Dissecting the continuum and unravelling the phylogeographic knot of plastid DNA in European white oaks (Quercus sect. Quercus): ancient signatures and multiple diversity reservoirs

Available knowledge on the European white oaks (Quercus, sect. Quercus) plastome still exhibits large gaps, mostly in respect of detailed phylogeny and information from southern Europe and adjacent Near East. We investigated DNA sequence polymorphism at two plastid loci on 270 individuals representing 13 white oak species/taxa and retrieved several hundred sequences of the same two DNA regions from GenBank to fll the above gaps, and contribute to a better understanding of white oak diversity and evolution. The modern European sect. Quercus species exhibits a poorly diferentiated plastid DNA, despite its current highly diversifed taxonomy. Twenty-nine haplotypes were identifed across the Euro-Mediterranean and Near East regions, including two ancestral variants that are westerly and south-easterly partitioned. Other high- and lowfrequency haplotypes also showed a well-structured geographic distribution consistent with the current phytogeographic framework of the European continent. The climatic and geological events that characterized the end of the Tertiary and Quaternary periods played a crucial role in triggering haplotype mixing, isolation, and in ofering niche opportunities for more recent diversifcation. Euro-Mediterranean southern territories host a high and as yet poorly studied genetic variation; the role of the Italian Peninsula as a crossroad and threshold for haplotype diversity and distribution clearly emerges from this stud

Comparative systematics and phylogeography of Quercus Section Cerris in western Eurasia: inferences from plastid and nuclear DNA variation

Oaks (Quercus) comprise more than 400 species worldwide and centres of diversity for most sections lie in the Americas and East/Southeast Asia. The only exception is the Eurasian sect. Cerris that comprises about 15 species, most of which are confined to western Eurasia. This section has not been comprehensively studied using molecular tools. Here, we assess species diversity and provide a first comprehensive taxonomic and phylogeographic scheme of western Eurasian members of sect. Cerris using plastid (trnH-psbA) and nuclear (5S-IGS) DNA variation with a dense intra-specific and geographic sampling. Chloroplast haplotypes primarily reflected phylogeographic patterns originating from interspecific cytoplasmic gene flow within sect. Cerris and its sister section Ilex. We identified two widespread and ancestral haplotypes, and locally restricted derived variants. Signatures shared with Mediterranean species of sect. Ilex, but not with the East Asian Cerris oaks, suggest that the western Eurasian lineage came into contact with Ilex only after the first (early Oligocene) members of sect. Cerris in Northeast Asia had begun to radiate and move westwards. Nuclear 5S-IGS diversification patterns were more useful for establishing a molecular-taxonomic framework and to reveal hybridization and reticulation. Four main evolutionary lineages were identified. The first lineage is comprised of Q. libani, Q. trojana and Q. afares and appears to be closest to the root of sect. Cerris. These taxa are morphologically most similar to the East Asian species of Cerris, and to both Oligocene and Miocene fossils of East Asia and Miocene fossils of western Eurasia. The second lineage is mainly composed of the widespread Q. cerris and the narrow endemic species Q. castaneifolia, Q. look, and Q. euboica. The third lineage comprises three Near East species (Q. brantii, Q. ithaburensis and Q. macrolepis), well adapted to continental climates with cold winters. The forth lineage appears to be the most derived and comprises Q. suber and Q. crenata. Q. cerris and Q.  trojana displayed high levels of variation; Q. macrolepis and Q. euboica, previously treated as subspecies of Q. ithaburensis and Q. trojana, likely deserve independent species status. A trend towards inter-specific crosses was detected in several taxa; however, we found no clear evidence of a hybrid origin of Q. afares and Q. crenata, as currently assumed

Paediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas in the 5th CNS WHO Classification

As a relevant element of novelty, the fifth CNS WHO Classification highlights the distinctive pathobiology underlying gliomas arising primarily in children by recognizing for the first time the families of paediatric-type diffuse gliomas, both high-grade and low-grade. This review will focus on the family of paediatric-type diffuse high-grade gliomas, which includes four tumour types: 1) Diffuse midline glioma H3 K27-altered; 2) Diffuse hemispheric glioma H3 G34-mutant; 3) Diffuse paediatric-type high-grade glioma H3-wildtype and IDH-wildtype; and 4) Infant-type hemispheric glioma. The essential and desirable diagnostic criteria as well as the entities entering in the differential will be discussed for each tumour type. A special focus will be given on the issues encountered in the daily practice, especially regarding the diagnosis of the diffuse paediatric-type high-grade glioma H3-wildtype and IDH-wildtype. The advantages and the limits of the multiple molecular tests which may be utilised to define the entities of this tumour family will be evaluated in each diagnostic context

Evaluating the Intra-Industry Comparability of Sustainability Reports: The Case of the Oil and Gas Industry

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data are in high demand in financial markets. However, the ESG data provided by companies do not allow for use in the investment decision-making process. The main limiting point for this is a lack of comparability across companies. This paper analyzes the problem of comparability with the aim to evaluate the intra-industry comparability of sustainability reports, framing the analysis on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and discussing the results with the support of legitimacy and stakeholder theories. Drawing upon stakeholder and legitimacy theories, as well as financial and sustainability accounting concepts, we propose a theoretical framework of comparability and a methodology to evaluate the level of comparability on a sector-specific basis. The methodological approach adopted in this study is broadly qualitative, with the use of a multiple-stages model. Based on the example of one industry, we discovered that, despite comparability being mostly relevant to the listed companies from the oil and gas sector, the sustainability reports of these companies are still not comparable. Our findings reveal that, despite the availability of a large amount of ESG data and the existence of sustainability frameworks, the problem of comparability is still relevant even for companies that are theoretically most inclined to be comparable

From sustainable value to shareholder value: The impact of sustainable governance and anti‐corruption programs on market valuation

This study investigates the value relevance of corporate governance and anticorruption policies from a sustainable value perspective, basing the analysis on institutional and stakeholder theories. Using a sample of annual and sustainability reports of 110 listed companies of the world, published between 2018 and 2020, the study documents piecewise dependence between some components of sustainable value (i.e., governance and anti-corruption) and market value for shareholders. Based on our findings, these components exert a significant positive influence on market performance for the sample of companies with an initial low level of these practices (beginners). However, companies with an already developed framework for sustainable governance and anti-corruption (advanced) do not experience any significant fluctuations in market value in response to developments in respect of these components. Overall, the results suggest that unexpected activities and disclosure in respect of sustainable governance and anti-corruption mechanisms are valued more highly by the market than new developments in initiatives and reporting where these mechanisms are already at mature levels. The research bridges the gap in the literature by explaining the influence of sustainable governance and anti-corruption actions on market prices using piecewise regression; this contrasts with previous single-model studies. Additionally, anti-corruption is incorporated as a characteristic of sustainable governance in this research for the first time

Complex Scenarios of Reticulation, Polyploidization, and Species Diversity within Annual Pansies of Subsect. Bracteolatae (Viola Sect. Melanium, Violaceae) in Italy: Insights from 5S-IGS High-Throughput Sequencing and Plastid DNA Variation

Viola sect. Melanium, the so-called pansy, is an allopolyploid morphologically well-defined lineage of ca. 110 perennial and annual species in the northern hemisphere, characterized by markedly complex genomic configurations. Five annual pansies occur in Italy, four of which are morphologically very similar and belong to the informal ‘V. tricolor species complex’: V. arvensis (2n = 34), V. hymettia (2n = 16), V. kitaibeliana (2n = 16), and V. tricolor (2n = 26). Their field recognition is difficult and reflects a long-debated taxonomy often resulting in doubtful records in field inventories and across European herbaria. The current lack of comprehensive intra- and interspecific comparative studies and a relative scarcity of appropriate genetic markers coupled with unambiguous cytological descriptions are hindering clear taxa circumscription and phylogenetic inferences within this group. In this work, we tested DNA sequence variation of three highly variable plastid markers and High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) of the nuclear ribosomal 5S-IGS region in an attempt to decipher species identity within the V. tricolor species complex and to obtain an insight on their genome organization and evolution. Our results document the close relationships within this species group, a reliable molecular resolution for V. tricolor, and the common ancestry of V. arvensis and the poorly differentiated V. kitaibeliana and V. hymettia. Evidence of an important inter-population geographical divergence was recorded in V. tricolor and V. arvensis, pointing at the existence of different eco-cytotypes within these entities. Overall diversity patterns and the occurrence of two to four differently diverging 5S-IGS lineages are discussed in the light of the acknowledged taxonomy and genomic evolutive trajectories of sect. Melanium.</jats:p

Complex Scenarios of Reticulation, Polyploidization, and Species Diversity within Annual Pansies of Subsect. Bracteolatae (Viola Sect. Melanium, Violaceae) in Italy: Insights from 5S-IGS High-Throughput Sequencing and Plastid DNA Variation

Viola sect. Melanium, the so-called pansy, is an allopolyploid morphologically well-defined lineage of ca. 110 perennial and annual species in the northern hemisphere, characterized by markedly complex genomic configurations. Five annual pansies occur in Italy, four of which are morphologically very similar and belong to the informal &lsquo;V. tricolor species complex&rsquo;: V. arvensis (2n = 34), V. hymettia (2n = 16), V. kitaibeliana (2n = 16), and V. tricolor (2n = 26). Their field recognition is difficult and reflects a long-debated taxonomy often resulting in doubtful records in field inventories and across European herbaria. The current lack of comprehensive intra- and interspecific comparative studies and a relative scarcity of appropriate genetic markers coupled with unambiguous cytological descriptions are hindering clear taxa circumscription and phylogenetic inferences within this group. In this work, we tested DNA sequence variation of three highly variable plastid markers and High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) of the nuclear ribosomal 5S-IGS region in an attempt to decipher species identity within the V. tricolor species complex and to obtain an insight on their genome organization and evolution. Our results document the close relationships within this species group, a reliable molecular resolution for V. tricolor, and the common ancestry of V. arvensis and the poorly differentiated V. kitaibeliana and V. hymettia. Evidence of an important inter-population geographical divergence was recorded in V. tricolor and V. arvensis, pointing at the existence of different eco-cytotypes within these entities. Overall diversity patterns and the occurrence of two to four differently diverging 5S-IGS lineages are discussed in the light of the acknowledged taxonomy and genomic evolutive trajectories of sect. Melanium

Seismic vulnerability and resilience assessment of urban telecommunication networks

ABS TRACT Telecommunication infrastructures provide essential services to urban communities. During an emergency caused by a seismic event, their functionality is crucial to guarantee communication among users and also facilitate search and rescue operations. In this paper, a methodology to model and quantify the seismic vulnerability and resilience of wireless telecommunication networks is presented. The case study is a virtual city resembling a typical medium-sized European city. Three separate networks managed by as many mobile network operators have been designed out of information gathered from a crowdsourced database and visual satellite inspections. The interdependence with the built environment is taken into account by associating the failure of network components with the collapse of the buildings hosting them. Three vulnerability indexes for the resil-ience analysis of urban telecommunication networks have been defined considering failed telecommunication towers, throughput, and the number of users per base station. They have been calculated after four seismic scenarios with different characteristics and intensities