feet. Nemegtomaia represents the fourth known genus of oviraptorid for which individuals have been found on nests of eggs. The second new specimen, MPC-D 107/16, was collected a few kilometers to the east in basal deposits of the Nemegt Formation, and includes both hands and femora of a smaller Nemegtomaia individual. The two formations and their diverse fossil assemblages have been considered to represent sequential time periods and different environments, but data presented here indicate partial overlap across the Baruungoyot-Nemegt transition. All other known oviraptorids from Mongolia and China are known exclusively from xeric or semi-arid environments. However, this study documents that Nemegtomaia is found in both arid/aeolian (Baruungoyot Formation) and more humid/fluvial (Nemegt Formation) facies.