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Leaf trait variation across Italian forest endemics: drivers and divergence from widespread congeners
No full textDespite their biogeographical and conservation relevance, the functional trait space explored by Mediterranean
endemic plants still remains largely unknown, particularly for those of forest habitats(1). To what extent these
taxa are functionally divergent from related widespread congeners from similar forest habitats is a central
question potentially involved into the causes for their restricted distribution, ecological specificity and resource
use attitudes. Leaf traits play a critical role in plant growth and survival, largely determining the functional
space explored by plants in terms of resource use (2). Analyzing these traits in forest endemic plants and
unveiling the range of interspecific variability can thus open a window on their relative position along the
acquisition-conservation axis, in the framework of the global leaf economics spectrum (3). Accordingly, we
analyzed six core leaf traits (LA, SLA, LMA, LDMC, Nmass, C:N ratio) across 45 endemic taxa (“paleo-“
and “neo-“ endemics) living in Italian forests, either woody or herbaceous, in distant angiosperm and conifer
clades. Leaf traits were measured in the field on one representative population per species, mainly in the
central, southern and insular regions. The influence of a set of environmental variables and the phylogenetic
signal of traits were also examined to identify the major drivers of interspecific variation. Next, we performed
species pairs contrasts in 27 pairs formed by the endemic taxon and a closely related widespread congener also
of forest habitats, with allopatric, parapatric or sympatric distribution. Overall, trait variation across the
endemics was remarkably wide, reflecting their diversity in terms of morpho-functional types, phylogenetic
relationships and biogeographical contexts. Endemics were widely distributed along the resource use gradient
associated with LA, LMA and Nmass. The herbaceous taxa showed a prevalence of the C and R strategies,
while stress-tolerance was prevalent in the woody endemics. Most traits showed a phylogenetic signal based
on various metrics used, with Pagel’s λ approaching the Brownian model for LA and LMA. Environmental
factors variously influenced trait variation. LA was negatively affected by mean annual temperature and
depended on forest type, while LDMC decreased with latitude and precipitation. LMA was positively
associated with temperature and varied with ecoregion and forest type, while Nmass decreased with latitude
and increased with precipitation. Species pairs analysis pointed to a generally negative effect of the endemic
condition on LA, associated with increasing LMA and Nmass. Compared with widespread congeners, this
pointed to lower acquisitive ability and stronger resource conservation attitude, also reflected in significant
shifts in the CSR strategies. Differences in LA and LMA within allopatric and/or parapatric pairs were overall
larger than in sympatric pairs, suggesting the role of vicariance and range separation in the divergence of these
traits between related endemic-non endemic taxa of forest habitats
Impact of Cold Plasma Treatment on the Shelf Life and Metabolite Profiles of Strawberries during Storage
No full textStrawberries are abundant in bioactive compounds and serve as a significant source of ascorbic acid. However, their shelf life is notoriously short due to their high sensitivity to environmental conditions and susceptibility to microbial contamination.
The growing demand for ready-to-eat products among consumers presents challenges related to food preservation, especially with increasing food losses due to microbial spoilage. Various strategies have been explored to address these issues, one of which is atmospheric cold plasma. A surface dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (CP) treatment was applied to fresh strawberries (output voltage: 6 kV, frequency: 23 kHz) for 30 min. Spoilage microbial populations, quality, and primary and secondary metabolite profiles were evaluated during storage at 4 °C. Cold plasma treatment resulted in significant reductions in the counts of the main spoilage microbial groups, which showed delayed and limited growth compared to the untreated fruits. LC−MS/MS analysis revealed the preservation of the total phenolic profile, along with a significant increase in total phenolic acids (from 614.2 to 784.4 mg/kg) and total flavonols (from 145.2 to 196.4 mg/kg) immediately after treatment. An increase in the levels of specific polyphenols and antioxidant activity was observed. Although ascorbic acid decreased after treatment, greater stability was noted during storage. In conclusion, CP can preserve fruit quality and extend the shelf life of fresh strawberries without adversely affecting their physical
properties
Assessing the Insecticidal Performance of Commiphora myrrha Essential Oil Against Prostephanus truncatus and Sitophilus zeamais Using a Metabolomic Approach
No full textBotanical insecticides have gained interest due to a rising demand for environmentally friendly pest control methods for stored-product protection. The insecticidal effectiveness of the essential oil (EO) obtained from the oleo-gum-resin of myrrh (Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl.), against Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) and Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, and the metabolic shifts of the two species, were investigated in this work. A thorough gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) investigation showed that the composition of this EO was dominated by furanosesquiterpenes, specifically, furanoeudesma-1,3-diene and curzerene. Commiphora myrrha EO treatments, especially at 1000 ppm, resulted in high adult mortality for P. truncatus (up to 85.6%), while S. zeamais showed only moderate mortality (up to 25.6%). To investigate the different species-specific effectiveness of the EO, untargeted GC-MS metabolomic profiling was conducted to elucidate the impact of the EO on the metabolism of the insects, with subsequent data analysis employing multivariate, univariate, and network methods. Each species reacts differently to the treatments (myrrh EO versus the synthetic insecticide pirimiphos-methyl (PM)), according to the analysis results. In particular, myrrh EO caused distinct shifts in metabolic pathways that varied between P. truncatus and S. zeamais. Overall, C. myrrha EO exhibits potential as a botanical insecticide, especially against P. truncatus, and it causes metabolic disturbances specific to the species. The results demonstrate the significance of metabolomic technologies in assessing bioinsecticide mechanisms and lend credence to their possible incorporation in integrated pest management methodologies or their contribution to the creation of diagnostic indicators of insecticidal exposure
The role of artificial intelligence in diabetic retinopathy screening in type 1 diabetes: A systematic review
No full textBackground/objectives: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in adults worldwide and represents a critical complication in both type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a promising opportunity to enhance both the accuracy of screening and the efficiency of ongoing care management, assisting healthcare providers in mitigating the incidence and complications of DR. Methods: Systematic review of the literature was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Searches were performed using PubMed-Medline, Scopus, and Embase databases, with the protocol registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF) database: (doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TJ9UH). A predefined search strategy utilizing Boolean operators was applied, and two researchers independently selected articles, with a third resolving any discrepancies. Results: Of the 2127 articles identified, 8 studies were included. The results highlighted that AI is particularly effective in enhancing the DR screening process in patients with T1D, offering rapid and reliable analysis. Healthcare providers reported positive feedback, noting its significant contribution to improving patient management. Conclusions: The integration of AI into DR care pathways shows substantial potential for improving early diagnosis and disease management, particularly for patients with T1D. Further research is required to optimize AI implementation and ensure its positive and sustainable impact on public health
Evolution of property rights in the Chinese legal system, with particular reference to ecclesiastical property
No full textThere is no doubt that China is going through a period of great social, economic and legal
changes: for some time now, there has been an increasing ‘legalization’ of areas that affect both state
organization and the sphere of the individual citizen. For the purposes of this study, the introduction
of the property guarantee is the focus of attention. Mention should also be made of the adoption of a
new property law in 2007, the introduction of the new Civil Code and other regulatory developments
in subsequent years that are related to the guarantee of property.
However, it will be the task of this work to take a closer look at developments hastily placed in
the context of the rule of law and (fundamental) legal guarantees. The assumption of ‘legalization’,
usually understood as the process of transferring issues from a purely political to a legal level, already
implies the conceivable possibility of a separation between the two spheres.
Certainly, the establishment of a constitutional regime for the protection of private property
rights in China necessarily requires the construction of an effective system of constitutional
review for acts of the state that may violate private property rights.
In October 2017, at the 19th National Congress of the CPC, President XI Jinping proclaimed
that the CPC ensures ‘We will strengthen oversight to ensure compliance with the Constitution,
advance constitutionality review, and safeguard the authority of the Constitution’. This is the first
time that ‘constitutionality review’ appears in China’s official documents, which could be very
significant in the coming years for the constitutional protection of private property rights.
The current property situation and the constitutional categorization of the new property
guarantee cannot be understood in terms of Western values, but are still rooted in traditional Chinese
legal thought and China’s socialist constitutional tradition and understanding of the state. In this
sense, determining the meaning of today’s Chinese property law can only fall back on the description
of the traditional elements of Chinese law. Such inclusion of legal philosophical and sociological
foundations, necessarily limited in scope, is indispensable for the understanding and correct
categorization of current legal phenomena. This is because property as a concept, and even more so
as a ‘right’, always exists in its social and political context
Benessere animale e diritti umani: la macellazione rituale tra protezione dell’essere senziente e libertà religiosa nelle sentenze europee
No full textIl contributo evidenzia la necessità di un bilanciamento tra libertà religiosa e benessere animale nel contesto della macellazione rituale, alla luce della giurisprudenza europea più recente sul caso belga (Corte di Giustizia dell’UE e Corte EDU) e delle normative europee e nazionali che nel tempo hanno riconosciuto il benessere animale quale valore fondamentale, imponendo ai legislatori di contemperare diritti e valori contrapposti.
Il lavoro sottolinea la necessità di un approccio unitario tra diritto nazionale ed europeo, evidenziando come il principio di moralità pubblica e di buon costume, tradizionalmente legati alla dignità umana, debbano oggi includere la tutela degli animali senzienti, legittimando l’imposizione dello stordimento anche nelle macellazioni rituali.
Si conclude che, grazie alle pronunce delle Corti europee, è necessario un equilibrio ragionevole tra libertà religiosa e protezione del benessere animale, orientando legislatori e giudici nazionali verso un’armonizzazione dei valori etici, culturali e scientifici coerente con i principi costituzionali e il principio di proporzionalità
Design and synthesis of metal complexes and covalent organic frameworks for technological, catalytic and biological applications
No full textThis study explores the synthesis, characterization, and applications of metal-containing
coordination compounds and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) in electrochemical sensing,
catalysis, and biology. Novel Cu(II), Cu(I), and Ag(I) coordination complexes incorporating
phosphane and phenoxy-ketimines ligands were synthesized, and their chemical and antibacterial
properties were evaluated. Additionally, CuI/Schiff base complexes were employed as catalysts for
the three-component A3
-coupling reaction to synthesize propargylamines. Further investigations into
pyrazolyl-derived ligands led to the development of novel Cu(I)/Cu(II) complexes with modified
acetylacetone ligands, assessed for their chemical structures.
In the field of electrochemical sensing, a “signal-inversion” photoelectrochemical aptasensor
was designed based on a semiconductive Cu2.46Co0.54(HITP)2 MOF and integrated with the
manganese ferrite nanozyme-regulation for the selective detection of fumonisin B1. Additionally, a
donor-acceptor triazine-containing COF-based electrochemiluminescent immunosensor was
developed for trace detection of zearalenone, utilizing a signal “on-off-on” strategy and a
CuFe2O4@PDA quencher. Finally, a trinuclear copper cluster-based COF with a high content of Cu-
N2 single-atom sites was synthesized and employed in a photoelectrochemical aptasensor for
zearalenone detection, incorporating multivariate signal amplification strategies to enhance
sensitivity.
These findings contribute to advancing coordination chemistry and electrochemical biosensing,
providing innovative materials for catalytic applications and food safety monitoring
Real-Time Vision-Based Dynamic Monitoring of Vertical and Horizontal Transverse Displacements in Bridge Decks
No full textThe objective of this study is to present a vision-based system that can extract in real-time displacements at multiple cross sections of bridge decks, which is accurate, easily replicable, and cost-effective. The key feature to accomplish such a goal is the reduction of the computational time required for displacement extraction, achieved through the use of multiple image subdomains whose position is continuously updated in the acquired video footage, following the movements of the monitored targets. This optimization at the software level is paired with choices in the hardware configuration that provide major benefits, namely: (1) camera below the bridge deck with its optical axis parallel to the bridge axis to obtain vertical and horizontal transverse displacements of any cross section, even with a single video camera; and (2) use of coded targets for automated camera calibration, automated definition of the initial positions of the subdomains, and automated compensation of the vibrations of the video camera employing a reference point in the abutment or intermediate pier that naturally falls within the camera field of view. An application to a post-tensioned concrete bridge during normal traffic conditions is used to analyze the quality of the obtained results through comparisons with contact sensors (displacement transducer and accelerometer). The results show that the proposed computer vision system meets the declared research objectives, given its precision, even in the case of displacements of a few millimeters, as in the considered case study, broad applicability for the most common bridge decks, and the optimized use of affordable hardware
Investigation of Metal Porphyrin-Based Porous Organic Polymers for Catalytic Peroxymonosulfate Activation in the Degradation of Organic Pollutants
No full textIn this study, metal-porphyrin porous organic polymers (M-P/POP, where M = Fe,
Co, or Cu) were synthesized and successfully applied as catalysts for PMS activation
to degrade organic pollutants. The catalytic activity was attributed to the selective
generation of high-valence metal oxo species (HVMOs: Fe(IV)=O, Co(IV)=O, and
Cu(III)=O), which served as the primary reactive species in a non-radical electron
transfer pathway. Mechanistic investigations, including quenching experiments,
electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and isotope labeling, confirmed
that conventional radicals (•OH, SO4•−, and O2•−) contributed negligibly to pollutant
degradation, further validating the predominance of the HVMO oxidation mechanism.
The Fe-P/POP and Co-P/POP catalysts demonstrated superior catalytic
performance compared to Cu-P/POP, achieving higher degradation efficiencies across
a range of organic pollutants. Theoretical calculations revealed a strong correlation
between pollutant ionization potential (IP) and degradation rate constants (K_obs),
supporting the hypothesis that oxidation proceeded via electron transfer from the
pollutant’s HOMO to the catalyst’s LUMO. Additionally, the M-P/POP/PMS system
exhibited excellent stability, recyclability, and negligible metal leaching, confirming its
feasibility for long-term applications.
Overall, this study advances the understanding of PMS activation mechanisms and
highlights the potential of M-P/POP catalysts for practical wastewater treatment. The
combination of high efficiency, selective degradation pathways, and environmental
sustainability makes M-P/POP a promising candidate for the removal of persistent
organic pollutants in contaminated water sources
Osservatorio sulla giurisprudenza costituzionale
No full textSi tratta di rubrica fissa della Rivista, nella quale sono passate in rassegna le decisioni della Corte costituzionale in materia di esecuzione forzata emesse nel trimestre di riferimento