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Abstract The generic term “Gill disease” refers to a wide range of disorders that affect the gills and severely impact salmonid aquaculture systems worldwide. In rainbow trout freshwater aquaculture, various etiological agents causing gill diseases have been described, particularly Flavobacterium and Amoeba species, but research studies suggest a more complex and multifactorial aetiology. Here, a cohort of rainbow trout affected by gill disease is monitored both through standard laboratory techniques and 16S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis during a natural disease outbreak and subsequent antibiotic treatment with Oxytetracycline. NGS results show a clear clustering of the samples between pre- and post-treatment based on the microbial community of the gills. Interestingly, the three main pathogenic bacteria species in rainbow trout (Yersinia ruckeri, Flavobacterium psychrophilum, and Flavobacterium branchiophilum) appear to be weak descriptors of the diversity between pre-treatment and post-treatment groups. In this study, the dynamics of the gill microbiome during the outbreak and subsequent treatment are far more complex than previously reported in the literature, and environmental factors seem of the utmost importance in determining gill disease. These findings present a potential novel perspective on the diagnosis and management of gill diseases, showing the limitations of conventional laboratory methodologies in elucidating the complexity of this disease in rainbow trout. To the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to describe the microbiome of rainbow trout gills during a natural outbreak and subsequent antibiotic treatment. The results of this study suggest that NGS can play a critical role in the analysis and comprehension of gill pathology. Using NGS in future research is highly recommended to gain deeper insights into such diseases correlating gill’s microbiome with other possible cofactors and establish strong prevention guidelines.

ABSTRACT: The use of natural milk culture (NMC) represents a key factor in Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Montasio cheese, contributing to its distinctive sensory profile. The complex microbial ecosystem of NMC is the result of heat treatment and incubation conditions, which can vary considerably among different production plants. In this study, the microbiota of NMC collected from 10 PDO Montasio cheese dairies was investigated by employing colony counts and metagenomic analysis. Furthermore, residual sugars, organic acids, and volatile profiles were quantitatively investigated. Results showed that Streptococcus thermophilus was the dominant species in all NMC, and a subdominant population made of other streptococci and Ligilactobacillus salivarius was also present. The incubation temperature appeared to be the main driver of biodiversity in NMC. Metagenomics allowed us to evidence the presence of minor species involving safety (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) as well as possible functional aspects (Next Generation Probiotics). Statistical analysis based on residual sugars, organic acids, and volatiles' content allowed to correlate the presence of specific microbial groups with metabolites of great technological and sensory relevance, which can contribute to giving value to the artisanal production procedures of NMC and clarify their role in the creation of the characteristics of PDO Montasio cheese.

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology has allowed for the measurement of cerebral and skeletal muscle oxygenation simultaneously during exercise. Since this technology has been growing and is now successfully used in laboratory and sports settings, this systematic review aimed to synthesize the evidence and enhance an integrative understanding of blood flow adjustments and oxygen (O2) changes (i.e., the balance between O2 delivery and O2 consumption) within the cerebral and muscle systems during exercise. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to search for relevant studies that simultaneously investigated cerebral and muscle hemodynamic changes using the near-infrared spectroscopy system during exercise. This review considered manuscripts written in English and available before February 9, 2023. Each step of screening involved evaluation by 2 independent authors, with disagreements resolved by a third author. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. Results: Twenty studies were included, of which 80% had good methodological quality, and involved 290 young or middle-aged adults. Different types of exercises were used to assess cerebral and muscle hemodynamic changes, such as cycling (n = 11), treadmill (n = 1), knee extension (n = 5), isometric contraction of biceps brachii (n = 3), and duet swim routines (n = 1). The cerebral hemodynamics analysis was focused on the frontal cortex (n = 20), while in the muscle, the analysis involved vastus lateralis (n = 18), gastrocnemius (n = 3), biceps brachii (n = 5), deltoid (n = 1), and intercostal muscle (n = 1). Overall, muscle deoxygenation increases during exercise, reaching a plateau in voluntary exhaustion, while in the brain, oxyhemoglobin concentration increases with exercise intensity, reaching a plateau or declining at the exhaustion point. Conclusion: Muscle and cerebral oxygenation respond differently to exercise, with muscle increasing O2 utilization and cerebral tissue increasing O2 delivery during exercise. However, at the exhaustion point, both muscle and cerebral oxygenation become compromised. This is characterized by a reduction in blood flow and a decrease in O2 extraction in the muscle, while in the brain, oxygenation reaches a plateau or decline, potentially resulting in motor failure during exercise.

The consequences of a successful intentional attack to a process facility can be severe and could propagate among units generating the so-called domino effects, with potential effects on people, the environment, and assets. For these reasons, institutions and practitioners have found interest in determining the entity of damages associated with these events and integrating them into conventional safety and economic analyses. Still, approaches devoted to assessing the economic losses associated with intentional attacks have received less attention in the literature. This work presents a methodology to evaluate asset losses associated to intentional attacks. A probabilistic approach based on Bayesian Networks was adopted to include several factors associated to intrusion scenarios and their interdependencies. The developed methodology was then applied to a case study to demonstrate its potentialities. A demonstrational attack scenario was considered to test the methodology. The results show that a successful intentional attack might indeed lead not only to direct consequences on people, but also to relevant economical losses. Moreover, factoring in the synergistic performance of safety and security barriers allows to improve the estimation of asset losses.

Antibiotic resistance crisis dictates the need for resistance monitoring and the search for new antibiotics. The development of monitoring protocols is hindered by the great diversity of resistance factors, while the “streetlight effect” denies the possibility of discovering novel drugs based on existing databases. In this study, we address these challenges using high-throughput environmental screening viewed from a trait-based ecological perspective. Through an in-depth analysis of the metagenomes of 658 topsoil samples spanning Europe, we explored the distribution of 241 prokaryotic and fungal genes responsible for producing metabolites with antibiotic properties and 485 antibiotic resistance genes. We analyzed the diversity of these gene collections at different levels and modeled the distribution of each gene across environmental gradients. Our analyses revealed several nonparallel distribution patterns of the genes encoding sequential steps of enzymatic pathways synthesizing large antibiotic groups, pointing to gaps in existing databases and suggesting potential for discovering new analogues of known antibiotics. We show that agricultural activity caused a continental-scale homogenization of microbial antibiotic-related machinery, emphasizing the importance of maintaining indigenous ecosystems within the landscape mosaic. Based on the relationships between the proportion of the genes in the metagenomes with the main predictors (soil pH, land cover type, climate temperature and humidity), we illustrate how the properties of chemical structures dictate the distribution of the genes responsible for their synthesis across environments. With this understanding, we propose general principles to facilitate the discovery of antibiotics, including principally new ones, establish abundance baselines for antibiotic resistance genes, and predict their dissemination.

This paper aims to evaluate and discuss the digital competence of academics at universities, to identify challenges and define recommendations for policy. This study was conducted through collaboration between the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and Metared of the Universia Foundation, surveying 30,407 participants who present the perceptions of their own digital competence levels. These self-reflections took place in universities in seven countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Portugal, and used the Check-In tool, which consists of 22 questions based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators--or 'DigCompEdu' framework. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, followed by a qualitative evaluation. Almost 70% of the academics have an average intermediate level of competence when the data is aggregated, with results varying in each DigCompEdu area according to the specific question asked. There is no significant difference between young and senior academics, as well as between men and women. The results present a discussion of whether the age and gender of educators and their work environment have an impact on their digital competence level, and at the same time highlights the areas in which educators perceive themselves to be most and least competent. It shows how the amount of institutional support that is offered affects the academics' perceptions of their level of digital competence. On the basis of the results, recommendations are presented for higher-education institutions, with the aim of supporting the professional development of their academics.

BackgroundPregnancy is a complex time characterized by major transformations in a woman, which impact her physical, mental, and social well-being. How a woman adapts to these changes can affect her quality of life and psychological well-being. The literature indicates that pregnant women commonly experience psychological symptoms, with anxiety, stress, and depression being among the most frequent. Hence, promoting a healthy lifestyle focused on women’s psychological well-being is crucial. Recently developed digital solutions have assumed a crucial role in supporting psychological well-being in physiologically pregnant women. Therefore, the need becomes evident for the development and implementation of digital solutions, such as a virtual coach implemented in a smartphone, as a support for the psychological well-being of pregnant women who do not present psychological and psychiatric disorders. ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a mindfulness-based mobile app. The primary objective is to explore the feasibility of using a virtual coach, Maia, developed within the TreC Mamma app to promote women’s psychological well-being during pregnancy through a psychoeducational module based on mindfulness. Finally, through the delivery of this module, the level of psychological well-being will be explored as a secondary objective. MethodsThis is a proof-of-concept study in which a small sample (N=50) is sufficient to achieve the intended purposes. Recruitment will occur within the group of pregnant women belonging to the pregnancy care services of the Trento Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari di Trento. The convenience sampling method will be used. Maia will interact with the participating women for 8 weeks, starting from weeks 24 and 26 of pregnancy. Specifically, there will be 2 sessions per week, which the woman can choose, to allow more flexibility toward her needs. ResultsThe psychoeducational pathway is expected to lead to significant results in terms of usability and engagement in women’s interactions with Maia. Furthermore, it is anticipated that there will be improvements in psychological well-being and overall quality of life. The analysis of the data collected in this study will be mainly descriptive, orientated toward assessing the achievement of the study objectives. ConclusionsLiterature has shown that women preferred web-based support during the perinatal period, suggesting that implementing digital interventions can overcome barriers to social stigma and asking for help. Maia can be a valuable resource for regular psychoeducational support for women during pregnancy. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR1-10.2196/53890

The Lower Units of Alpine Corsica, France, are fragments of continental crust strongly deformed and metamorphosed under high-pressure metamorphic conditions. Three slices of Lower Units are well exposed in the area between the Asco and Tavignano valleys, Central Corsica. Despite their complex structural setting, they provide the opportunity for a reconstruction of the pristine stratigraphic setting of the Lower Units. In our reconstruction, these units consist of a Paleozoic basement topped by Triassic to Early Jurassic sedimentary rocks unconformably covered by Middle to Late Eocene foredeep deposits. However, the three units exposed in the study area display strong differences mainly in the thickness of the Mesozoic sequence. These differences are here interpreted as acquired during the first stage of the rifting process in a setting controlled by normal faults. During the collision-related tectonics and the accretion of the Lower Units to the Alpine orogenic wedge, these normal faults were probably reactivated with a reverse kinematics. The stratigraphic logs of the Lower Units strictly resemble those of the Pre-Piedmont Units from Western Alps. This similarity indicates a common origin of the Lower Units and the Pre-Piedmont Units from the same domain (i.e., the European distal continental margin).

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) in post-stroke individuals. The original MASA scale was translated and culturally adapted from English to Italian following the international guidelines. The internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the MASA-IT were assessed, and its concurrent validity was examined through Pearson correlation coefficients with the Italian versions of two established gold standard scales for dysphagia assessment: the Dysphagia Outcome Severity Scale (DOSS) and the De Pippo Test—Three Oz Water Swallow. The MASA-IT was administered to 78 participants. The items demonstrated excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging between 0.86 and 0.89. The interclass correlation coefficient was 0.98 for inter-rater reliability and 0.99 for intra-rater reliability, indicating high reproducibility. Regarding concurrent validity, the MASA-IT showed a strong direct correlation with the DOSS scale (r = 0.949, p = 0.01) and an inverse correlation with the De Pippo Test (r = −0.783, p = 0.01), confirming its good concurrent validity. The Italian version of the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA-IT) is a reliable and valid tool for assessing swallowing ability in post-stroke patients. Its strong psychometric properties make it well suited for clinical use in Italy.

Introduction and Objectives: Liver transplantation is the optimal treatment for patients with early hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. However, hepatocellular carcinoma recurs in approximately 15 % of individuals. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of predictive models for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 381 patients with HCC and evaluated the performance of the following models: R3-AFP score, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) model, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) nomogram, Pre-Model of Recurrence after Liver Transplantation (MORAL), Post-MORAL, and Combo MORAL models, Risk Estimation of Tumor Recurrence (RETREAT) model and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) model. Results: The R3-AFP score, UCLA nomogram, AFP model, RETREAT, Combo MORAL, and Post-MORAL models exhibited comparable AUROCs, ranging from 0.785 to 0.733. The AUROCs for the R3-AFP model and AFP model were superior to those of the Pre-MORAL and PLR models. The UCLA nomogram, RETREAT score, Combo MORAL model, and Post-MORAL model performed similarly to the first two models, but were only superior to the PLR model. Conclusions: The R3-AFP model, UCLA nomogram, AFP model, RETREAT, Combo MORAL, and Post-MORAL models demonstrated a moderate predictive capacity for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following transplantation. No significant differences were observed among these models in their ability to predict recurrence.

¿Qué contradicciones se observan entre el ideario del multiculturalismo relacionado con el derecho a la libre circulación de las personas entre las fronteras de las naciones y las restricciones a la movilidad de ciertos grupos durante el neoliberalismo? ¿Cómo se manifiestan estas contradicciones en el caso de las personas migrantes afrodescendientes haitianas? A través del concepto de interseccionalidad, se ilustra cómo la construcción de la otredad negativa de esta población se origina en su propio país para posteriormente trasladarse a las rutas migratorias. Se analiza este desenlace a partir de un elemento central, el racismo, derivado de la colonización francesa, al que se suman factores históricos, políticos, demográficos y económicos, la vulnerabilidad ecológica y la implementación de estrategias neoliberales a finales del siglo XX, que tornan inviable la sobrevivencia de la población y la obligan a migrar.

ABSTRACTWe described the structural architecture of a key area along the Western Ligurian Alps where a stack of oceanic and continental units showing Low- to very Low-grade metamorphic imprint is exposed. We combine a new dataset by integrating stratigraphic, structural and metamorphic data to produce an original 1:12.500 geological map. The high-resolution mapping along with multiscale structural analysis revealed a large-scale superposition of fold and thrust systems extending for more than 50 km2. These field data and available thermobarometric estimates provide constraints to decipher the tectonic evolution of the Southwestern Alps and highlight the shallow crustal coupling of continental and oceanic units during top-to-the-southwest thrusting, the latter was strongly evident in the investigated area.

Abstract This paper aims to evaluate and discuss the digital competence of academics at universities, to identify challenges and define recommendations for policy. This study was conducted through collaboration between the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and Metared of the Universia Foundation, surveying 30,407 participants who present the perceptions of their own digital competence levels. These self-reflections took place in universities in seven countries, namely Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Portugal, and used the Check-In tool, which consists of 22 questions based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators—or ‘DigCompEdu’ framework. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed, followed by a qualitative evaluation. Almost 70% of the academics have an average intermediate level of competence when the data is aggregated, with results varying in each DigCompEdu area according to the specific question asked. There is no significant difference between young and senior academics, as well as between men and women. The results present a discussion of whether the age and gender of educators and their work environment have an impact on their digital competence level, and at the same time highlights the areas in which educators perceive themselves to be most and least competent. It shows how the amount of institutional support that is offered affects the academics’ perceptions of their level of digital competence. On the basis of the results, recommendations are presented for higher-education institutions, with the aim of supporting the professional development of their academics.

Since 2012, kiwifruit vine decline syndrome (KVDS) has severely compromised all major kiwifruit-growing areas in Italy. Thus far, etiological studies were mainly focused on waterlogging effects or on the isolation of microorganisms from diseased plants; therefore, an all-encompassing picture of KVDS microbiota is still missing. This work aims to describe oomycete and fungal communities associated with KVDS and to identify key taxa potentially involved in the disease through a metabarcoding approach on root endosphere and rhizosphere samples. Two nearby fields with similar pedoclimatic conditions were identified based on KVDS spreading during a 4-year survey (2016 to 2019). In total, four sampling areas were selected, one from the control field with no sign of KVDS (asymptomatic site) and three from the KVDS-affected field (diseased site): (i) asymptomatic until the sampling date in 2018, (ii) symptomatic since 2018, and (iii) symptomatic since 2017. Total genomic DNA samples were subjected to a nested PCR approach separately targeting the internal transcribes spacer 2 regions of fungal and oomycete communities. The communities were compared in terms of α- and β-diversities, and key taxa were identified using univariate differential abundance tests. Major differences in taxa distribution were observed between samples from the different sites (asymptomatic and diseased) and were mostly linked to the oomycete community. Phytophthora sojae was the main taxa characterizing the diseased site and supposed to be involved in the disease and Phytopythium spp. were found related to the different plant health status. Finally, Dactylonectria macrodidyma, Phytopythium citrinum, and Thielaviopsis basicola were also proposed as new KVDS-related pathogens.

The Remeshk-Mokhtarabad and Fannuj-Maskutan ophiolites represent two major ophiolitic units in the North Makran Domain (Makran Accretionary Prism). Volcanic rocks and dykes of these ophiolites mainly consist of basalts and rare basaltic andesites, andesites and dacites. No chemical distinction can be seen in basalts from these two ophiolitic units, or between volcanic rocks and dykes. Basaltic rocks show a broad MORB-type nature but variable chemical composition (e.g., SiO2= 42.64–52.63 wt%; TiO2= 0.98–2.43 wt%; Mg# = 71–50). They show both N-MORB (Type 1) and E-MORB (Type 2) compositions (MORB: mid-ocean ridge basalt; N: normal; E: enriched). Type 1 rocks are very rare in both ophiolitic units, whereas Type 2 rocks are predominant. Type 1 rocks show low Th (0.10–0.16 ppm), Nb (1.86–2.82 ppm), Ta (0.09–0.17 ppm) abundance and low (La/Yb)N (0.50–0.75), (La/Sm)N (0.48–0.72) ratios. Compared to N-MORBs, Type 2 basalts show slight enrichment in Th (0.42–1.60 ppm), Nb (6.09–14.6 ppm), and Ta (0.227–0.792 ppm), as well as (La/Yb)N and (La/Sm)N ratios >1 like those observed in typical E-MORB. Trace element petrogenetic models indicate that primitive basalts derived from partial melting of a heterogeneous sub-oceanic mantle variably metasomatized by plume-type (OIB-) components. Type 1 basalts derived from partial melting of mantle regions with no enrichment in OIB-type components, whereas Type 2 basalts derived from partial melting of DMM sources variably enriched by OIB-components. These rocks formed in an oceanic basin that was strongly affected by mantle plume activity and different extents of plume-ridge interaction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The advent of molecular breeding is advocated to improve the productivity and sustainability of second-generation bioenergy crops. Advanced molecular breeding in bioenergy crops relies on the ability to massively sample the genetic diversity. Genotyping-by-sequencing has become a widely adopted method for cost-effective genotyping. It basically requires no initial investment for design as compared with array-based platforms which have been shown to offer very robust assays. The latter, however, has the drawback of being limited to analyse only the genetic diversity accounted during selection of a set of polymorphisms and design of the assay. In contrast, genotyping-by-sequencing with random sampling of genomic loci via restriction enzymes or random priming has been shown to be fast and convenient but lacks the ability to target specific regions of the genome and to maintain high reproducibility across laboratories. METHODS:Here we present a first adoption of single-primer enrichment technology (SPET) which provides a highly efficient and scalable system to obtain targeted sequence-based large genotyping data sets, bridging the gaps between array-based systems and traditional sequencing-based protocols. To fully explore SPET performance, we conducted a benchmark study in ten Zea mays lines and a large-scale study of a natural black poplar population of 540 individuals with the aim of discovering polymorphisms associated with biomass-related traits. KEY RESULTS:Our results showed the ability of this technology to provide dense genotype information on a customized panel of selected polymorphisms, while yielding hundreds of thousands of untargeted variable sites. This provided an ideal resource for association analysis of natural populations harbouring unexplored allelic diversities and structure such as in black poplar. CONCLUSION:The improvement of sequencing throughput and the development of efficient library preparation methods has made it feasible to carry out targeted genotyping-by-sequencing experiments cost-competitively with either random complexity reduction systems or traditional array-based platforms, while maintaining the key advantages of both technologies.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) affects the mucosa and submucosa of the large intestine. One of the mechanisms involved in its etiology is oxidative stress (OS), directly involved in the inflammatory process characteristic of UC. The Campsiandra laurifolia, known as acapurana, was described as possessing antioxidant properties. We used 24 male Wistar rats, divided into control (CO), control + acapurana (CO + A), colitis (CL), and colitis + acapurana (CL + A) groups. This study performed histological analysis, measuring anal sphincter pressure (ASP) and lipoperoxidation (LPO). The activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) levels were evaluated. The expression of the nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The statistical analysis used was the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test; values were expressed as mean ± standard error, and the significance level was p

The western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is of major economic and ecological importance, with elevated rates of colony losses in temperate regions over the last two decades thought to be largely caused by the exotic ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor and deformed wing virus (DWV), which the mite transmits. DWV currently exists as two main genotypes: the formerly widespread DWV-A and the more recently described and rapidly expanding DWV-B. It is an excellent system to understand viral evolution and the replacement of one viral variant by another. Here we synthesise published results on the distribution and prevalence of DWV-A and -B over the period 2008–2021 and present novel data for Germany, Italy and the UK to suggest that (i) DWV-B has rapidly expanded worldwide since its first description in 2004 and (ii) that it is potentially replacing DWV-A. Both genotypes are also found in wild bee species. Based on a simple mathematical model, we suggest that interference between viral genotypes when co-infecting the same host is key to understanding their epidemiology. We finally discuss the consequences of genotype replacement for beekeeping and for wild pollinator species.

Industrial sites processing and storing hazardous chemicals can be attractive targets of malicious acts of interference. The consequences successful intentional attacks to chemical facilities can be severe and could escalate generating domino effects, potentially affecting people and the environment. Moreover, intentional attacks have a dynamic escalation that is not well depicted by conventional analyses, which are instead static. This works focuses on the development of a comprehensive tool for Integrated Safety-Security risk assessment and related domino effects based on a three-dimensional (3D) real-time approach. Firstly, the plant is inspected using a drone to generate the graphic interface of the tool, which is the 3D reconstruction of the plant. Real-time data are associated with each mapped element, e.g., pressure/temperature conditions. The tool allows for the evaluation of probabilities and 3D consequences of accidents given real time and/or user input data. Potential domino effects of integrated safety-security scenarios will also be included in the tool, allowing for the mapping of plant vulnerability, risk and supporting the evaluation of weaknesses and need of additional countermeasures. In order to provide a sample application, a simplified version of the tool was used on a case study.