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Prenatal ethanol exposure produces severe changes in brain, liver, and kidney through mechanisms involving growth factors. These molecules regulate survival, differentiation, maintenance, and connectivity of brain, liver, and kidney cells. Despite the abundant available data on the short and mid-lasting effects of ethanol intoxication, only few data show the long-lasting damage induced by early ethanol administration. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in brain areas, liver, and kidney of 18-mo-old male mice exposed perinatally to ethanol at 11% vol or to red wine at the same ethanol concentration. The authors found that ethanol per se elevated NGF, BDNF, HGF, and VEGF measured by ELISA in brain limbic system areas. In the liver, early exposure to ethanol solution and red wine depleted BDNF and VEGF concentrations. In the kidney, red wine exposure only decreased VEGF. In conclusion, the present study shows that, in aged mice, early administration of ethanol solution induced long-lasting damage at growth factor levels in frontal cortex, hippocampus, and liver but not in kidney. Otherwise, in mice exposed to red wine, significant changes were observed in the liver and kidney but not in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The brain differences in ethanol-induced toxicity when ethanol is administered alone or in red wine may be related to compounds with antioxidant properties present in the red wine.

The paper describes formation and spreading of dense shelf waters in the Adriatic Sea (North Adriatic Dense Water, NAdDW) during the winter of 2012 as a consequence of an intense and long cold air outbreak of northeasterly Bora winds. As a result, during February 2012 northern Adriatic Sea water temperature dropped to about 6 degrees C and density exceeded 1030 kg/m(3), most likely the maximum value since 1929. NAdDW dynamics has been investigated by means of a 3-D ocean-wave coupled model running on a high resolution and eddy-permitting grid. The numerical experiments have relied on the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment-Transport (COAWST) system forced one-way with atmospheric forcings provided by the model COSMO-17. A suite of observational data has been used to characterize the Bora event and evaluate numerical model performance. At sub-basin scales, the newly formed waters flowing southerly have produced a water renewal of the northern Adriatic, as more than 50% of water volumes have left the basin. Dense waters volume transports, evaluated through different Adriatic cross-sections, have been modulated by tides (damped for the densest water masses) and reached about 1 Sv. The contribution of wave-induced forcings has been quantified and examined, indicating that these represent a major driving mechanism during NAdDW production and spreading phases. This work provides evidence that NAdDW is spread accordingly with two different mechanisms: at early stages of its formation, the wind-driven ocean circulation pushes newly formed waters to leave the northern basin with relatively high speeds (about 0.30 m/s). Later on, remaining NAdDW leaks slowly out (0.09 m/s as average) from the production site. Residence times of dense waters in the north, middle, and south Adriatic Sea are also documented. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In 2016, the "First World Ocean Assessment" stated that most of the ocean is now seriously degraded, with change in structure, functions and benefits from marine systems. Meanwhile, the earth surface warming due to anthropic impacts and climate change is one of the driving causes of loss of oxygen from oceans and eutrophisation. During the past 50 years, the open oceans have been losing approximately 1-2% of oxygen, while the extension of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) has been quadrupling, covering an area approximately the size of the Europe. The IPCC 5th Assessment Report forecasts a gradual decrease of oxygen concentration, by 3-6% during the 21th century, which is detrimental to several marine organisms and terrestrial ecosystems too. Conversely, well-oxygenated oceans and coastal waters provide regulating and supporting services. The Ecosystem Services (ES) are goods and services but also conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems sustain and fulfill human life. The deoxygenation damages goods and services delivered by marine ecosystems to humans. In the context of integrated and transdisciplinary ES framework, which combines ecological, economic and social dimensions, four forms of assets (built, human, social and natural) contribute to human well-being through synergies and trade-offs. Since a complete and structured knowledge is the first step to conceive strategies for a sustainable management of the marine areas, increasing investments in this sector is crucial. In Italy, the 1.3% of Research and Development (R&D) funds have been allocated for the oceanographic research, nevertheless a gap of knowledge about the complex phenomena affecting the marine and coastal areas remains. Considering the sea resources supply and regulate a series of goods and services (e.g. rainwater, drinking water, climate, food, air and water oxygenation), the "SDGs, Agenda 2030" goal 14 aims to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources" as a key feature of a sustainable future.

Sentinel-2 data have been used in various fields of human activity. In cultural heritage, their potential is still to be fully explored. This paper aims to illustrate how remote sensing and open source tools are useful for archaeological investigations. The whole issue revolves around the application of satellite (Sentinel-2) and accessory tools for the identification, knowledge and protection of the cultural heritage of two areas of southern Italy: Sant’Arsenio (SA) and Foggia (FG). Both study cases were selected for a specific reason: to demonstrate the usefulness of open data and software for research and preservation of cultural heritage, as in the case of urban sprawl, development of public works (gas- and oil-pipelines, etc.) or intensive use of land for agricultural purposes. The results obtained are relevant for the knowledge improvement and very useful to operate in the field of preventive archaeology, for the evaluation and management of risk, the planning of city-expansion or infrastructures that could damage the buried heritage.

This study is based on assessing fecal indicator bacteria contamination along meteorological, hydrological and physical-chemical variables after high rainy events during the summer period. The study focused on four different coastal sites in the western and eastern Adriatic coast characterized by various geomorphological and hydrological features, levels of urbanization and anthropogenic pressures, with the aim of finding appropriate and effective solutions to ensure the safety and sustainability of tourism and public health. Detailed in-situ survey revealed a wide range of fecal indicator bacterial (FIB) across the different river mouths with concentrations of E. coli ranging from 165 to 6700 CFU 100 mL-1. It was found that nitrogen compounds track microbial load and acted as tracers for fecal contaminants. Further, a modelling tool was also used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of fecal pollution at these coastal sites. The integrated monitoring through high frequent survey in river waters and modeling framework allowed for the estimation of fecal indicator bacterial load at the river mouth and examination of fecal pollutant dispersion in recreational waters, considering different scenarios of fecal dispersion along the coast. This study formed the basis of a robust decision support system aimed at improving the management of recreational areas and ensuring the protection of water bodies through efficient management of bathing areas.

A series of Ni catalysts supported on La Ce O mixed oxides with different Ni content (Ce1-3xLa2xNixO2-?, x = 0.10; 0.20 and 0.25) prepared by combustion synthesis, was tested in tri-reforming reaction of simulated biogas. The influence of O2/CH4, CH4/CO2 molar ratios in the reaction stream has been evaluated caring out the reaction at 800 oC, under a fixed gas hourly space velocity (GHSV = 31,000 h-1). The highest catalytic activity was obtained with the Ce0.70La0.20Ni0.10O2-? sample that showed high stability (CH4, CO2 conversion rates and the H2/CO molar ratio in the reformed gas were 1.56 mmol/s gNi, 0.56 mmol/s gNi and 1.57, respectively) under an average biogas composition (CH4/CO2 = 1.5). No carbon deposition was detected after 150 h of reaction. The characterizations of the samples have highlighted that Ni and La ions were partially incorporated into CeO2 framework, cubic fluorite structure of CeO2 support was retained also at high level of doping. Ni metal phase in close contact with La2O3-CeO2 matrix coupled with Ni2+ with high cationic character appeared to be responsible of the catalytic activity and stability of the catalysts.