Leaf trapping and retention of particles by holm oak and other common tree species in Mediterranean urban environments

Holm oak (Quercus ilex), a widespread urban street tree in the Mediterranean region, is widely used as biomonitor of persistent atmospheric pollutants, especially particulate-bound metals. By using lab- and field-based experimental approaches, we compared the leaf-level capacity for particles’ capture and retention between Q. ilex and other common Mediterranean urban trees: Quercus cerris, Platanus × hispanica, Tilia cordata and Olea europaea. All applied methods were effective in quantifying particulate capture and retention, although not univocal in ranking species performances. Distinctive morphological features of leaves led to differences in species’ ability to trap and retain particles of different size classes and to accumulate metals after exposure to traffic in an urban street. Overall, P. × hispanica and T. cordata showed the largest capture potential per unit leaf area for most model particles (Na+ and powder particles), and street-level Cu and Pb, while Q. ilex acted intermediately. After wash-off experiments, P. × hispanica leaves had the greatest retention capacity among the tested species and O. europaea the lowest. We concluded that the Platanus planting could be considered in Mediterranean urban environments due to its efficiency in accumulating and retaining airborne particulates; however, with atmospheric pollution being typically higher in winter, the evergreen Q. ilex represents a better year-round choice to mitigate the impact of airborne particulate pollutants

Peanut digestome: Identification of digestion resistant IgE binding peptides

Stability to proteolytic degradation in the digestive tract is considered a general feature shared by most food allergens. Current digestibility models exclusively utilize purified allergen proteins, neglecting the relevant effects of matrix that occur for foodstuff systems. In the present study, we investigated digestion stability of the major peanut allergens directly in the natural matrix using an in vitro static model that simulates the gastrointestinal digestion including the oral, gastric, duodenal and intestinal (brush border membrane enzymes) phases. Immunogenicity was evaluated by Western Blot using N=8 pooled sera of peanut allergic pediatric subjects. Immunoreactive, large-sized and fragments of Ara h 2, Ara h 6 and Ara h 3 survived hydrolysis as assessed by SDS-PAGE. Smaller resistant peptides mainly arising from Ara h 3 and also Ara h 1 were detected and further identified by LC-high resolution-MS/MS. RP-HPLC purification followed by dot-blot analysis and MS/MS-based identification demonstrated that stable IgE-binding peptides derived from Ara h 3. These results provide a more realistic picture of the potentially allergenic determinants of peanuts that survived the human digestion, taking into account the role of the food matrix, which may significantly affect gastrointestinal breakdown of peanut allergens

Pollutants transfer from soil to water: geochemical investigation in different watersheds

Surface water, groundwater, phytosanitary products, soil, isotope

Nitrogen and chlorophyll status determination in durum wheat as influenced by fertilization and soil management: Preliminary results.

Handheld chlorophyll meters as Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) have proven to be useful tools for rapid, no-destructive assessment of chlorophyll and nitrogen status in various crops. This method is used to diagnose the need of nitrogen fertilization to improve the efficiency of the agricultural system and to minimize nitrogen losses and deficiency. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of repeated conservative agriculture practices on the SPAD readings, leaves chlorophyll concentration and Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) relationships in durum wheat under Mediterranean conditions. The experimental site is a part of a long-term-experiment established in 1994 and is still on-going where three tillage managements and three nitrogen fertilizer treatments were repeated in the same plots every year. We observed a linear relationship between the SPAD readings performed in the central and distal portion of the leaf (R2 = 0.96). In fertilized durum wheat, we found all positive exponential relationships between SPAD readings, chlorophyll leaves concentration (R2 = 0.85) and NNI (R2 = 0.89). In the unfertilized treatment, the SPAD has a good attitude to estimate leaves chlorophyll concentration (R2 = 0.74) and NNI (R2 = 0.77) only in crop grow a soil with relative high content of soil organic matter and nitrogen availability, as observed in the no tilled plots. The results show that the SPAD can be used for a correct assessment of chlorophyll and nitrogen status in durum wheat but also to evaluate indirectly the content of soil organic matter and nitrogen availability during different growth stages of the crop cycle

Scarcity of P-fertilisers: humic-complexed phosphate as an adaptive solution for wheat and maize under rainfed conditions

The current context of food security and global geopolitical crises calls for proactive efforts to seek adaptive strategies for limited resources in agriculture. The production of phosphatic-based fertilisers has caused a substantial depletion of natural phosphorus (P) reserves, raising concerns about price increases due to the growing demand for P. The aim of the study is to assess whether the use of liquid organo-mineral P-complexes can be an adaptive strategy to address the issue of the limited P-fertiliser resource. A complete randomised block design was implemented with three replicates, spanning two contrasting cropping seasons under a Mediterranean climate with reduced tillage and rainfed conditions. The study aimed to assess the response of a durum wheat–maize rotation to various rates of liquid organo-mineral P-complexes (humic-complexed phosphate; HCP) in comparison to granular triple superphosphate (TSP). The evaluation focused on several parameters, including P availability, plant architecture, dry matter accumulation, grain yield and yield components and P use efficiency (PUE) for both durum wheat and maize. The results revealed that applying HCP at a rate of 4 or 8 kg/ha increased soil P availability on average by 66% and 144%, respectively, compared to the control (no P-fertilisation), although a significant interaction with the monitoring year emerged. For wheat, applying HCP at a rate of 8 kg/ha of P resulted in higher grain yield (+15%), protein content (+0.9%) and P uptake (+48%) than the control on average considering both monitoring years. In the season characterised by favourable rainfall patterns, the application of HCP at 5 or 10 kg/ha of P for maize showed similar effects in terms of soil P availability, dry matter accumulation, grain yields and PUE. Conversely, in the season marked by a deficiency in summer precipitation, low PUE for maize was observed for HCP fertilisers, although they remained positive, unlike the case of TSP. Using HCP in conservation agriculture appears promising as an adaptive solution to address P-fertiliser scarcity, especially amid food security challenges and global crises. However, further studies are required to validate these findings in diverse pedo-climatic contexts and cropping systems

Effect of thermal/pressure processing and simulated human digestion on the immunoreactivity of extractable peanut allergens

Peanut allergy is one of the most widespread types of food allergies especially affecting developed countries. To reduce the risk of triggering allergic reactions, several technological strategies have been devised to modify or remove allergens from foods. Herein we investigated the combination of high temperature and pressure on the modulation of peanuts immunoreactivity after simulated gastro-duodenal digestion. Extractable proteins of raw and autoclaved peanuts were separated on SDS-PAGE and immunogenicity was assessed by ELISA and Western Blot analyses. Proteins surviving the heat treatment and reacting towards allergic patients' sera were analysed and attributed to Ara h 3 and Ara h 1 proteins by untargeted LC-high resolution-MS/MS. A progressive reduction in the intensity of the major allergen proteins was also highlighted in the protein fraction extracted from autoclaved peanuts, with a total disappearance of the high molecular allergens when samples were preliminary exposed to 2 h hydration although the lower molecular weight fraction was not investigated in the present work. Furthermore, raw and processed peanuts underwent simulated digestion experiments and the IgE binding was assessed by using allergic patients' sera. The persistence of an immunoreactive band was displayed around 20 kDa. In conclusion, the synergistic effects of heat and pressure played a pivotal role in the disappearance of the major peanut allergens also contributing to the significant alteration of the final immunoreactivity. In addition, the surviving of allergenic determinants in peanuts after gastrointestinal breakdown provides more insights on the fate of allergenic proteins after autoclaving treatments

Acute diverticulitis management: evolving trends among Italian surgeons. A survey of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR)

Acute diverticulitis (AD) is associated with relevant morbidity/mortality and is increasing worldwide, thus becoming a major issue for national health systems. AD may be challenging, as clinical relevance varies widely, ranging from asymptomatic picture to life-threatening conditions, with continuously evolving diagnostic tools, classifications, and management. A 33-item-questionnaire was administered to residents and surgeons to analyze the actual clinical practice and to verify the real spread of recent recommendations, also by stratifying surgeons by experience. CT-scan remains the mainstay of AD assessment, including cases presenting with recurrent mild episodes or women of child-bearing age. Outpatient management of mild AD is slowly gaining acceptance. A conservative management is preferred in non-severe cases with extradigestive air or small/non-radiologically drainable abscesses. In severe cases, a laparoscopic approach is preferred, with a non-negligible number of surgeons confident in performing emergency complex procedures. Surgeons are seemingly aware of several options during emergency surgery for AD, since the rate of Hartmann procedures does not exceed 50% in most environments and damage control surgery is spreading in life-threatening cases. Quality of life and history of complicated AD are the main indications for delayed colectomy, which is mostly performed avoiding the proximal vessel ligation, mobilizing the splenic flexure and performing a colorectal anastomosis. ICG is spreading to check anastomotic stumps' vascularization. Differences between the two experience groups were found about the type of investigation to exclude colon cancer (considering the experience only in terms of number of colectomies performed), the size of the peritoneal abscess to be drained, practice of damage control surgery and the attitude towards colovesical fistula

Diversity and abundance of soil arthropods in urban and suburban holm oak stands

We investigated the soil arthropod communities of urban and suburban holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) stands in a small (Siena) and a large Italian city (Naples) and tested whether the abundance and diversity of higher arthropod taxa are affected by the biotic and abiotic conditions of urban forest soils, including pollution. Acarina and Collembola were the dominant taxa in both cities. In Siena the total number of arthropod individuals collected in the samples was over 1/3 greater than in Naples, but all diversity indices scored higher in Naples than in Siena, probably in response to the higher heterogeneity of microclimatic and pedological conditions found in Naples study area. Oribatids resulted twice more abundant in Siena and so were the total mites with respect to Collembola. While “taxonomic richness” per site increased with distance from road traffic, entropy and evenness indices scored higher at the two ends of the impact gradient in both cities. The overall variation in basic pedological and microbiological soil parameters positively correlated with the total abundance of arthropods, and negatively correlated with their taxonomic richness. At the resolution employed, no significant relation emerged between anthropogenic factors, such as traffic load and soil pollution, and the arthropod fauna density and variety. These results are consistent with conclusions drawn from a previous study on the enchytraeid fauna examined at species level, which is remarkable considering the different taxonomic resolutions of the two studies. CCA results suggest that the higher abundance of Oribatid mites, Protura and Thysanura and the lower abundance of Diplopoda and Symphyla in Siena could depend on a higher fungi/bacteria ratio. This observation can be interpreted in terms of differences in fungi and bacteria between the two cities: Siena is shifted towards the fungal decomposition channel, which supports taxa such as oribatid mites, while Naples is shifted towards the bacterial channel, which supports chiefly detritivorous groups, such as diplopods