Chemical communication plays a central role in reproductive interactions, yet the extent to which female endocrine state is reflected in chemical cues and used by males remains poorly understood in most amphibians. We investigated seasonal variation in urinary 17β-oestradiol (E2) and its association with male responses to female chemical cues in the Italian endemic salamander Salamandrina perspicillata . Using non-invasive uri...

Torque Teno Virus (TTV) is a widespread commensal virus within the human virome, characterized by a high prevalence in human population and an unclear pathogenic role. Over the past three decades, TTV has garnered increasing attention due to its ability to establish lifelong chronic viremia, which intriguingly fluctuates among individuals in relation to immune competence status, with a typical peak after an organ transplantati...

The cyclic nature of intermittent supply subjects the network to frequent (partial) draining and filling. During filling, water displaces air in the pipes, and much of that air is discharged through user connections and water meters, causing over-reading and reliability issues. Important laboratory experiments have measured air discharge through meters during filling, but have not yet quantified or modeled the role of air comp...

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges to global surveillance efforts, necessitating swift actions in their detection, evaluation, and management. Among the most recent variants, Omicron BA.2.86 and its sub-lineages have gained attention due to their potential immune evasion properties. This study describes the development of a digital PCR assay for the rapid detection of BA.2.86 and its descendant lineages,...