On the effectiveness of the red alga Laurencia microcladia as a PAH biomonitor in coastal marine ecosystems.

Anthropogenic pressures affect large stretches of Mediterranean coastal environments, determining alterations, including chemical pollution, able to impair ecosystem functioning and services. Among the pollutants of major concern for their toxicity and persistence, there are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be effectively monitored through bioaccumulation approaches. However, the main biomonitor of PAHs in the Mediterranean Sea, Posidonia oceanica, is currently undergoing extensive regressions due to anthropogenic pressures, forcing the search for alternative biomonitors.

Coronary embolism and acute limb ischemia without pre-existing atrial fibrillation: Hunt for the hidden thrombus.

Coronary embolism (CE) is an infrequent etiology of myocardial infarction secondary to embolization of occlusive thrombi within the coronary arteries, typically arising in patients with pre-existing atrial fibrillation. Clinical presentation is similar to atherosclerotic myocardial infarction, however the condition is likely underrecognized. The simultaneous presence of other embolic manifestations may assist with diagnosis, although definitive therapy, medical or interventional, remains inconclusive.

Biodiversity, Ecology and Distribution of Mediterranean Charophytes in Southern Italy.

Charophytes are amongst the most endangered primary producers in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. In spite of the extensive research on the group and its ecological and conservational relevance, scarce information is available on Mediterranean environments, especially rivers and small water reservoirs, where charophytes face challenging summer droughts and changes in hydrological regimes, as well as pervasive anthropogenic pressures. This research aimed, through repeated field observations, detailed analyses of population traits, and extensive characterization of the colonized environments, to foster an understanding of the distribution, biodiversity, and ecology of charophytes in an area of exceptional environmental value and that is still uninvestigated in relation to its charophyte flora, the southern Campania region (Italy).

Neutralizing Antibody Levels as a Correlate of Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Modeling Analysis.

Although anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 antibody kinetics have been described in large populations of vaccinated individuals, we still poorly understand how they evolve during a natural infection and how this impacts viral clearance. For that purpose, we analyzed the kinetics of both viral load and neutralizing antibody levels in a prospective cohort of individuals during acute infection with alpha variant. Using a mathematical model, we show that the progressive increase in neutralizing antibodies leads to a shortening of the half-life of both infected cells and infectious viral particles.