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Salinity stress impairs growth and physiological performance in tomato, which is one of the most economically important vegetables and is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. Plant landraces, which are heterogeneous, local adaptations of domesticated species, offer a unique opportunity to valorize available germplasm, underpinning the productivity, resilience, and adaptive capacity of staple crops in vulnerable environments. Here, we investigated the response of fully mature tomato plants from a commercial variety, an ancestral wild relative, and a landrace under short-term salinity exposure, as well as their ability to recover upon cessation of stress. The heterogeneous panel evaluated in this study revealed different adaptative strategies to cope the stress. Our data highlighted the ability of the tomato clade to handle low and intermediate salinity stress for short-term exposure time, as well as its capacity to recover after the cessation of stress, although inter- and intraspecific variations in morphological and physiological responses to salinity were observed. Overall, the landrace and the wild type performed similarly to control conditions under low salinity, demonstrating an improved ability to maintain ionic balance. In contrast, the commercial genotype showed susceptibility and severe symptoms even under low salinity, with pronounced reductions in K+/Na+ ratio, PSII photochemical efficiency, and photosynthetic pigments. This research confirmed that improved salt tolerant genotypes can lead to substantial, positive impacts on horticultural production. While the salt tolerance mechanism of domesticated tomato was efficient under mild stress conditions, it failed at higher salinity levels.

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

Boom‐and‐bust cycles in the housing market pose a threat to macroeconomic and financial stability, thus calling for a timely assessment of imbalances. This work sheds light on the drivers of house price dynamics in some euro area economies, investigating the risks of overheating. We show that an Error‐Correction‐Model (ECM) featuring a long‐run relationship between house prices and income and short‐run effects of interest rates and housing supply fits the data well in most cases. We then propose a novel model‐based misalignment indicator and find that extrapolative house price expectations play an important role in the build‐up of speculative bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate how seasonal variations in environmental conditions and atmospheric NO2 impact C and N cycle in an urban environment by determining their elemental concentration and isotopic composition (δ13C, δ15N) at spatial scale (urban and peri-urban sites) and species level (evergreen plants). Leaves and soil across the medium-sized city of Pisa were collected over 1 year including COVID-19 lockdown, taking advantage of the unprecedented containment measures causing a substantial NO2 drop. The enrichment in heavier isotopes of organic matter in urban soil was most likely due to the long-term contribution of both δ15N-enriched depositions and greater C and N cycling rates in comparison with peri-urban soil. Leaf δ15N represented a valuable proxy of the urbanization degree depending on microclimate and N inputs from atmospheric NO2. Leaf δ13C showed a seasonal trend linked to plant functional types, with significant differences between sites and species. Differently from Nerium oleander and Pittosporum tobira, Quercus ilex showed a positive correlation between δ13C and NO2, highlighting the positive effect of N deposition on its intrinsic water-use efficiency. Moreover, the lockdown-induced NO2 reduction was reflected in a decreasing trend of leaf N concentration and change in intrinsic water-use efficiency depending on the plant species and urbanization degree. Q. ilex showed the best adaptability to the more NO2-polluted site, being able to uptake and immobilize high amounts of 15N-enriched atmospheric depositions into its leaves without toxic effects. Overall, these results must be considered in urban greening programs to improve air quality in NO2-polluted areas.

Salinity stress impairs growth and physiological performance in tomato, which is one of the most economically important vegetables and is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. Plant landraces, which are heterogeneous, local adaptations of domesticated species, offer a unique opportunity to valorize available germplasm, underpinning the productivity, resilience, and adaptive capacity of staple crops in vulnerable environments. Here, we investigated the response of fully mature tomato plants from a commercial variety, an ancestral wild relative, and a landrace under short-term salinity exposure, as well as their ability to recover upon cessation of stress. The heterogeneous panel evaluated in this study revealed different adaptative strategies to cope the stress. Our data highlighted the ability of the tomato clade to handle low and intermediate salinity stress for short-term exposure time, as well as its capacity to recover after the cessation of stress, although inter- and intraspecific variations in morphological and physiological responses to salinity were observed. Overall, the landrace and the wild type performed similarly to control conditions under low salinity, demonstrating an improved ability to maintain ionic balance. In contrast, the commercial genotype showed susceptibility and severe symptoms even under low salinity, with pronounced reductions in K+/Na+ ratio, PSII photochemical efficiency, and photosynthetic pigments. This research confirmed that improved salt tolerant genotypes can lead to substantial, positive impacts on horticultural production. While the salt tolerance mechanism of domesticated tomato was efficient under mild stress conditions, it failed at higher salinity levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Amalia Guglilminetti nació en Turín en 1881. Tuvo una formación escolar de corte religioso, condicionada por la presencia de su abuelo, que asumió el papel de pater familias tras la muerte del padre de Amalia. Su primer libro de poemas se publicó en 1901, pero fue considerado demasiado infantil y sencillo. Con el segundo, en cambio, Le vergini folli (del cual hemos traducido la primera sección, dedicada a las almas), alcanzó el éxito y sus versos, bien estructurados y de gran perfección técnica, le valieron los elogios de su profesor, Arturo Graf, del crítico Dino Mantovani y del poeta Guido Gozzano, sobre todo por la espontaneidad que desbordan. Sin embargo, ella consideraba que apenas había rozado la esencia del arte y consideró que debía seguir trabajando para alcanzar ese estado. Amalia Guglielminetti fue una escritora muy prolífica que se dedicó no solo a la poesía, sino también al teatro (tanto comedia como tragedia) y a la novela. Tras un intento de ser periodista en Roma, volvió a Turín, donde murió en 1941 a causa de una herida que se hizo cuando bajaba a un refugio antiaéreo

Abstract Background Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation can affect several aspects ranging from plant growth to metabolic regulation. Maca is a Brassicaceae crop native to the Andes growing in above 3500 m of altitude. Although maca has been the focus mainly due to its nutraceutical properties, it remains unknown how maca plants tolerate to harsh environments, such as strong UV-B. Here, we present the first study that reports the physiological responses of maca plants to counteract and recover to repeated acute UV-B irradiation. Results In detail, plants were daily exposed to acute UV-B irradiation followed by a recovery period under controlled conditions. The results showed that repeated acute UV-B exposures reduced biomass and photosynthetic parameters, with gradual senescence induction in exposed leaves, reduction of young leaves expansion and root growth inhibition. Negative correlation between increased UV-B and recovery was observed, with marked production of new biomass in plants treated one week or more. Conclusions A differential UV-B response was observed: stress response was mainly controlled by a coordinated source-sink carbon allocation, while acclimation process may require UV-B-specific systemic defense response reflected on the phenotypic plasticity of maca plants. Moreover, these differential UV-B responses were also suggested by multifactorial analysis based on biometric and physiological data.

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

Aquatic ecosystems represent one of the largest reservoirs of phytoplankton accounting for most of the primary production of the Earth. The Lake Massaciuccoli located in Tuscany (Italy) is one of the largest swamps that in ancient times entirely covered the Versilia coastal plain. Despite its peculiar features, especially the eutrophic characteristics, its native microalgal consortia have never been explored up to now. In this work, we isolated and described four autochthonous microalgal strains from different sites in the lake (FB, Idr, CL_Sc, and CL_Ch); the four microalgal strains were identified within the Chlorella sorokiniana clade. We exposed them to ten of the most common or emerging environmental contaminants in order to describe their preliminary response to the tested substances: five metals (As, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn), two herbicides (Metolachlor and Sethoxydim), two antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin and Benzylpenicillin) and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (Ibuprofen). Physiological response of the strains highlighted intraspecific differences; strain CL_Sc was the most tolerant in presence of metals while strain Idr was the most sensitive. All strains were sensitive to sethoxydim and tolerant to metolachlor at all the tested concentrations. Strains FB and Idr were the most sensitive in presence of Ibuprofen while strain CL_Ch was the most sensitive to the highest Benzylpenicillin concentration. Resistance pattern of strain Idr somehow reflects both the phylogenetic and the geographic “isolation” from all other three strains. Finally, optical microscope observation confirmed some differences also in the microalgae morphological aspect. Overall, all the strains showed interesting responses in presence of high concentrations of the tested substances, representing putative interesting candidates for water remediation in wastewater treatment plants.

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

Two massive wastes are cigarette butts (CB) and stone wool (SW), both representing a threat to the environment. Although the cellulose acetate filters (CAF) in CB are long-term degradable, SW soilless substrates are not. Here, a soilless substrate for growing ornamental plants was manufactured with CAF and compared to commercial SW substrate. CB treatment consisted of a washing in boiling water with a dramatic reduction of pollutants in CAF. Then, cleaned filters were separated, dried, carded to fibers, and subsequently compacted into plugs. The trace pollutants in recycled CAF substrate did not negatively affect the germination of Spartium junceum L. and Lavandula angustifolia Miller seeds as well as the root development of Salvia officinalis L. and Salvia rosmarinus Schleid. stem cuttings. Plants grown in recycled CAF showed a differential species-dependent change of pigments in comparison with those in SW, without compromising their photosynthesis performance. Overall, the results demonstrated that these plants can be well established and grow in recycled CAF, as comparable to SW substrate. This study highlights a novel and promising solution in CAF recycling by turning this litter into an efficient soilless substrate for growing ornamental plants, thus limiting the use of SW and indirectly decreasing its industrial waste flow.

R Olivera,1 LN Moro,2 R Jordan,1 N Pallarols,3 A Guglielminetti,3 C Luzzani,2 SG Miriuka,2 G Vichera1 1KHEIRON S.A Laboratory, Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 2LIAN-Unit Associated with CONICET, FLENI, Belen de Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina; 3Kawell Equine Hospital, Solís, Buenos Aires, Argentina Introduction: Cell plasticity is crucial in cloning to allow an efficient nuclear reprogramming and healthy offspring. Hence, cells with high plasticity, such as multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), may be a promising alternative for horse cloning. In this study, we evaluated the use of bone marrow-MSCs (BM-MSCs) as nuclear donors in horse cloning, and we compared the in vitro and in vivo embryo development with respect to fibroblasts. Materials and methods: Zona-free nuclear transfer was performed using BM-MSCs (MSC group, n=3432) or adult fibroblasts (AF group, n=4527). Embryos produced by artificial insemination (AI) recovered by uterine flushing and transferred to recipient mares were used as controls (AI group). Results: Blastocyst development was higher in the MSC group than in the AF group (18.1% vs 10.9%, respectively; p

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

Tomato landraces, originated by adaptive responses to local habitats, are considered a valuable resource for many traits of agronomic interest, including fruit nutritional quality. Primary and secondary metabolites are essential determinants of fruit organoleptic quality, and some of them, such as carotenoids and phenolics, have been associated with beneficial proprieties for human health. Landraces’ fruit taste and flavour are often preferred by consumers compared to the commercial varieties’ ones. In an autumn-winter greenhouse hydroponic experiment, the response of three Southern-Italy tomato landraces (Ciettaicale, Linosa and Corleone) and one commercial cultivar (UC-82B) to different concentrations of sodium chloride (0 mM, 60 mM or 120 mM NaCl) were evaluated. At harvest, no losses in marketable yield were noticed in any of the tested genotypes. However, under salt stress, fresh fruit yield as well as fruit calcium concentration were higher affected in the commercial cultivar than in the landraces. Furthermore, UC-82B showed a trend of decreasing lycopene and total antioxidant capacity with increasing salt concentration, whereas no changes in these parameters were observed in the landraces under 60 mM NaCl. Landraces under 120 mM NaCl accumulated more fructose and glucose in the fruits, while salt did not affect hexoses levels in UC-82B. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed differential accumulation of glycoalkaloids, phenolic acids, flavonoids and their derivatives in the fruits of all genotypes under stress. Overall, the investigated Italian landraces showed a different behaviour compared to the commercial variety UC-82B under moderate salinity stress, showing a tolerable compromise between yield and quality attributes. Our results point to the feasible use of tomato landraces as a target to select interesting genetic traits to improve fruit quality under stress conditions.

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

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

Cover crops (CCs) are able to affect subsequent crop behaviour by acting on many soil variables and affecting the dynamics of different ecological processes. This study aimed to investigate the effects of introducing CC in continuous-maize cropping systems within Mediterranean areas. The experimental site was located in Central Italy, on a sandy loam and the research activity was carried out over two years (2019–2020). The two cropping systems in comparison differed from each other in terms of the CC cultivation: TR (treated, with CC) and CO (control, without CC). In both years, we observed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of soil nitrate and water content for the TR system. In the shallowest layer (0–30 cm), nitrate content was reduced by up −80% and −65% (July 2019 and 2020), whereas soil moisture showed decreases ranging from −13% (July 2019) to −34% (May 2019). In 2019, the TR-maize (Zea mays L.) yield was statistically lower than CO (−443 g dm m−2), whereas in 2020 the yields of the two systems resulted statistically equivalent. This different behaviour can be explained with the serious delay in the CC sowing occurred in 2019 (12 December). Conversely, an increase in the apparent remaining N in the soil (+140 and +133 kg N ha−1 for 2019 and 2020, respectively) and in the C (carbon) inputs (+4.78 and +7.39 t dm ha−1 of biomass) were pointed out for the TR system. The large use of inputs in Mediterranean maize cropping systems limited some of the benefits from CCs, but their suitability has to be evaluated by considering all the involved effects, some of which need a long time to become appreciable.

Despite the magnitude and cyclicality of transitions into and out of the labour force, the literature generally considers unemployment as a sufficient statistic of labour market slack. We question this view by jointly estimating natural unemployment and participation rates through a Phillips curve informed by structural labour market flows. Focusing on Italy, a country where flows into and out of the labour force are particularly large, we find that the participation margin accounts for a significant share of total slack and explains one-third of the missing inflation that followed the 2011 Sovereign Debt Crisis. Exploiting a reform that sharply and unexpectedly increased the statutory retirement age and expanded labour supply without directly affecting unemployment, we confirm that neglecting the participation gap biases inflation forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]