Challenges and opportunities for improved understanding of regional climate dynamics

Dynamical processes in the atmosphere and ocean are central to determining the large-scale drivers of regional climate change, yet their predictive understanding is poor. Here, we identify three frontline challenges in climate dynamics where significant progress can be made to inform adaptation: response of storms, blocks and jet streams to external forcing; basin-to-basin and tropical–extratropical teleconnections; and the development of non-linear predictive theory. We highlight opportunities and techniques for making immediate progress in these areas, which critically involve the development of high-resolution coupled model simulations, partial coupling or pacemaker experiments, as well as the development and use of dynamical metrics and exploitation of hierarchies of models

Transcriptomic and volatilomic profiles reveal Neofabraea vagabunda infection-induced changes in susceptible and resistant apples during storage

Bull’s eye rot is one of the most severe diseases that may affect apple fruit during post-harvest storage. It is caused by the fungus Neofabraea vagabunda, and the mechanism by which the pathogen infects the fruits is only partially understood. In particular, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating the interaction between the pathogen and the host during symptoms development. Despite different apple cultivars show divergent levels of resistance to the pathogen, the genetic basis of these responses is still unknown. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms occurring in the apple fruit during N. vagabunda infection, a large-scale transcriptome study by RNA-Seq analysis was performed, comparing fruits of the sensitive ‘Roho’ cultivar and the resistant cultivar ‘Ariane’ after artificial infection with N. vagabunda and a storage period of four months. Transcriptomic analyses revealed the regulation of several classes of genes during this period, some of which may be involved in apple-pathogen interaction, such as superoxide dismutases and heat shock proteins (HSPs), ethylene-responsive transcription factors (ERFs), carboxylesterases and NAC transcription factors gene families. Moreover, a volatile analysis was performed, revealing differences in the volatile profile between the resistant and the susceptible cultivar that may help to elucidate the resistance mechanism. RNA-Seq data highlighted several classes of pathogen-related genes, such as genes coding for enzymes involved in cell wall disruption and in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, being differentially regulated between resistant and susceptible fruits and between diseased and healthy fruits of the same cultivar, indicating that apples are capable of perceiving and triggering a molecular response to N. vagabunda infection. Some volatiles, as ethanol and methanol, but also furan and formaldehyde, might be potential markers for N. vagabunda infection; others, such as hexenal and methyl acetate, were found to be putatively involved in regulating apple-fungi interactio

Assessing the impact of water salinization stress on biomass yield of cardoon bio-energetic crops through remote sensing techniques

Various species of cultivated thistle, such as Cynara cardunculus L. (cardoon), exhibit interesting features for industrial biomass production as bioenergy crops, given also their advantageous adaptation capacities to typical Mediterranean climate trends, with noticeable resilience to drought and salinization stresses. The in situ hyperspectral reflectance responses of three genotypes of cardoon plants, irrigated with water at different salinity levels, have been tested for assessing the effects on their biophysical parameters, aiming at improving the biomass yield for bioenergy production, minimizing at same time the environmental impacts and the exploitation of soils and waters resources. The leaf and canopy reflectance hyperspectral signatures, acquired at three different growth stages with biometric measurements, were statistically analyzed (ANOVA, Tukey’s test, graphs), as noise-resilient spectral indices, sensible to different plant features of interest. Their broadband versions, based on the Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel 2 MSI satellite sensors, were also evaluated in perspective of operative and extensive remote crop monitoring from space. The results highlighted significant differences in some spectral index responses, related to different cardoon genotypes and water salt concentration. The biometric data supported by red-edge indices modelling evidenced the impact of the highest salt water concentration (200 mM/L) on the plant growth and yield

Tackling the grapevine Pectate Lyase gene family and its role in the berry texture determination

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most commercially valuable fruit trees worldwide. Table grapes represent an important economic sector, where consumers highly appreciate the berry firmness trait. Although several studies have addressed the key role of the cell wall in fruit firmness, the main players among cell wall degrading enzymes during fruit ripening are still unclear. This work characterizes the grapevine Pectate Lyase (VvPL) gene family which catalyses the eliminative cleavage of de-esterified pectin during the berry development. Using the latest grapevine genome assembly and annotation, 17 members of the family containing the PL domain were identified. To identify the VvPL members most involved in pectin degradation during fruit softening, an in-silico analysis in Expression Atlas and in public RNA-Seq repositories was performed. Additionally, gene expression of the VvPL genes was evaluated in table grape varieties showing contrasting texture profiles. Our results demonstrated that specific VvPL genes were up-regulated in the softer variety compared to the firmer one, suggesting their active role in the softening process during berry development. Furthermore, two VvPL genes were selected for functional characterization via genome editing with CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the table grape variety ‘Sugraone

014 * RIGHT ANTERIOR MINI-THORACOTOMY FOR ISOLATED AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: TEN-YEAR EXPERIENCE IN 484 PATIENTS

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Recent progress in understanding and predicting Atlantic decadal climate variability

Recent Atlantic climate prediction studies are an exciting new contribution to an extensive body of research on Atlantic decadal variability and predictability that has long emphasized the unique role of the Atlantic Ocean in modulating the surface climate. We present a survey of the foundations and frontiers in our understanding of Atlantic variability mechanisms, the role of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and our present capacity for putting that understanding into practice in actual climate prediction systems

Does organic farming increase raspberry quality, aroma and beneficial bacterial biodiversity?

Plant-associated microbes can shape plant phenotype, performance, and productivity. Cultivation methods can influence the plant microbiome structure and differences observed in the nutritional quality of differently grown fruits might be due to variations in the microbiome taxonomic and functional composition. Here, the influence of organic and integrated pest management (IPM) cultivation on quality, aroma and microbiome of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) fruits was evaluated. Differences in the fruit microbiome of organic and IPM raspberry were examined by next-generation sequencing and bacterial isolates characterization to highlight the potential contribution of the resident-microflora to fruit characteristics and aroma. The cultivation method strongly influenced fruit nutraceutical traits, aroma and epiphytic bacterial biocoenosis. Organic cultivation resulted in smaller fruits with a higher anthocyanidins content and lower titratable acidity content in comparison to IPM berries. Management practices also influenced the amounts of acids, ketones, aldehydes and monoterpenes, emitted by fruits. Our results suggest that the effects on fruit quality could be related to differences in the population of Gluconobacter, Sphingomonas, Rosenbergiella, Brevibacillus and Methylobacterium on fruit. Finally, changes in fruit aroma can be partly explained by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by key bacterial genera characterizing organic and IPM raspberry fruit

Nurses in family pediatric practices: A survey of the health protection agency of the metropolitan city of Milan

Purpose: Primary pediatric care in Italy is guaranteed by family pediatricians, who may have their own private offices or work in group clinics that also have nurses/pediatric nurses in order to enrich their offer of services. The aim of this study was to investigate the activities of nurses working in pediatric practices in order to identify and classify the nursing healthcare services offered by the practices themselves. Design and study: An observational study was conducted including nurses working in the pediatricians' offices who voluntarily agreed to undergo a semi-structured interview. The investigated variables were individual, institutional and organizational. The study sample consisted of 22 nurses with a mean age of 39 ± 13.3 years, 16 of whom were pediatric nurses. Results: All of the nurses stated that they had not received suitable training for working outside a hospital, and that they carried out educational, diagnostic/therapeutic, and bureaucratic administrative/support activities. Nine of the nurses working in group pediatric clinics carried out educational activities autonomously, something that the nurses working in individual or associated clinics did not perform. Twenty of the interviewees also provided telephone consultancy, and 11 of the clinics used algorithms as guides. Conclusions/Practice implications: The findings of this study underline the potential of developing the nursing profession at community level. Further studies are desirable in order to extend the investigation of the pediatric nurses' activities implemented at community level in other Italian provinces

Corrigendum to “Nurses in family pediatric practices: A survey of the health protection agency of the Metropolitan City of Milan” [J Pediatr Nurs. 2021 Jan-Feb;56:1–6]

The authors regret having corrected Prof. Paola Marchisio's affiliations (Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Via Commenda 9, 20122, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Trasplantion, University of Milan, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan). The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused