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Deep-sea coral assemblages are key components of marine ecosystems that generate habitats for fish and invertebrate communities and act as marine biodiversity hot spots. Because of their life history traits, deep-sea corals are highly vulnerable to human impacts such as fishing. They are an indicator of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs), therefore their conservation is essential to preserve marine biodiversity. In the Mediterranean Sea deep-sea coral habitats are associated with commercially important crustaceans, consequently their abundance has dramatically declined due to the effects of trawling. Marine spatial planning is required to ensure that the conservation of these habitats is achieved. Species distribution models were used to investigate the distribution of two critically endangered octocorals ( Funiculina quadrangularis and Isidella elongata ) in the central Mediterranean as a function of environmental and fisheries variables. Results show that both species exhibit species-specific habitat preferences and spatial patterns in response to environmental variables, but the impact of trawling on their distribution differed. In particular F. quadrangularis can overlap with fishing activities, whereas I. elongata occurs exclusively where fishing is low or absent. This study represents the first attempt to identify key areas for the protection of soft and compact mud VMEs in the central Mediterranean Sea.

The black coral Leiopathes glaberrima is an important habitat forming species that supports benthic biodiversity. Due to its high sensitivity to fishing activities, it has been classified as indicator of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). However, the information on its habitat selection and large-scale spatial distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is poor. In this study a thorough literature review on the occurrence of L. glaberrima across the Mediterranean Sea was undertaken. Predictive modelling was carried out to produce the first continuous map of L. glaberrima suitable habitat in the central sector of the Mediterranean Sea. MaxEnt modeling was used to predict L. glaberrima probability of presence as a function of seven environmental predictors (bathymetry, slope, aspect North–South and East–West, kinetic energy due to currents at the seabed, seabed habitat types and sea bottom temperature). Our results show that bathymetry, slope and aspect are the most important factors driving L. glaberrima spatial distribution, while in less extent the other environmental variables. This study adds relevant information on the spatial distribution of vulnerable deep water corals in relation to the environmental factors in the Mediterranean Sea. It provides an important background for marine spatial planning especially for prioritizing areas for the conservation of VMEs.

This review is directed at preventive health professionals, anatomic pathologists and technicians to focus their attention on the rapidly growing field of safe formalin practices. An updated overview of the most recent improvements in preventive measures versus formaldehyde (FA) in the anatomic pathology laboratories (APL) is provided. The occupational hygienist role and the required knowledge for a modern and clear occupational exposure assessment are described. Real-time, in-continuous, commercial analyzers for repeated FA exposure assessment are considered to evaluate technical changes in air monitoring programs, introduced to mitigate FA emissions, in compliance with the adopted limit values. To better choose the adequate instrumentation, the main features of each FA monitoring instrument recently introduced on the market are listed. Moreover, the main features of the modern workflow setting in APL are summarized. A computer-based scientific and non-scientific reports search by key-words was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Google Patents databases, querying the following topics: i) grossing workstation for ergonomic layout, ii) commercially available direct reading tools to measure formalin, iii) real-time, in-continuous FA monitoring instruments for sale. This review represents a useful tool to summarize the technical requirements and expert know-how necessary to minimize FA emissions and produce an exhaustive FA assessment in the APL.

Leiopathes glaberrima is an important component of the deep coral forests of the Mediterranean Sea enhancing benthic biodiversity and forming an essential habitat for many marine organisms. It is a sessile species with high longevity; it is therefore highly affected by fishing impacts and has been listed as a representative taxon of Vulnerable Marine Ecoystems (VMEs). Since information on spatial distribution of L. glaberrima is still scanty and fragmented, an updated synopsis of its distribution in the Mediterranean is given, including two new records in the Strait of Sicily. On the basis of this updated information, hotspots of black coral off the Carloforte Island in the Sardinian Sea, on the Marco Bank and off the Pontine Islands in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, and on the Malta Graben in the Strait of Sicily are proposed for implementation of Fishery Restricted Areas.

Background: Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are crucial in metabolism, excitability and neuroglial plasticity. Our aim was to evaluate whether Mg (20 mg/kg) or Ca (100 mg/kg) could improve the memory prognosis in the kainic model of mesial temporal epilepsy. Methods: Seizures were induced by systemic injection of kainate (8mg/kg) and mice were then treated by ions every 48 hours. A placebo (physiological solution) replaced kainate or ions in specific groups. Six cohorts were studied for seven weeks: control group (G0: no kainate and no ion, only placebo); untreated reference group (GR: kainate and then placebo); G1 groups were treated from the third day (G1m, G1c: kainate and then Mg/Ca); G2 groups were treated from the third week (G2m, G2c: kainate and then Mg/Ca). Radial maze and a classic maze were used for cognition evaluation. Results: The memory (short/long term) was differently affected by kainate or improved by Mg/Ca. The treated groups performed better than GR mice, but Mg was more effective. In addition, Mg demonstrated an increasing therapeutic effect over time while Ca showed an acute and apparently decreasing action in the G1c group. Conclusions: Mg should be considered for a clinical evaluation of its effect on epileptic disorders.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma spreads preferentially through the lymphatic route and sentinel lymph node (SLN) status is regarded as the most important predictor of survival. Aims: To evaluate whether tumour lymphangiogenesis and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) is related to the risk of SLN metastasis and to clinical outcome in a case–control series of patients with melanoma. Methods: Forty five invasive melanoma specimens (15 cases and 30 matched controls) were investigated by immunostaining for the lymphatic endothelial marker D2-40 and for VEGF-C. Lymphangiogenesis was measured using computer assisted morphometric analysis. Results: Peritumorous lymphatic vessels were more numerous, had larger average size, and greater relative area than intratumorous lymphatics. The number and area of peritumorous and intratumorous lymphatics was significantly higher in melanomas associated with SLN metastasis than in non-metastatic melanomas. No significant difference in VEGF-C expression by neoplastic cells was shown between metastatic and non-metastatic melanomas. Using logistic regression analysis, intratumorous lymphatic vessel (LV) area was the most significant predictor of SLN metastasis (p = 0.04). Using multivariate analysis, peritumorous LV density was an independent variable affecting overall survival, whereas the intratumorous LV area approached significance (p = 0.07). Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the presence of high peritumorous and intratumorous lymphatic microvessel density is associated with SLN metastasis and shorter survival. The intratumorous lymphatic vessel area is the most significant factor predicting SLN metastasis. The tumour associated lymphatic network constitutes a potential criterion in the selection of high risk patients for complementary treatment and a new target for antimelanoma therapeutic strategies.

To describe a relatively unknown clinical entity - inflammatory cast of the tympanic membrane after acute otitis media - and its simple out-patient treatment. Retrospective review of case series. Subspecialty practice at a tertiary hospital. Seven patients diagnosed previously with acute otitis media with perforation or otitis externa, and with persistent ear discomfort. Retrospective chart review. The patients presented with weeks to months of persistent hearing loss after acute otitis media with perforation or acute otitis externa. Visits to their primary care physicians had been uninformative. After comparison of the affected and unaffected tympanic membranes, a thin, hard cast was identified and removed from the affected tympanic membrane. Improvement in hearing was documented in the three patients who underwent audiometric testing; the remainder had subjective improvement without audiometric evaluation. Otolaryngologists should be aware of the possibility of an inflammatory cast of the tympanic membrane following acute otitis media with perforation or otitis externa, and should carefully compare the unaffected and affected ears in such cases. Treatment - removal of the rigid cast - is both simple and effective.

Because the histopathological features of some primary adenocarcinomas of the sinonasal tract may show considerable overlap, we assessed the diagnostic value of a panel of immunohistochemical markers in the distinction between these malignancies. Paraffin-embedded tumour tissue sections from a series of 39 primary adenocarcinomas of the sinonasal tract, including 25 cases of intestinal-type adenocarcinoma (ITAC), 10 cases of salivary gland-type carcinoma and 4 cases of tubulopapillary low-grade adenocarcinoma were immunostained for CDX-2, cytokeratin 7 and cytokeratin 20. Diffuse nuclear staining for CDX-2 was identified in 80% of ITACs, while all non-ITACs were negative. Staining for cytokeratin 20 was positive in 84% of ITACs, including all cases negative for CDX-2, but negative in all other adenocarcinomas. Cytokeratin 7 was consistently positive in 88% of ITACs and in 100% of non-ITACs. Normal sinonasal epithelia expressed cytokeratin 7, but not CDX-2 and cytokeratin 20. Staining for CDX-2 and cytokeratin 20 has potential use in separating ITACs from other primary malignant glandular neoplasms of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses.

Falsone, F.; Calabrò, M.; Fiorentino, F.; Gancitano, V.; Garofalo, G.; Geraci, M.L.; Massi, D.; Sardo, G.; Scannella, D., and Vitale, S., 2024. Bycatch of demersal Elasmobranchii in the Strait of Sicily In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 941-945. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Fishing activities greatly threaten Elasmobranchii due to their vulnerable life-history traits. Elasmobranchii have been a common bycatch in the Mediterranean bottom trawling fleets since the 1970s, and most of them are listed as threatened owing to overexploitation by fisheries. The study aims to identify and estimate the number of rays and sharks caught by bottom trawling operating in the North sector of the Strait of Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea. This area represents one of the most important fishing grounds for demersal species, exploited mainly by trawl fisheries where an important component of commercial and discarded bycatch comprises cartilaginous fishes. An assessment of the impact of trawl fishery on sharks and skates by examining bycatch recorded between 2009 and 2021 is provided. Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) Models were used to standardize catch data and predict the relative bycatch rates. The findings reveal that 13 rays and 8 sharks were caught during the monitoring period. Raja clavata and Raja miraletus are the most frequently captured rays, constituting around 13% and 10% of the total monitored hauls. Among sharks, Scyliorhinus canicula was the most frequently captured species, found in about 17% of the total monitored hauls, followed by Squalus blainville with approximately 8%. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List for the Mediterranean, among these 21 species, four are reported as Data Deficient, five Least Concern, six Near Threatened, three Vulnerable, four Endangered and one Critically Endangered. ZIBN outcomes indicate decreasing trends of CPUE of Rays while increasing trends are observed for Sharks. Information reported in this study is paramount to support management and conservation measures for these vulnerable species whose adoption is at an early stage in the Strait of Sicily.

Fishing activities greatly threaten Elasmobranchii due to their vulnerable life-history traits. Elasmobranchii have been a common bycatch in the Mediterranean bottom trawling fleets since the 1970s, and most of them are listed as threatened owing to overexploitation by fisheries. The study aims to identify and estimate the number of rays and sharks caught by bottom trawling operating in the North sector of the Strait of Sicily, Central Mediterranean Sea. This area represents one of the most important fishing grounds for demersal species, exploited mainly by trawl fisheries where an important component of commercial and discarded bycatch comprises cartilaginous fishes. An assessment of the impact of trawl fishery on sharks and skates by examining bycatch recorded between 2009 and 2021 is provided. Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) Models were used to standardize catch data and predict the relative bycatch rates. The findings reveal that 13 rays and 8 sharks were caught during the monitoring period. Raja clavata and Raja miraletus are the most frequently captured rays, constituting around 13% and 10% of the total monitored hauls. Among sharks, Scyliorhinus canicula was the most frequently captured species, found in about 17% of the total monitored hauls, followed by Squalus blainville with approximately 8%. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List for the Mediterranean, among these 21 species, four are reported as Data Deficient, five Least Concern, six Near Threatened, three Vulnerable, four Endangered and one Critically Endangered. ZIBN outcomes indicate decreasing trends of CPUE of Rays while increasing trends are observed for Sharks. Information reported in this study is paramount to support management and conservation measures for these vulnerable species whose adoption is at an early stage in the Strait of Sicily.