180 research outputs found
The Save-My-Bike Project. ITS technologies and rewarding policies to improve sustainable mobility in cities.
No full textThe Legacy of Mercury Contamination from a Past Leather Manufacturer and Health Risk Assessment in an Urban Area (Pisa Municipality, Italy)
No full textAn abandoned open green space in the urban setting of the Municipality of Pisa (Tuscany, Italy) has been designed for renewal to foster the development of recreational activities and improve the lives of the surrounding communities. However, the geochemical site characterization revealed Pb, Cu, Zn and Hg concentrations in the soil exceeding the thresholds imposed by Italian regulations for residential use. Pb, Cu and Zn contents likely reflect the effects of urban vehicle traffic, while Hg contamination represents the legacy of a past artisanal tannery that used Hg(II)-chloride in leather processing in the mid-1900s. Mercury is widely distributed in the area, with the highest concentration in the uppermost soil layer, and reaching about 170 mg/kg in the common dandelion rhizosphere. Chemical extractions and thermal desorption experiments have indicated that most Hg is in the elemental free and matrix-bound fraction, with a possible minor amount (less than 4 wt%) of HgS and negligible methylated forms (0.1 wt%). The data suggest that soil processes could reduce Hg2+ to volatile Hg-0. Mercury in groundwater, hosted in a shallow aquitard in the area, was below 0.2 mu g/L. However, the presence of chloride in groundwater might result in the formation of Hg stable aqueous complexes, increasing Hg release from solids. Future water quality monitoring is hence recommended. The risk assessment highlighted that mercury in soil carries a risk of non-cancerous effects, in particular for children, posing the basis for management planning
Thallium and Other Potentially Toxic Elements in the Baccatoio Stream Catchment (Northern Tuscany, Italy) Receiving Drainages from Abandoned Mines
No full textAcid mine drainages (AMD) have adversely affected the southern Apuan Alps (northern Tuscany, Italy). The study particularly focuses on the Baccatoio stream, which receives AMD from the abandoned Pollone and M. Arsiccio mines. The mine waters have an average pH of 2.2 and contain potentially toxic elements (PTE) at concentrations that exceed the Italian regulatory threshold for Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Ni, Co, Cd, Sb, Pb, and Tl. The AMD flow directly into the stream, severely contaminating it. Downstream of the mined areas, the pH increases and most PTE (especially Fe, Al, As, and Pb) are readily scavenged from the stream waters by precipitation and/or adsorption. However, Tl, which peak at 1000 Âμg/L in the AMD, behaves almost conservatively along the stream flow path, undergoing only dilution, and remains at or above the concentration of concern of 4 Âμg/L almost to the coastline, before sharply decreasing to 0.5 Âμg/L where seawater is encountered. Since the stream water was locally used for irrigation, these observations may have important environmental and public health consequences in such a densely populated area
Small RNAs targeting the 5' end of the viral polymerase gene segments specifically interfere with influenza type A virus replication
No full textHuman and avian influenza A viruses, associated with seasonal epidemics and occasionally with pandemics, have a high impact on public health. The development of new antivirals to counteract the emergence of drug resistant influenza virus variants is a main concern. The aim of this study was to develop systems for the efficient and stable expression of small therapeutic RNAs into influenza virus infected cells in order to get further insights on the efficacy of nucleic acid-based antiviral strategies. To this end, lentiviral vectors expressing either microRNAs or antisense-RNAs targeting the 5' end of the PA, PB1 and PB2 influenza virus genomic sequences were generated. Derivative recombinant lentiviral particles were employed to transduce the influenza virus highly susceptible human alveolar basal epithelial A549 cells. The expression of both RNA molecules led to a reduction up to 3 logs of the viral titer when transduced A549 cells were challenged with different human and avian subtypes of influenza type A virus. Importantly, no inhibition of influenza type B virus was observed. Overall our data support the development of nucleic acid-based antiviral strategies to control human and avian influenza A virus infection
Environmental Assessment of a Heritage Forest Urban Park on the Densely Populated Coast of Versilia, Italy
No full textThe present study focuses on the sources and spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and organic pollutants in water, canal bed sediment, and soil in the Versiliana urban park, an inclusive green area near the coast in the densely populated Versilia Plain of Tuscany. Surface water and bed sediments from canals crossing the urban park were collected at 10 stations during four different surveys to account for hydrological seasonality. Groundwater was collected in a survey through 10 piezometers. Eleven shallow soil samples were also collected, with the aim of evaluating the potential release of pollutants. Groundwater ranged from Ca-HCO3, to NaCl, CaCl2, and Na-HCO3 water types, indicating conservative mixing and cation exchange processes during seawater intrusion. Most waters from canals belonged to the Ca-HCO3 hydrofacies; a salinization shift, due to hydraulic connection with saline groundwater and soil sea salt dissolution, is observed. The concentration of most PTEs in groundwater and canal water is below Italian regulatory thresholds, with the only exception being As, which exceeds the legal limit in some samples. In most sediments, Ni, Cr, Zn, and As exceed the threshold effect concentration, and in some cases, the probable effect concentration. Geogenic PTE sources are attributed to metalliferous mineralization that characterizes the upstream Versilia River basin catchment. However, local PTE inputs from vehicular emissions and local industrial activities have been highlighted. Arsenic in sediments originated from geogenic sources and from arsenical pesticides, as indicated by the analysis of organic compounds, highlighting the legacy of the use of organic pesticides that have settled in bed sediments, in particular malathion and metalaxyl. The arsenic risk-based screening level in soil is lower compared with the regulatory threshold and with the measured concentration
Investigation on torquetenovirus (TTV) microRNA transcriptome in vivo
No full textTorquetenovirus (TTV) is a widespread anellovirus that establishes persistent infections in human showing an increased viremia in immunosuppressed patients. TTV possesses microRNA (miRNA)-coding sequences that might be involved in viral immune evasion. Here, the presence of TTV DNA and miRNAs expression was investigated in plasma samples of 77 diseased (20 infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 18 infected with hepatitis B (HBV) virus, 18 infected with hepatitis C (HCV) virus, 21 solid organ transplanted) patients, and 25 healthy controls. TTV prevalence was significantly different in healthy controls (60%, 15/25) versus diseased patients (80%, 62/77), showing the highest TTV loads in transplant recipients. Genetic TTV analysis showed the highest prevalence of group 1, followed by groups 3, 4 and 5, and a lack of isolates of group 2. The expression of at least one TTV miRNAs of group 1, 3 and 5 was found in exosomes of plasma of the great majority of individuals (96%, 98/102 subjects) showing the higher prevalence of miRNAs of TTV group 3 (90%, 92/102), followed by miRNAs of group 1 (66%, 67/102), and miRNA of group 5 (49%, 50/102). TTV miRNAs expression and TTV viremia were not always directly correlated, and significant differences appeared in production of some TTV miRNAs between healthy controls and diseased patients. The reported TTV miRNAs status in exosomes encourages further investigation to understand their potential role in the expansion of anelloviruses upon immunosuppression
Severe contamination of waters and stream sediments in an abandoned mine land from Alta Versilia (Southern Apuan Alps, Italy)
No full textNatural weathering and human activities may both be sources of toxic and potentially toxic elements that are released and transported through contaminated plumes by surface and subsurface waters. Remediation strategies, to be effective, require knowledge of the source zone of contamination and of the processes that control the migration of the different contaminants, including the role of physical and chemical processes such as advection, dispersion and diffusion, besides the redox, chemical speciation adsorption/desorption and dissolution/precipitation reactions. In this context, the acid mine drainages that may develop as effluents from abandoned mine sites likely represent one of the largest environmental problems facing the mining industry.
In the present study, preliminary results concerning the fate of toxic and potentially toxic elements released from
acid mine drainages into the surface waters and stream sediments of the Baccatoio river, crossing abandoned mine sites in southern Apuan Alps (Tuscany region) and the Valdicastello Carducci village, are reported. The mining activity, that exploited ore bodies of pyrite + baryte and iron oxides + baryte hosted at the contact between the phyllites, related to the Paleozoic basement of Apuan Alps, and Triassic dolostones, ended in 1989. The data on mine effluents indicate that sulfide oxidation was the primary source of contaminants, releasing acid waters with high Fe (up to 14 g/L), Mn (19 mg/L)), Al (270 mg/L), Cd (2 mg/L), Sb (19 mg/L), Pb (3 mg/L), Zn (270 mg/L), Ni (5 mg/L), Tl (9 mg/L) and As (30 mg/L) concentration. After the outflowing in the superficial waters of the Baccatoio stream, most metals and metalloids are scavenged by the formation of large amounts of iron precipitates
when Fe(II) is oxidized to Fe(III), whose composition is controlled by sulfate ion concentration, water pH and aging,
ranging from jarosite to schwertmannite, ferrihydrite and goethite. In addition, the rate of Fe(II) oxidation is highly pH dependent, and, at the pH values measured in the Baccatoio waters, Fe(II) might increase its residence time, allowing further precipitation downgradient. Iron-rich stream sediments are characterized by high concentrations of Sb, As, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg (up to about 540, 3600, 9200, 2100 and 80 mg/kg, respectively), acting as effective scavengers for these contaminants. However, the data indicate that Tl behaves almost conservatively in the surface waters of the Baccatoio, and it is readily transported by the aqueous phase. Indeed this very highly toxic element is missing or present in very low concentrations in the Baccatoio stream sediments while it persists in relatively high concentrations in the aqueous matrix, becoming a cause for concern for the environment and human health
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ANTIVIRALS AGAINST THE INFLUENZA TYPE A VIRUSES BASED ON SMALL RNAS TARGETING THE PACKAGING SIGNAL OF THE POLYMERASES GENE CODING REGION
No full textBackground: The available anti-influenza A drugs show limited efficacy and emergence of drug resistance. The aim of this study is to develop efficient systems for the delivery of small RNA molecules targeting the packaging signal mapping a the 5’ end of the influenza virus genome segments encoding for the viral polymerase (PA, PB1 and PB2) and to assess the efficacy of such nucleic acid based antiviral strategy
Methods: We developed different lentiviral vectors expressing microRNAs [pLenti6/V5-GW/EmGFP-miR] or antisense-RNAs [pLL3.7-GFP] targeting the highly conserved sequences of the PA, PB1 and PB2 Influenza A genomic segments. Recombinant lentiviral particles, produced by transfecting human embryonic kidney cells (293T) with both vectors in combination with a "packaging" plasmid systems, were harvested , titrated on human alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) by FACS analysis, and stored at –80°C. The lentiviral vectors transduction efficiency in different cell lines was evaluated by FACS and quantitative Real-Time PCR. The transduced cells were infected with epidemiologically relevant human type A and B influenza viruses and avian type A viruses. Viral inhibitory activity was analyzed by titrating the viral progeny by an infectivity assay.
Results: We showed that recombinant lentiviral particles expressing microRNA or antisense-RNAs efficiently transduced MDCK, A549 and 293T cell lines that are commonly used for influenza virus studies. More importantly a reduction from 1 to 3 logs of the virus titre was obtained in all tested cell lines infected with the different human and avian subtypes of Influenza type A viruses. By contrast, no inhibition of influenza type B virus was observed. Furthermore both microRNAs and antisense-RNAs expressing systems displayed a clear dose-dependent viral inhibitory activity altthough with different efficiency depending on the specific target sequence. Finally, the specificity of the antiviral activity was further assess by infecting the cells with influenza virus clones mutated in the PA, PB1 or PB2 target regions.
Conclusions: The expression of small RNAs targeting the packaging signal of the polymerases gene provides protection to the cell host virus infection highlighting their use as a potential candidate for the development of a nucleic acid-based therapeutic strategy against Influenza A virus infection in human and birds
FOSS4G-IT 2020 - 03 Stato del software e sviluppo nuovi progetti
No full textFOSS4G-IT 2020
19/02/2020, Sessione Stato del software e sviluppo nuovi progetti - Moderatore: Luca Delucchi
00:00:00
L'importanza del software libero (Paolo Cavallini)
00:20:30
GeoServer, il server open source per la gestione interoperabile dei dati geospaziali (Andrea Aime and Simone Giannecchini)
00:34:00
GeoNode, il CMS geospaziale Open Source (Alessio Fabiani and Simone Giannecchini)
00:49:30
G3W-SUITE, la suite OS dedicata alla pubblicazione di progetti QGIS come servizi WebGis e il suo utilizzo presso l’Area Vasta Metropoli Terra di Bari (Walter Lorenzetti, Leonardo Lami and Francesco Boccacci)
01:07:00
ATOR Project Manager, un assistente vocale per i progetti archeologici (Andres Reyes, Luca Bezzi, Alessandro Bezzi, Giuseppe Naponiello and Rupert Gietl)
01:29:25
Grafici interattivi e dinamici, un esempio di successo di crowdfunding (Matteo Ghetta and Paolo Cavallini)</p
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