Sesterterpenoids: sources, structural diversity, biological activity, and data management.

Reviewing the literature published up to October 2024.Sesterterpenoids are one of the most chemically diverse and biologically promising subgroup of terpenoids, the largest family of secondary metabolites. The present review article summarizes more than seven decades of studies on isolation and characterization of more than 1600 structurally novel sesterterpenoids, supplemented by biological, pharmacological, ecological, and geographic distribution data.

A prospective study to evaluate high dose daptomycin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in spp. infective endocarditis.

Background: Daptomycin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics data relative to higher doses in patients are necessary for clinical practice.

Objectives: A monocentric, prospective study that enrolled patients with a diagnosis of spp. infective endocarditis treated with daptomycin according to clinical practice, to evaluate the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of different daptomycin daily doses (group A: 8-10 and group B: 11-12 mg/kg).

Antibiotic Stewardship Based on Colonization with Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria in Liver Transplantation: A Narrative Review.

In solid organs post-transplant, bacterial infections can complicate the course of recovery with devastating consequences, such as graft loss and death. We provide an expert review on early post-liver transplant bacterial infections, with a focus on infections with multi-drug-resistant organism (MDRO) etiologies. Best practice recommendations are derived from a combination of available evidence and expert consensus.

Bedrock-Dependent Effects of Climate Change on Terricolous Lichens Along Elevational Gradients in the Alps.

In this study, we focused on the bedrock-dependent effects of climate change on terricolous lichen communities along elevational gradients in the Alps. In particular, we contrasted between carbonatic and siliceous bedrock, hypothesizing more favourable conditions on siliceous than on carbonatic bedrock, where dryer conditions may exacerbate the effects of climate change. To test this hypothesis, we compared terricolous lichen diversity patterns between the two bedrock types in terms of (1) species richness, (2) beta-diversity, (3) proportion of cryophilous species, and (4) functional diversity, also testing the effect of the elevational gradient as a proxy for expected climate warming.

Clinical impact of TP53 functional mutations in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy.

Background: Clinical and experimental studies indicate that the tumor protein p53 (TP53) gene loss of function due to missense mutations (MMs) may confer sensitivity to anti-angiogenics. This effect seems to be linked to cross-talk mechanisms among TP53, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF receptors. We investigated whether specific TP53 MMs are associated with clinical outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with first-line chemotherapy plus Bevacizumab.

Unfolding the dynamics of ecosystems undergoing alternating wet-dry transitional states.

A significant fraction of Earth's ecosystems undergoes periodic wet-dry alternating transitional states. These globally distributed water-driven transitional ecosystems, such as intermittent rivers and coastal shorelines, have traditionally been studied as two distinct entities, whereas they constitute a single, interconnected meta-ecosystem. This has resulted in a poor conceptual and empirical understanding of water-driven transitional ecosystems.

Synthesis and Physicochemical Characterization of Gelatine-Based Biodegradable Aerogel-like Composites as Possible Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine.

Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field aiming at restoring pathologically damaged tissues and whole organs by cell transplantation in combination with proper supporting scaffolds. Gelatine-based ones are very attractive due to their biocompatibility, rapid biodegradability, and lack of immunogenicity. Gelatine-based composite hydrogels, containing strengthening agents to improve their modest mechanical properties, have been demonstrated to act as extracellular matrices (ECMs), thus playing a critical role in "organ manufacturing".

Lichen Biodiversity and Near-Infrared Metabolomic Fingerprint as Diagnostic and Prognostic Complementary Tools for Biomonitoring: A Case Study in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula.

In the 1990s, a sampling network for the biomonitoring of forests using epiphytic lichen diversity was established in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. This area registered air pollution impacts by winds from the Andorra thermal power plant, as well as from photo-oxidants and nitrogen depositions from local and long-distance transport. In 1997, an assessment of the state of lichen communities was carried out by calculating the Index of Atmospheric Purity.

Shower thoughts: why scientists should spend more time in the rain.

Stormwater is a vital resource and dynamic driver of terrestrial ecosystem processes. However, processes controlling interactions during and shortly after storms are often poorly seen and poorly sensed when direct observations are substituted with technological ones. We discuss how human observations complement technological ones and the benefits of scientists spending more time in the storm.

Medical Ethnobotany of the Bissau-Guinean Community of Migrants Living in Northern Italy and Comparison with the Ethnopharmacology of Guinea-Bissau.

This study compares the knowledge of medicinal plants of Bissau-Guinean migrants now established in Italy with the ethnopharmacology still present in their country of origin. We also investigated how traditional ethnobotanical knowledge is changing following the phenomenon of migration from Africa to Europe. The ethnobotanical data were collected during 2017-2018, by interviewing 49 informants belonging to 8 ethnic groups, living in 8 provinces of northern Italy.

[Self-compassion and secondary traumatization: results of an observational study carried out in Covid hospital ordinary units].

Introduction. The relationship between Self-compassion and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder does not appear to be investigated among health professionals, in the period of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study intends to examine it in a hospital unit, where ordinary units have been converted into units for those infected with the virus.

A research agenda for nonvascular photoautotrophs under climate change.

Nonvascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but the extent to which this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services is highly uncertain. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types.

Modelling the response of urban lichens to broad-scale changes in air pollution and climate.

To create more resilient cities, it is important that we understand the effects of the global change drivers in cities. Biodiversity-based ecological indicators (EIs) can be used for this, as biodiversity is the basis of ecosystem structure, composition, and function. In previous studies, lichens have been used as EIs to monitor the effects of global change drivers in an urban context, but only in single-city studies.

Post-acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) syndrome: .

Background: Sars-CoV2 can cause severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In COVID-19-associated respiratory failure, lung transplantation might be an option (Bharat A).

Case Report: A previously healthy 63-year-old man with a nasopharyngeal swab positive for SarsCoV2 and radiological evidence of interstitial lung consolidations developed acute respiratory distress that required intubation and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support (VV ECMO).

Little time left. Microrefuges may fail in mitigating the effects of climate change on epiphytic lichens.

Climate change is already causing considerable reductions in biodiversity in all terrestrial ecosystems. These consequences are expected to be exacerbated in biomes that are particularly exposed to change, such as those in the Mediterranean, and in certain groups of more sensitive organisms, such as epiphytic lichens. These poikylohydric organisms find suitable light and water conditions on trunks under the tree canopy.

Microclimatic Alteration after Logging Affects the Growth of the Endangered Lichen .

Microclimatic conditions are important in determining lichen distribution at small scale, and may determine whether the species persist when the surrounding environmental conditions have drastically changed. This is the case with forest management, since a sudden variation of microclimatic conditions (increase of solar radiation, temperature, wind and a reduction of humidity) may occur after logging. In this study, the combined effect of forest logging and microclimatic conditions on the growth probabilities and growth rates of the model species was assessed in mixed oak stands.

Functional Traits in Lichen Ecology: A Review of Challenge and Opportunity.

Community ecology has experienced a major transition, from a focus on patterns in taxonomic composition, to revealing the processes underlying community assembly through the analysis of species functional traits. The power of the functional trait approach is its generality, predictive capacity such as with respect to environmental change, and, through linkage of response and effect traits, the synthesis of community assembly with ecosystem function and services. Lichens are a potentially rich source of information about how traits govern community structure and function, thereby creating opportunity to better integrate lichens into 'mainstream' ecological studies, while lichen ecology and conservation can also benefit from using the trait approach as an investigative tool.

The lichens of the Majella National Park (Central Italy): an annotated checklist.

The botanical exploration of the Majella National Park has a long tradition dating back to the eighteenth century. However, the lichen biota of this area is still poorly investigated. To provide a baseline for future investigations, in this annotated checklist, we summarised all available information on the occurrence of lichens in the Majella National Park, retrieved from previous literature, herbarium material and original data produced by recent research.

Morphological and Chemical Traits of Respond to Multiple Environmental Factors in Acidic Dry Grasslands.

Terricolous lichen communities in lowlands occur especially in open dry habitats. Such communities are often dominated by species of the genus , which are very variable in morphology, reproduction strategies, and secondary metabolites. In this work, we investigated traits-environment relationships considering vegetation dynamics, substrate pH, disturbance, and climate.

Bootstrap confidence intervals for principal covariates regression.

Principal covariate regression (PCOVR) is a method for regressing a set of criterion variables with respect to a set of predictor variables when the latter are many in number and/or collinear. This is done by extracting a limited number of components that simultaneously synthesize the predictor variables and predict the criterion ones. So far, no procedure has been offered for estimating statistical uncertainties of the obtained PCOVR parameter estimates.

Contrasting multitaxon responses to climate change in Mediterranean mountains.

We explored the influence of climatic factors on diversity patterns of multiple taxa (lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants) along a steep elevational gradient to predict communities' dynamics under future climate change scenarios in Mediterranean regions. We analysed (1) species richness patterns in terms of heat-adapted, intermediate, and cold-adapted species; (2) pairwise beta-diversity patterns, also accounting for its two different components, species replacement and richness difference; (3) the influence of climatic variables on species functional traits. Species richness is influenced by different factors between three taxonomic groups, while beta diversity differs mainly between plants and cryptogams.