Habitat Fragmentation and Lichen Diversity in Peri-Urban Woodlands: A Case Study in the Municipality of Potenza (Southern Italy).

The fragmentation of the natural habitat is a process that is exponentially increasing worldwide and represents one of the biggest threats to biological diversity. Habitat destruction and fragmentation have a major impact on landscapes and may also affect ecosystems, populations, and species. The ongoing anthropogenic process can result in habitat loss for some species, habitat creation for others, reduced patch size, and increased distance between patches, which may lead to local extinction.

Pollination features and floral volatiles of Gymnospermium scipetarum (Berberidaceae).

The discovery of few isolated populations of Gymnospermium scipetarum (since now considered as an amphi-Adriatic endemic) in the S-Apennines prompted to investigate, also for conservation purposes, some aspects of its reproductive biology. We aim: (1) to determine if insects play an important role in pollination; (2) to describe the pollinator community; (3) to detect floral scent composition. Experiments of insect exclusion were carried out in the field using 24 flowering individuals: one raceme was capped whereas the nearest one was used as control to ascertain differences in seed set.

Randomized noninferiority field trial comparing 2 first-generation cephalosporin products at dry off in quarters receiving an internal teat sealant in dairy cows.

The study objective was to compare 2 commercial dry cow mastitis products at the quarter level, with concurrent internal teat sealant application, evaluating the cure risk difference, odds of a cure, odds of a new intramammary infection (NIMI) during the dry period, and risk for a clinical mastitis (CM) case between calving and 60d in milk (DIM). A total of 590 cows (2,360 quarters) from 8 commercial dairy herds in Italy were enrolled and randomized to 1 of the 2 treatments at dry off: Cefovet A (CF; 250mg of cephazoline; Merial Italia SpA, Milan, Italy), and Cepravin (CP; 250mg of cephalonium dehydrate MSD Animal Health Srl, Segrate, Italy). Quarter milk samples were collected before dry cow therapy treatment at dry off, 2 to 9 DIM, and 10 to 17 DIM.

Clinical manifestations of highly prevalent corticosteroid-binding globulin mutations in a village in southern Italy.

Context: Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is the binding protein for cortisol. Rare kindreds with CBG mutations reducing CBG levels or altering binding affinity have been described, along with clinical manifestations encompassing fatigue, chronic pain, and hypotension. The largest kindred, exhibiting two mutations (null and Lyon) were Australian immigrants from Italy.

CYP superfamily perturbation by diflubenzuron or acephate in different tissues of CD1 mice.

This work aimed to investigate whether the insecticide acephate (125 or 250 mg/kg b.w.) or diflubenzuron (752 or 1075 mg/kg b.

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) prevents DCA effects on male mouse liver via up-regulation of CYP [correction of CXP] and preservation of BSEP activities.

To investigate whether ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) can prevent metabolic impairment induced by deoxycholic acid (DCA), we evaluated the effects of these bile acids on murine CYP enzymes and the relationship with canalicular bile salt export pump (Bsep) expression. In Swiss Albino CD1 mice, UDCA and DCA were injected intraperitoneally either singly, concurrently, or sequentially (UDCA 1 hour before DCA) at equimolar 24.4 mg/kg body weight (BW) doses.