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The study of science-making is a growing discipline that builds largely on online publication and citation databases, while prepublication processes remain hidden. Here, we report on results from a large-scale survey of the submission process, covering 923 scientific journals from the biological sciences in years 2006 to 2008. Manuscript flows among journals revealed a modular submission network, with high-impact journals preferentially attracting submissions. However, about 75% of published articles were submitted first to the journal that would publish them, and high-impact journals published proportionally more articles that had been resubmitted from another journal. Submission history affected post-publication impact: Resubmissions from other journals received significantly more citations than first-intent submissions, and resubmissions between different journal communities received significantly fewer citations.

The goal of the Arabian Sea section of the TARA oceans expedition was to study large particulate matter (LPM > 100 μm) distributions and possible impact of associated midwater biological processes on vertical carbon export through the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) of this region. We propose that observed spatial patterns in LPM distribution resulted from the timing and location of surface phytoplankton bloom, lateral transport, microbial processes in the core of the OMZ, and enhanced biological processes mediated by bacteria and zooplankton at the lower oxycline. Indeed, satellite-derived net primary production maps showed that the northern stations of the transect were under the influence of a previous major bloom event while the most southern stations were in a more oligotrophic situation. Lagrangian simulations of particle transport showed that deep particles of the northern stations could originate from the surface bloom while the southern stations could be considered as driven by 1-D vertical processes. In the first 200 m of the OMZ core, minima in nitrate concentrations and the intermediate nepheloid layer (INL) coincided with high concentrations of 100 μm < LPM < 200 μm. These particles could correspond to colonies of bacteria or detritus produced by anaerobic microbial activity. However, the calculated carbon flux through this layer was not affected. Vertical profiles of carbon flux indicate low flux attenuation in the OMZ, with a Martin model b exponent value of 0.22. At three stations, the lower oxycline was associated to a deep nepheloid layer, an increase of calculated carbon flux and an increase in mesozooplankton abundance. Enhanced bacterial activity and zooplankton feeding in the deep OMZ is proposed as a mechanism for the observed deep particle aggregation. Estimated lower flux attenuation in the upper OMZ and re-aggregation at the lower oxycline suggest that OMZ may be regions of enhanced carbon flux to the deep sea relative to non OMZ regions.

Background:Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of diseases characterized by heterogeneous manifestations including Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). SpA clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging features might be influenced by IBD, sharing some pathogenetic characteristics that allow to identify potential common biomarkers for clinical management.Objectives:To define clinical, immunological and synovial features in SpA associated or not with IBD and to identify putative biomarkers useful to predict SpA response.Methods:Fifty-three SpA patients (29 SpA associated to IBD and 24 SpA not associated) and 50 IBD-only patients (Control group; 17 ulcerative colitis and 33 Crohn’s disease) with active disease and candidate to start a biological treatment were enrolled. Demographic and clinical features were collected for each patient. Plasma IL-6, IL-17A, TNF-alpha and sTREM1 levels were measured for each enrolled patient. Moreover, 42 SpA patients underwent synovial membrane biopsy to assess synovitis degree, using the Krenn Score (KSS) [1] and to immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess CD68+, CD20+ and CD3+ cells infiltrate. After study entry, each SpA patient was treated according to the ASAS-EULAR recommendations and was followed every 4 months to assess clinical response in terms of ASDAS-CRP or DAS28-CRP at 4 months follow-up.Results:Considering the whole cohort of patients (median age: 52 (40-60) years; 58.5% female; median BMI: 24.6 (21.3-27.7) kg/mq; 43% csDMARDs users, 34% bDMARDs naïve; 48% SpA patients started a TNFi, 20% IL-17i, 16% IL-12/23i and 16% JAKi), having concomitant articular and intestinal involvement was associated with higher plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines, regardless of treatment. In particular, plasma IL-6 and sTREM1 levels were higher in SpA than in IBD (p<0.0001 and p=0.001, respectively), identifying a specific IL-6 cut-off of 2.715 pg/ml [AUC: 0.809, 95%CI (0.708-0.910), p<0.0001], significantly discriminating SpA patients in IBD cohort. Considering intestinal involvement, SpA without concomitant IBD showed higher KSS compared to SpA with IBD (p=0.042) finding direct correlations between KSS and C-Reactive Protein (R=0.455, p=0.003) and sTREM1 plasma levels (R=0.397, p=0.01) in the whole SpA cohort. Considering articular phenotypes, SpA with only axial involvement (axSpA) showed a distinct cytokines profile compared to patients with only peripheral SpA (perSpA) regardless of intestinal involvement. Particularly, axSpA had lower TNF-alpha and sTREM1 plasma levels compared to perSpA (p=0.036 and p=0.008, respectively) identifying a specific sTREM1 cut-off value of 193.50 pg/ml [AUC: 0.900, 95%CI (0.752-0.999), p: 0.011], which enable to discriminate among these two articular phenotypes within the SpA spectrum. Furthermore, in SpA cohort, sTREM1 plasma levels directly correlated with disease activity parameters (e.g., ASDAS-CRP: R=0.483, p=0.002; DAS28-CRP: R=0.582, p<0.0001) and synovitis degree (R=0.397, p=0.01), in particular with CD20+ cells (R=0.401, p=0.021) and CD138+ cells (R=0.468, p=0.005) infiltrates. Finally, at 4 months of follow up, 69% SpA patients achieved clinical outcomes (respSpA), without significant differences in terms of baseline disease activity and synovitis degree compared to SpA patients not achieving the same clinical outcomes (no-respSpA). However, respSpA showed, at baseline, lower sTREM1 plasma levels than no-respSpA (p=0.022). Based on these results, having sTREM1 plasma level ≥550.0 pg/ml [AUC: 0.755, 95%CI (0.578-0.931), p=0.023] at the beginning of a new treatment was an independent factor associated with treatment refractoriness at 4 months [adjOR 23.826 (95%CI 1.578-359.751)], independently of age, sex, BMI and drug type.Conclusion:SpA with concomitant intestinal involvement presents specific clinical characteristics, plasma cytokines profile and synovial tissue features compared to SpA without IBD. Furthermore, IL-6 and sTREM1 plasma levels arose as putative biomarkers of patients’ phenotyping and treatment management respectively in SpA.REFERENCES:[1] Alivernini S, et al. Arthritis & Rheumatology 2021Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

ABSTRACT Blowflies like Calliphora vomitoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are a notorious nuisance and dangerous mechanical vectors of numerous foodborne pathogens. For these reasons, humans have the necessity to manage them in homes and places visited by people and animals, mainly with indoor and outdoor sprays acting by contact. To reduce the side-effects associated with the overuse of such formulations of synthetic origin, essential oils (EOs) are now proposed as safer and greener botanical alternatives. However, the exact mode(s) of penetration and action of an EO in an insect pest have not yet been exhaustively investigated. In the present work, we first ascertained the toxicity of an Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae) carvacrol chemotype EO on C. vomitoria adults when applied topically to the thorax. Based on the median lethal dose by direct contact after 24 hours (LD50 = 0.067 µL EO blowfly−1), we then decided to treat other specimens with 0.2 µL EO blowfly−1 to potentially observe thoracic structural and ultrastructural abnormalities through light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and possible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition by Ellman’s colorimetric method performed in vivo. We verified that the EO, showing lipophilic properties, can penetrate the integument, thus causing morphological alterations at the level of the cuticle, epidermis and the underlying muscular and tracheal system, with vacuolization, disorganization and degeneration of the tissues compared to the untreated control. Instead, the AChE activity was not affected by our O. vulgare EO treatment, indicating that this enzyme is not involved in its insecticidal activity.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is a wide variability in plant tolerance to boron (B) toxicity, which is often associated with the ability to limit B accumulation. This study was conducted on two cultivars of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) with different B tolerance: ‘Tigullio’, less tolerant and with green leaves; ‘Red Rubin’, more tolerant and with purple leaves. The main goal was to verify whether the greater B tolerance of ‘Red Rubin’ is attributable to an exclusion mechanism. METHODS: In three greenhouse experiments, plants were grown hydroponically with solution B concentration ranging from 0.25 (control) to 25 mg L⁻¹. RESULTS: Tissue B concentration increased with increasing B supply. Boron concentrations in root and leaf tissues were comparable in ‘Tigullio’ and ‘Red Rubin’ or even higher in the purple cultivar. Boron supply did not affect the leaf concentration of total phenolic compounds and other nutrients. Leaf concentrations of total phenols and rosmarinic acid were remarkably higher in ‘Red Rubin’ than in ‘Tigullio’. CONCLUSIONS: The greater B tolerance of ‘Red Rubin’ was associated with the ability to withstand higher concentrations of this element in plant tissues rather than to reduced B accumulation in the shoot. The high phenolic content was thought to contribute to the B tolerance of ‘Red Rubin’.

The attraction and quality of edible flowers correlates with their high perishability. Few studies have evaluated whether edible flowers decay faster than they lose their nutraceutical value. In this experiment, ascorbic acid was negatively affected by cold storage in all the edible flowers investigated, whereas phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin content were affected only in some cases. No decrease in total antioxidant activity was detected in any of the edible flowers at the end of their shelf life. Our dataset highlights that (i) the selection of edible flowers with low moisture content is key in ensuring a longer shelf life, and (ii) more effort should focus on preventing water loss in edible flowers.

Physiological and biochemical characteristics were evaluated in dandelion plants ( Taraxacum officinale ) growing naturally in an urban environment. The study area was located in Pisa, Italy, and 27 sites in the municipality were chosen to assess the biochemical and physiological features of dandelion plants and the trace metal content in the urban soil. Concentrations of elements including, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn were analysed in the soil together with dandelion shoot and root tissues collected from the various sites. Chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis, the pigment content, antioxidant power and phenol content were determined in dandelion. The results showed very limited soil pollution due to trace metals in the urban sites. However, dandelion showed Zn uptake and translocation although no damage was observed in the plants. Our results highlight that dandelion plants are able to survive in a constrained environment thanks to the high phenol content which is effective in combatting the oxidative stress induced by heavy metals.

This detailed volume explores the role and actions of economists in US, Japanese and various European parliaments in the critical period between 1848 and 1920. Featuring chapters written by an international array of contributors from both economics and history, the book provides fascinating insights into the parliamentary life in the period. It highlights the often pivotal role of economists within each administration; examines their influence on policy making, their relationships with other MPs, civil servants, external economic associations and looks at the influence of public opinion on economic policy. The book also discusses the nature of the economic discourse practised in the parliamentary arena, considering the complex relationships between science and practice, and between politics and political economy in light of the evolution of economics during this period. The book is the first of its kind to provide a comparative framework for analysis, and will appeal to economists and historians alike. Massimo M. Augello and Marco E.L. Guidi are Professors of History of Economic Thought at the University of Pisa, Italy. They are authors of several books and articles on the Italian economic thought of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially focusing on the institutionalization and professionalization of economics. Contents: Foreword; Economists in parliament in the Liberal Age: a comparative perspective, Massimo M. Augello and Marco E.L. Guidi; Political economy in Portuguese parliamentary debates (1820-1910), António Almodovar and José Luís Cardoso; Economists in the Belgian parliament (1831-1918), Guido Erreygers and Bert Mosselmans; Chair, tribune and seat: Spanish economists in parliament (1844-1923). an exploration, Salvador Almenar; Economists in parliament in Britain (1848-1914), Roger E. Backhouse; French economists in parliament from the Second Republic to the outbreak of the Great Crisis (1848-1929), Yves Breton; German economists in parliament (1848-1918), Harald Hagemann and Matthias Rösch; Economists and political economy in the Italian parliament from the unification to the rise of the Fascism (1861-1922), Massimo M. Augello and Marco E.L. Guidi; Economists in the Greek Parliament (1862-1910): the men and their views on fiscal and monetary policy, Michalis Psalidopoulos and Adamantios Syrmaloglou; Economists in the Japanese diet (1890-1930): the debate on adoption of the Gold Standard, Jiro Kumagai; The American anomaly: why were there no economists in the US Congress?, Bradley W. Bateman; Index of Names.

A continuous high-resolution time-series survey of the hyperbenthic community and local environmental conditions was conducted in the benthic boundary layer (BBL) of the DYFAMED-BENTHOS station (43° 24.61′ N, 7° 51.67′ E at 2347 m depth in the NW Mediterranean) between January 1996 and April 1998 using bottom-moored sediment traps and a current meter. Sediment traps were set 4 m above the bottom. Hyperbenthos was collected as ‘swimmers’, i.e. those organisms that are alive when they enter the traps but are not part of the particle flux. Identification of these organisms showed that ~90% were meiobenthic. Copepods dominated and comprised on average 75% of total swimmers. They were followed by nauplii (12%), annelids (7.8%), nematodes and bivalves (1.8% each), ostracods, isopods, and amphipods (1.2% altogether). Of the 3930 copepods examined, 4% were calanoids, 15% were harpacticoids and 81% were cyclopoids. Among the non-calanoid copepods, 25 species or groups of species were distinguished. Two benthic copepod species outnumbered all others: the cyclopinid genusBarathricolarepresented 90% of the cyclopoids, and the tisbid genusTisberepresented 57% of the harpacticoids. Temporal variations, both intra- and interannual, in swimmer fluxes were high (26 to 361 ind. m–2d–1), but not all groups/taxa/species were equally affected. Statistical analyses showed that these variations were the result of variability in both physical (near-bottom current) and trophic (particle flux) environmental factors. Organisms had both immediate and delayed responses, which involved passive (i.e. erosion, suspension) and active (i.e. emergence) reactions, as well as population growth. Most of the dispersal mechanisms previously reported for shallow-water benthic organisms were encountered, denoting the remarkable similarities in the general processes between coastal and deep-sea environments.

In turbulent plasmas, density fluctuations are expected to scatter radiofrequency wave beams, causing a degradation of the beam quality and thus reducing their performance. The WKBeam code is a Monte-Carlo solver for the wave kinetic equation, which describes such an effect, so far limited to a single wave mode so that it cannot account for cross-polarization scattering. In this work a new feature of the WKBeam code is presented, which allows the analysis of cross-polarization scattering of electron-cyclotron (EC) wave beams in realistic tokamak scenarios. We prove the convergence of the numerical scheme and give a preliminary overview of such effects in ITER scenarios.