EARLY MIOCENE INSULAR VERTEBRATES FROM LAERRU (SARDINIA, ITALY: PRELIMINARY NOTE

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DANIEL ZOBOLI

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A new vertebrate assemblage was discovered in an Early  Miocene lacustrine deposit near the village of Laerru (northern Sardinia, Italy. The assemblage is composed by mammals, reptiles and a bird. The mammals are represented by three ruminants (cf. Sardomeryx oschiriensis, Pecora indet. small size and Pecora indet. very small size and one dormouse (Peridyromys aff. murinus while reptiles are represented by turtles (Trionychidae? and crocodiles (cf. Diplocynodon sp.. A bird bone fragment is also reported and referred to Palaeortyx cf. brevipes (Galliformes. The assemblage can be related to the “Oschiri fauna”, one of the oldest endemic insular fauna known in the Mediterranean. The age of the Laerru vertebrates is early-middle Burdigalian, between 18.8 and 18.3 Ma, corresponding to the mammal unit of the main land MN3. The predominance of ruminants confirms the good capacity of these mammals to colonize insular environments.

Detection of Rickettsia hoogstraalii, Rickettsia helvetica, Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia aeschlimannii in ticks from Sardinia, Italy.

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Chisu, Valentina; Leulmi, Hamza; Masala, Giovanna; Piredda, Mariano; Foxi, Cipriano; Parola, Philippe

2017-03-01

Tick-borne diseases represent a large proportion of infectious diseases that have become a world health concern. The presence of Rickettsia spp. was evaluated by standard PCR and sequencing in 123 ticks collected from several mammals and vegetation in Sardinia, Italy. This study provides the first evidence of the presence of Rickettsia hoogstralii in Haemaphysalis punctata and Haemaphysalis sulcata ticks from mouflon and Rickettsia helvetica in Ixodes festai ticks from hedgehog. In addition, Rickettsia massiliae, Rickettsia slovaca and Rickettsia aeschlimannii were detected in Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor marginatus and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum ticks from foxes, swine, wild boars, and mouflon. The data presented here increase our knowledge of tick-borne diseases in Sardinia and provide a useful contribution toward understanding their epidemiology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

ESR dating of an ancient goat tooth from Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baffa, O.; Kinoshita, A.; Figueiredo, A. M. G.; Brunetti, A.; Ginesu, S.

2006-01-01

The dating of fossil teeth of an ancient goat (Nesogoral melonii) using the electron spin resonance (ESR) technique is reported. This animal was found in the fossiliferous site at Orosei (Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy) and was endemic in the region. Molar teeth were cleaned and enamel was completely removed from dentine. Enamel was irradiated with a 60 Co gamma source and measured with an ESR spectrometer (X-band) to obtain the signal vs. dose curve and fitted with an exponential function. The archaeological dose obtained by the fitting was 211 ± 34 Gy. Uranium and thorium concentrations were determined by neutron activation analysis. With the software ROSY the age estimates were 195 ± 30 ky for early uptake, 247 ± 40 ky for linear uptake and 243 ± 40 ky for a combination of uptake processes. (authors)

Vulnerability assessment of Central-East Sardinia (Italy to extreme rainfall events

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A. Bodini

2010-01-01

Full Text Available In Sardinia (Italy, the highest frequency of extreme events is recorded in the Central-East area (3–4 events per year. The presence of high and steep mountains near the sea on the central and south-eastern coast, causes an East-West precipitation gradient in autumn especially, due to hot and moist currents coming from Africa. Soil structure and utilization make this area highly vulnerable to flash flooding and landslides. The specific purpose of this work is to provide a description of the heavy rainfall phenomenon on a statistical basis. The analysis mainly focuses on i the existence of trends in heavy rainfall and ii the characterization of the distribution of extreme events. First, to study possible trends in extreme events a few indices have been analyzed by the linear regression test. The analysis has been carried out at annual and seasonal scales. Then, extreme values analysis has been carried out by fitting a Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD to the data. As far as trends are concerned, different results are obtained at the two temporal scales: significant trends are obtained at the seasonal scale which are masked at the annual scale. By combining trend analysis and GPD analysis, the vulnerability of the study area to the occurrence of heavy rainfall has been characterized. Therefore, this work might support the improvement of land use planning and the application of suitable prevention systems. Future work will consider the extension of the analysis to all Sardinia and the application of statistical methods taking into account the spatial correlation of extreme events.

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins and Cyanotoxins in the Mediterranean: New Data from Sardinia and Sicily (Italy).

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Lugliè, Antonella; Giacobbe, Maria Grazia; Riccardi, Elena; Bruno, Milena; Pigozzi, Silvia; Mariani, Maria Antonietta; Satta, Cecilia Teodora; Stacca, Daniela; Bazzoni, Anna Maria; Caddeo, Tiziana; Farina, Pasqualina; Padedda, Bachisio Mario; Pulina, Silvia; Sechi, Nicola; Milandri, Anna

2017-11-16

Harmful algal blooms represent a severe issue worldwide. They affect ecosystem functions and related services and goods, with consequences on human health and socio-economic activities. This study reports new data on paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) from Sardinia and Sicily (Italy), the largest Mediterranean islands where toxic events, mainly caused by Alexandrium species (Dinophyceae), have been ascertained in mussel farms since the 2000s. The toxicity of the A. minutum, A. tamarense and A. pacificum strains, established from the isolation of vegetative cells and resting cysts, was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analyses indicated the highest toxicity for A. pacificum strains (total PSTs up to 17.811 fmol cell-1). The PSTs were also assessed in a strain of A. tamarense. The results encourage further investigation to increase the knowledge of toxic species still debated in the Mediterranean. This study also reports new data on microcystins (MCs) and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) from a Sardinian artificial lake (Lake Bidighinzu). The presence of MCs and BMAA was assessed in natural samples and in cell cultures by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BMAA positives were found in all the analysed samples with a maximum of 17.84 µg L-1. The obtained results added further information on cyanotoxins in Mediterranean reservoirs, particularly BMAA, which have not yet been thoroughly investigated.

Toxic Emissions from a Military Test Site in the Territory of Sardinia, Italy

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Lucio Triolo

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This work assesses the environmental impact from chemical emissions due to military tests and routine activities in the area occupied by the Italian Inter-force Test Range (PISQ, located at Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, Italy. After reviewing the military activities carried out at PISQ, such as rocket launching, blasting and armament destruction, projectile and mortar fire impact, the associated pollution is evaluated. Chemical analyses were performed by means of Scanning Electronic Microscopy and Energy Dispersion Spectrometry on biotic and abiotic matrices. Residues of Rb, Tl, W, Ti and Al were found in matrices collected in the PISQ areas and environs. A review of experimental data on air, water, soil, milk, forage and animal tissues obtained by various Public Agencies of Sardinia proved that toxic element residues often exceeded the legal limits. PM10 and PM2.5 air concentrations also exceeded the legal limits after military blasting. Cd and Pb contents in the liver and kidneys of sheep living in farms at PISQ and in control farms that were located more than 20 km away from PISQ were higher than the legal limits. This work was performed to investigate concentration of xenobiotics in ecosystems emitted from PISQ activities. This assessment could be useful to focus future epidemiological studies carried out in PISQ and its neighbouring areas.

Phyto-toponyms of Arbutus unedo L. and their distribution in Sardinia (Italy).

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Pinna, Claudia; Carta, Luisa; Deiana, Vitale; Camarda, Ignazio

2017-01-01

The study shows the results of an inventory of place names connected to Arbutus unedo L., a Mediterranean species, widespread throughout Sardinia. The main aim was to compare the past distribution of place names, referring to the strawberry tree, to the current distribution of the species on the island. In addition, we investigated the meaning and the diversity of these local place names in the various communities. The result was a collection of 432 phyto-toponyms. 248 of them were used for an analysis of their distribution in the habitats, indicated on the Map of the Nature System in Sardinia, defined on the basis of the current vegetation typology. The persistence of the species in the various habitats was either confirmed or negated with in site investigations and interviews. 47.5% of municipalities have place names related to the strawberry tree. Of the 248 phyto-toponyms, 127 fall in the habitats where the species currently persists proving a correspondence between their regional distribution and the current distribution of the species. The remaining 121 phyto-toponyms fall in habitats where the strawberry tree is currently absent. Most of them are found in man-made habitats where man has transformed the forest cover which previously included the strawberry tree. This study also contributes to promoting and conserving the linguistic heritage of local communities.

Low Entalpy Geothermal suitability of north Sardinia (Italy)

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Cuccuru, Stefano; Oggiano, Giacomo

2015-04-01

This note focus on geothermal potentialities of north Sardinia, where several positive thermal anomalies occur along with geolithological and climatic conditions, which make the area specifically suitable for geoexchange. Sardinia consists of a Variscan basement metamorphosed at different grade and further intruded by a late orogenic batholith. Above this basement, since Mesozoic time, a composite sedimentary and volcanic succession occurs, with maximum thickness of 2-3 Km in correspondence of some extensional and strike-slip Cenozoic basins. The volcanic activity consists of a calcalkaline cycle with crustal component, which started in the late Eocene and ended in the Serravallian; another, mantle derived, alkaline-transitional cycle took place during Pliocene and ended in the middle Pleistocene. Several evidences of geothermal circuits occur in northwestern Sardinia, where some springs characterized by anomalous water temperatures and/or chemical-physical features (e.g., high salinity and carbon dioxide content) were known. In addiction those already exploited (e.g., S. Lucia, S. Martino), new springs and boreholes characterized by positive anomalous water temperatures (in the range of 24 and 35 °C) have been highlighted during our recent surveys. These waters are warmer than the homoeothermic level temperature (where no seasonal variations are recorded), which in the area is 15-16 °C. Considering the absence of active volcanism, the anomalous temperatures must be generated by the uprising of deep meteoric water along a plumbing network of crustal faults that bound the extensional as well as the strike slip basins. Rainwater heated for geothermal gradient can upwell rapidly interacting with surface aquifers that, hence, experience heating at different degree. The physical characteristics (i.e., thermal conductivity, open porosity, permeability etc) of the rocks cropping in north Sardinia, regardless the positive thermal anomalies, are profitably suitable for

Paleomagnetic dating of non-sulfide Zn-Pb ores in SW Sardinia (Italy: a first attempt

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L. Sagnotti

2005-06-01

Full Text Available A first paleomagnetic investigation aimed at constraining the age of the non-sulfide Zn-Pb ore deposits in the Iglesiente district (SW Sardinia, Italy was carried out. In these ores, the oxidation of primary sulfides, hosted in Cambrian carbonate rocks, was related to several paleoweathering episodes spanning from the Mesozoic onward. Paleomagnetic analyses were performed on 43 cores from 4 different localities, containing: a non-oxidized primary sulfides and host rock, b oxidized Fe-rich hydrothermal dolomites and (c supergene oxidation ore («Calamine». Reliable data were obtained from 18 samples; the others show uninterpretable results due to low magnetic intensity or to scattered demagnetization trajectories. Three of them show a scattered Characteristic Remanent Magnetization (ChRM, likely carried by the original (i.e. Paleozoic magnetic iron sulfides. The remaining 15 samples show a well defined and coherent ChRM, carried by high-coercivity minerals, acquired after the last phase of counterclockwise rotation of Sardinia (that is after 16 Myr, in a time interval long enough to span at least one reversal of the geomagnetic field. Hematite is the main magnetic carrier in the limestone, whereas weathered hydrothermal dolomite contains goethite or a mixture of both. The results suggest that paleomagnetism can be used to constrain the timing of oxidation in supergene-enriched ores.

Petrological constraints on the high-Mg basalts from Capo Marargiu (Sardinia, Italy): Evidence of cryptic amphibole fractionation in polybaric environments

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Tecchiato, Vanni; Gaeta, Mario; Mollo, Silvio; Scarlato, Piergiorgio; Bachmann, Olivier; Perinelli, Cristina

2018-01-01

This study deals with the textural and compositional characteristics of the calc-alkaline stratigraphic sequence from Capo Marargiu Volcanic District (CMVD; Sardinia island, Italy). The area is dominated by basaltic to intermediate hypabyssal (dikes and sills) and volcanic rocks (lava flows and pyroclastic deposits) emplaced during the Oligo-Miocene orogenic magmatism of Sardinia. Interestingly, a basaltic andesitic dome hosts dark-grey, crystal-rich enclaves containing up 50% of millimetre- to centimetre-sized clinopyroxene and amphibole crystals. This mineral assemblage is in equilibrium with a high-Mg basalt recognised as the parental magma of the entire stratigraphic succession at CMVD. Analogously, centimetre-sized clots of medium- and coarse-grained amphibole + plagioclase crystals are entrapped in andesitic dikes that ultimately intrude the stratigraphic sequence. Amphibole-plagioclase cosaturation occurs at equilibrium with a differentiated basaltic andesite. Major and trace element modelling indicates that the evolutionary path of magma is controlled by a two-step process driven by early olivine + clinopyroxene and late amphibole + plagioclase fractionation. In this context, enclaves represent parts of a cumulate horizon segregated at the early stage of differentiation of the precursory high-Mg basalt. This is denoted by i) resorption effects and sharp transitions between Mg-rich and Mg-poor clinopyroxenes, indicative of pervasive dissolution phenomena followed by crystal re-equilibration and overgrowth, and ii) reaction minerals found in amphibole coronas formed at the interface with more differentiated melts infiltrating within the cumulate horizon, and carrying the crystal-rich material with them upon eruption. Coherently, the mineral chemistry and phase relations of enclaves indicate crystallisation in a high-temperature, high-pressure environment under water-rich conditions. On the other hand, the upward migration and subsequent fractionation of the

Constraints on the topographic evolution of Corsica and Sardinia from geological and geomorphic analyses

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Quye-Sawyer, Jennifer; Whittaker, Alexander; Roberts, Gareth; Rood, Dylan

2017-04-01

The western Mediterranean Sea and its surroundings form part of a well-studied region whose geodynamic history is broadly known. However, how the topography of this area has responded to its tectonic and geodynamic influences is not fully understood. In particular, the relative importance of convergent, extensional and dynamic process is not known. Here we focus on the islands of Corsica, France, and Sardinia, Italy, which have played an important role in Alpine-Apennine system. They experienced a similar kinematic history during the Cenozoic, however their different positions on the Tethyan margin allow the relative effects of Alpine collision and rates of back-arc stretching to be compared. In particular, the two stages of back-arc extension (Liguro-Provençal basin to the west and Tyrrhenian Sea on the east) can provide information about how rollback-induced extension developed with time from the late Oligocene to the present. The two islands are historically tectonically quiescent, however they still preserve evidence of collision and subsequent extension from slab roll-back. In this study we have used a combination of geological and geomorphic techniques to provide new constraints into the vertical motions of Corsica and Sardinia. To quantify the spatial and temporal landscape evolution we have integrated stratigraphic, structural and thermochronological data and re-evaluated these alongside present-day geomorphic and geophysical observations. In addition, we have used digital elevation models to acquire 2030 fluvial longitudinal profiles for both islands. Knickpoints identified on these longitudinal profiles have been compared to geological maps to test the influence of rock strength on erosion. Our analysis reveals the presence of non-lithologically controlled knickpoints which we interpret to have been created by Miocene to Recent changes in uplift rate of the landscape. The longitudinal profiles were subsequently used in drainage inversion modelling, whose

Power for southern Italy: hvdc Sardinia to mainland 200 MW scheme now commissioned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1967-02-16

Transmission of the maximum rated power of 200 MW over the hvdc system which now links Sardinia with the Italian Mainland marks the successful completion of a notable British Export contract by English Electric. The link was commissioned on February 1. The Sardinia scheme is the seventh hvdc scheme to be completed in the world and is the first to be engineered by submarine cable.

Tuberculosis in Sardinia: An investigation into the relationship between natives and immigrants.

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Ruggeri, Melania; Molicotti, Paola; Cubeddu, Marina; Cannas, Sara; Bua, Alessandra; Zanetti, Stefania

2016-09-01

Tuberculosis (TB) has had a recrudescence in the last few decades in Italy as a result of many factors, among which migration from countries where TB is endemic is one of them. In Sardinia, a major island of Italy, there was no knowledge of the mechanisms of transmission of TB in the immigrant subpopulation and the impact it may have on the native subpopulation and on the community as a whole. Therefore, a molecular epidemiological study was carried out to get a clearer picture of the number and genetic features of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from immigrants and from natives in Sardinia. Two groups of clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis, one collected from immigrants and the other one from Sardinians, were analyzed in this study. The genotyping was executed through the variable number tandem repeat-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units technique and a first-line antimycobacterial drug-susceptibility test was also carried out. Thirty-six clinical isolates from immigrants and 25 from Sardinians were analyzed. Variable number tandem repeat-mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units technique showed that all of them belonged to different strains and there was a quite high allelic diversity among them. Moreover, data collected allowed the finding of, with a good approximation, the phylogenetic relations among the strains isolated and the best-known phylogenetic groups. The study pointed out that since every strain is different, there was no TB transmission in any of the subpopulations and between immigrants and natives. This showed that the presence of immigrants was not a risk factor for contracting TB in the community. Copyright © 2016 Asian-African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GHG emissions inventory for on-road transportation in the town of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy)

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Sanna, Laura; Ferrara, Roberto; Zara, Pierpaolo; Duce, Pierpaolo

2016-04-01

The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) accounts an increase of the total annual anthropogenic GHG emissions between 2000 and 2010 that directly came from the transport sector. In 2010, 14% of GHG emissions were released by transport and fossil-fuel-related CO2 emissions reached about 32 GtCO2 per year. The report also considers adaptation and mitigation as complementary strategies for reducing the risks of climate change for sustainable development of urban areas. This paper describes the on-road traffic emission estimated in the framework of a Sardinian regional project [1] for the town of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy), one of the Sardinian areas where the fuel consumption for on-road transportation purposes is higher [2]. The GHG emissions have been accounted (a) by a calculation-based methodology founded on a linear relationship between source activity and emission, and (b) by the COPERT IV methodology through the EMITRA (EMIssions from road TRAnsport) software tool [3]. Inventory data for annual fossil fuel consumption associated with on-road transportation (diesel, gasoline, gas) have been collected through the Dogane service, the ATP and ARST public transport services and vehicle fleet data are available from the Public Vehicle Database (PRA), using 2010 as baseline year. During this period, the estimated CO2 emissions accounts for more than 180,000 tCO2. The calculation of emissions due to on-road transport quantitatively estimates CO2 and other GHG emissions and represents a useful baseline to identify possible adaptation and mitigation strategies to face the climate change risks at municipal level. Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Sardinian Regional Project "Development, functional checking and setup of an integrated system for the quantification of CO2 net exchange and for the evaluation of mitigation strategies at urban and territorial scale", (Legge Regionale 7 agosto 2007, No. 7). References [1] Sanna L., Ferrara R., Zara P. & Duce P. (2014

Two look-alike dasycladalean algae: Clypeina isabellae masse, Bucur, Virgone & Delmasso, 1999 from the Berriasian of Sardinia (Italy and Clypeina loferensis sp. N. from the upper Jurassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria

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Schlagintweit Felix

2009-01-01

Full Text Available New material from the Berriasian of eastern Sardinia, Italy, and from the NW of Sardinia published by PECORINI in 1972 as 'Clypeina sp. A', allows a better characterization and an emended diagnosis of Clypeina isabellae MASSE et al., 1999 from the Berriasian of SW France. Another morphologically somehow similar Clypeina species from the Upper Jurassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria is described as Clypeina loferensis n. sp. Remarks on the genera Clypeina MICHELIN and Hamulusella ELLIOTT, a Clypeina-type dasycladalean alga with proximal bulged laterals, and Clypeina jurassica-sulcata are also provided.

Why is African swine fever still present in Sardinia?

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Jurado, C; Fernández-Carrión, E; Mur, L; Rolesu, S; Laddomada, A; Sánchez-Vizcaíno, J M

2018-04-01

African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious disease of swine that has been present in Sardinia since 1978. Soon after introduction of the disease, several control and eradication programmes were established with limited success. Some researchers attributed the persistence of the disease in central and eastern areas to certain socio-economic factors, the existence of some local and traditional farming practices (i.e., unregistered free-ranging pigs known as brado animals) and the high density of wild boar in the region. In the past, scarcity of swine data in Sardinia complicated the evaluation and study of ASF on the island. More complete, accurate and reliable information on pig farms has become available as a result of the most recent eradication programmes. Here, we perform statistical modelling based on these data and the known distribution of domestic pig and wild boar to identify the main risk factors that have caused ASF persistence in Sardinia. Our results categorized, identified and quantified nine significant risk factors, six of which have not been previously described. The most significant factors were the number of medium-sized farms, the presence of brado animals and the combination of estimated wild boar density and mean altitude above sea level. Based on these factors, we identified regions in eastern and central Sardinia to be at greatest risk of ASF persistence; these regions are also where the disease has traditionally been endemic. Based on these risk factors, we propose specific control measures aimed at mitigating such risks and eradicating ASF from the island. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Application of wildfire simulation methods to assess wildfire exposure in a Mediterranean fire-prone area (Sardinia, Italy)

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Salis, M.; Ager, A.; Arca, B.; Finney, M.; Bacciu, V. M.; Spano, D.; Duce, P.

2012-12-01

; Finney et al. 2009; Salis et al. 2012 accepted). In this work, we employed wildfire simulation methods to quantify wildfire exposure to human and ecological values for the island of Sardinia, Italy. The work was focused on the risk and exposure posed by large fires (e.g. 100 - 10,000 ha), and considers historical weather, ignition patterns and fuels. We simulated 100,000 fires using burn periods that replicated the historical size distribution on the Island, and an ignition probability grid derived from historic ignition data. We then examine spatial variation in three exposure components (burn probability, flame length, fire size) among important human and ecological values. The results allowed us to contract exposure among and within the various features examined, and highlighted the importance of human factors in shaping wildfire exposure in Sardinia. The work represents the first application of burn probability modeling in the Mediterranean region, and sets the stage for expanded work in the region to quantify risk from large fires

Labelling and Marketing of Bivalve and Gastropod Molluscs Retailed in Sardinia, Italy Between 2009 and 2013.

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Meloni, Domenico

2015-05-28

The aim of the present survey was to investigate the correct enforcement of the Community rules on the labelling and marketing of bivalve and gastropod molluscs retailed in Sardinia, Italy between 2009 and 2013. A total of 1500 packages and labels for live bivalve and gastropod molluscs were considered. A total of 375 labels (25%) presented non-compliance concerning the wrong trade name and additional wrong or missing information. The highest percentage of anomalous labels has been detected in small-scale retail shops (35%) and open-air markets (25%) compared with the big retailing chains (20%). The 5% of packages were not in compliance with the European Community rules on packaging of bivalve and gastropod molluscs. The high percentage of non-compliance with the European regulations on labelling results is a strong limitation for the consumers and highlights the need to improve the control system about labelling of seafood products.

On the origin of some red soils from Sardinia (Italy). A neutron activation analysis investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Genova, N.; Meloni, S.; Oddone, M.; Pavia Univ.; Melis, P.

2001-01-01

In Sardinia, the Italian island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, there are many red soils developed on limestone or dolomite. Soil and underlying bedrock samples from 5 different sites have been submitted to chemical and mineralogical characterization, by using standard X-ray diffraction analysis, spectrochemical methods and instrumental neutron activation analysis. Obtained results are presented and discussed in terms of precision and accuracy. Trace element concentration variation with depth is discussed as well as the enrichment/depletion ratios between soils and rocks, and the rare-earth element distribution. Data analysis suggests for some soils a formation process based on the evolution of the underlying bedrock, and for the other soils a formation process partly based on the evolution of the local rock but with meaningful contributions of external sources, both eolian and/or alluvial. (author)

Potential Biogas Production from Artichoke Byproducts in Sardinia, Italy

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Fabio De Menna

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The paper aims at evaluating the potential biogas production, both in terms of CH4 and theoretical energy potential, from globe artichoke agricultural byproducts in Sardinia. Field data about the productivity of byproducts were collected on five artichoke varieties cultivated in Sardinia, to assess the biomethane production of their aboveground non-food parts (excluding the head. Moreover, secondary data from previous studies and surveys at regional scale were collected to evaluate the potential biogas production of the different districts. Fresh globe artichoke residues yielded, on average, 292.2 Nm3·tDOM−1, with dissimilarities among cultivars. Fresh samples were analyzed in two series: (a wet basis; and (b wet basis with catalytic enzymes application. Enzymes proved to have some beneficial effects in terms of anticipated biomethane availability. At the regional level, ab. 20 × 106 Nm3 CH4 could be produced, corresponding to the 60% of current installed capacity. However, districts potentials show some differences, depending on the specific biomass partitioning and on the productivity of cultivated varieties. Regional assessments should encompass the sensitiveness of results to agro-economic variables and the economic impacts of globe artichoke residue use in the current regional biogas sector.

Multidisciplinary studies on ancient sandstone quarries of Western Sardinia (Italy).

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Grillo, Silvana Maria; Del Vais, Carla; Naitza, Stefano

2013-04-01

The ancient coastal quarries of Mediterranean are increasingly considered geosites of multidisciplinary relevance. They are sites of historical-archaeological interest that show ancient techniques of stone extraction; they are significant for cultural heritage conservation and restoration, as sources of the stones used in ancient buildings and monuments; they are sites of geological relevance, as often retain important stratigraphic sections; they are also useful markers of secular changes in the sea level. A multisciplinary study is in progress on the ancient quarries of the Sinis region (western Sardinia island), integrating archaeological, geological, minero-petrographical data. In Sardinia, coastal quarries have been established from Punic and Roman times. Many of them exploited Quaternary sediments along the southern and western coasts of the island. They consist of middle-late Pleistocene marine conglomerates and carbonate sandstones, and of coastal (aeolian) carbonate sandstones. Sandstone blocks of different sizes have been widely used in ancient cities for buildings, defensive works, harbours, etc. Three main areas of stone extraction (San Giovanni di Sinis, Punta Maimoni, Is Arutas) have been so far recognized in the Sinis. GIS-supported mapping and documentation of the sites includes their geology and stratigraphy, the extension and layout of the quarries, and an evaluation of volumes of extracted rocks. Documented archaeological evidences include ancient extraction fronts, spoil heaps, working areas, working traces in the old fronts, transport routes of blocks, and traces of loading facilities. The study is aimed at reconstructing the relationships of the quarries with the urban areas of Sinis, as the ancient Punic-Roman city of Tharros. Consequently, a minero-petrographical characterization (optical microscopy, XRD) is performed on sandstones sampled in each quarry, and in historical buildings in Tharros and other centres of the region (Cabras

Labelling and marketing of bivalve and gastropod molluscs retailed in Sardinia, Italy between 2009 and 2013

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Domenico Meloni

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present survey was to investigate the correct enforcement of the Community rules on the labelling and marketing of bivalve and gastropod molluscs retailed in Sardinia, Italy between 2009 and 2013. A total of 1500 packages and labels for live bivalve and gastropod molluscs were considered. A total of 375 labels (25% presented non-compliance concerning the wrong trade name and additional wrong or missing information. The highest percentage of anomalous labels has been detected in small-scale retail shops (35% and open-air markets (25% compared with the big retailing chains (20%. The 5% of packages were not in compliance with the European Community rules on packaging of bivalve and gastropod molluscs. The high percentage of non-compliance with the European regulations on labelling results is a strong limitation for the consumers and highlights the need to improve the control system about labelling of seafood products.

The impact of wildland fires on calcareous Mediterranean pedosystems (Sardinia, Italy) - An integrated multiple approach.

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Capra, Gian Franco; Tidu, Simona; Lovreglio, Raffaella; Certini, Giacomo; Salis, Michele; Bacciu, Valentina; Ganga, Antonio; Filzmoser, Peter

2018-05-15

Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island of the Mediterranean Sea, is a fire-prone land. Most Sardinian environments over time were shaped by fire, but some of them are too intrinsically fragile to withstand the currently increasing fire frequency. Calcareous pedoenvironments represent a significant part of Mediterranean areas, and require important efforts to prevent long-lasting degradation from fire. The aim of this study was to assess through an integrated multiple approach the impact of a single and highly severe wildland fire on limestone-derived soils. For this purpose, we selected two recently burned sites, Sant'Antioco and Laconi. Soil was sampled from 80 points on a 100×100m grid - 40 in the burned area and 40 in unburned one - and analyzed for particle size fractions, pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total N, total P, and water repellency (WR). Fire behavior (surface rate of spread (ROS), fireline intensity (FLI), flame length (FL)) was simulated by BehavePlus 5.0.5 software. Comparisons between burned and unburned areas were done through ANOVA as well as deterministic and stochastic interpolation techniques; multiple correlations among parameters were evaluated by principal factor analysis (PFA) and differences/similarities between areas by principal component analysis (PCA). In both sites, fires were characterized by high severity and determined significant changes to some soil properties. The PFA confirmed the key ecological role played by fire in both sites, with the variability of a four-modeled components mainly explained by fire parameters, although the induced changes on soils were mainly site-specific. The PCA revealed the presence of two main "driving factors": slope (in Sant'Antioco), which increased the magnitude of ROS and FLI; and soil properties (in Laconi), which mostly affected FL. In both sites, such factors played a direct role in differentiating fire behavior and sites, while they played an indirect role in determining

First record of Phormia regina (Meigen, 1826 (Diptera: Calliphoridae from mummies at the Sant’Antonio Abate Cathedral of Castelsardo, Sardinia, Italy

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Giorgia Giordani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The studies of insects from archaeological contexts can provide an important supplement of information to reconstruct past events, climate and environments. Furthermore, the list of the species present in an area in the past allows the reconstruction of the entomofauna on that area at that time, that can be different from the nowadays condition, providing information about biodiversity changes. In this work, the results of a funerary archaeoentomological study on samples collected from mummified corpses discovered during the restoration of the crypt of the Sant’Antonio Abate Cathedral of Castelsardo (Sardinia, Italy are reported. The majority of the sampled specimens were Diptera puparia, whereas only few Lepidoptera cocoons and some Coleoptera fragments were isolated. Among Diptera, Calliphoridae puparia were identified as Phormia regina (Meigen, 1826 and Calliphora vicina, (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 both species typical of the first colonization waves of exposed bodies. Three puparia fragments were also identified as belonging to a Sarcophaga Meigen, 1826, species (Sarcophagidae. Several Muscidae puparia of the species Hydrotaea capensis (Weidmermann, 1818, a late colonizer of bodies, and typical of buried bodies were also collected. The few moth (Lepidoptera cocoons were identified as belonging to the family Tineidae. This family comprises species feeding on dry tissues and hair typical of the later phases of the human decomposition. Among Coleoptera a single specimen in the family Histeridae, Saprinus semistriatus (Scriba, 1790 and a single elytra, potentially of a species in the family Tenebrionidae, were also collected. Overall, the samples collected indicated an initial colonization of the bodies in an exposed context, mainly in a warm season. This research allows the finding of elements indicating the presence, at least in the past, of P. regina in Sardinia. This species at the moment seems extinct from Sardinia while it is quite common

Height-reducing variants and selection for short stature in Sardinia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zoledziewska, Magdalena; Sidore, Carlo; Chiang, Charleston W K; Sanna, Serena; Mulas, Antonella; Steri, Maristella; Busonero, Fabio; Marcus, Joseph H; Marongiu, Michele; Maschio, Andrea; Ortega Del Vecchyo, Diego; Floris, Matteo; Meloni, Antonella; Delitala, Alessandro; Concas, Maria Pina; Murgia, Federico; Biino, Ginevra; Vaccargiu, Simona; Nagaraja, Ramaiah; Lohmueller, Kirk E; Timpson, Nicholas J; Soranzo, Nicole; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Dedoussis, George; Zeggini, Eleftheria; Uzzau, Sergio; Jones, Chris; Lyons, Robert; Angius, Andrea; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Novembre, John; Schlessinger, David; Cucca, Francesco

We report sequencing-based whole-genome association analyses to evaluate the impact of rare and founder variants on stature in 6,307 individuals on the island of Sardinia. We identify two variants with large effects. One variant, which introduces a stop codon in the GHR gene, is relatively frequent

Semi-isolated, flat-topped carbonate platform (Oligo-Miocene, Sardinia, Italy): Sedimentary architecture and processes

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Andreucci, Stefano; Pistis, Marco; Funedda, Antonio; Loi, Alfredo

2017-11-01

The Chattian-Aquitanian carbonate system of Isili sub-basin (SE Sardinia, Italy) were studied to better understand the hydrodynamic processes controlling the formation of landward-downlapping, rhodolith-rich, giant clinoforms. The studied flat-topped platform was attached to an island (semi-isolated) and migrated onshore (landward) over a shallow marine, protected embayment. The depositional profile is characterized by four, sea to land, zones: seaward slope, flat-topped platform (submerged flat), landward slope and mixed siliciclastic-carbonate embayment. In particular, these zones record different levels, from high to moderate, of hydrodynamic energy and persistency. The paleodepth of the studied succession, based on T/D test on Amphistegina specimens, red-algal genera and geometric reconstruction of the overall system, ranges from - 10 to - 30 m for the platform up to around - 40 m for the landward slope base. Thus, the flat-topped platform was permanently submerged and an extensive carbonate (sea grass, algal and bryozoan-algal) factory along with oyster framestones developed. The widespread presence in the barren zones of rhodolith-to-shell rich small to very small compound dunes (high-energy zone) suggests that the flat-topped platform was periodically swept by unidirectional, landward-directed currents. These currents allow the formation of large-scale, rhodolith-rich clinobeds along the landward slope (washover fan-like system). The presence of rodolith pavements developed along the flat-topped platform at or slightly below the fairweather wave base suggests that clinobeds were formed in a nearshore, shallow subtidal setting. Finally, the shallow marine, protected embayment (moderate-energy zone) represents the widening distal reaches of the currents flowing or along the clinoforms or from the coast basinward (river floods and/or ebb tidal currents). Despite few tidal-related sedimentary structures such as bi-directional ripples and small compound dunes

Sustainable Water Resources Management to Combat Desertification in the Nurra Region, Northwestern Sardinia, Italy

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Giorgio Ghiglieri

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Sustainable water management plays an important role in the frame of the multidisciplinary research activities aiming to combat or to mitigate the desertification processes. The study activities have been carried out by RIADE Research Project (Integrated Research for Applying new technologies and processes for combating Desertification,www.riade.net. RIADE was co-financed by MIUR within the National Operative Programme 2000-2006. The primary objective was to explore and to develop models and strategies for innovative and sustainable solutions of water resources management, adopting a multidisciplinary approach, at the catchment and hydrogeological basin scale in a Mediterranean context, using a case history of a pilot area in NW Sardinia (Italy. The high concentration of population in this coastal zone and the intense agricultural activity have determined a relevant increase of water demand. This demand is generally satisfied by surface water, but, in some peculiar dry periods, it exceeds the available quantities. In these critical periods, groundwater are the only alternative source constituting a strategic water resource. The groundwater chemical properties are then correlated with the effects of the anthropogenic pressures. The used approach shows the application of groundwater protection criteria, in accordance with EU policies, and it was aimed to develop a methodological tool which can be applied to different scenarios.

Morphological and Phenological characterization of Mediterranean species in Northern Sardinia, Italy

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Piga, Alessandra; Duce, Pierpaolo; Cesaraccio, Carla

2016-04-01

Monitoring of vegetation, in particular methodologies for phenological and biometrical monitoring, are widely implied for climate change studies and their importance for understanding the consequences of global environmental change on vegetation is highlighted in the most recent IPCC reports. It is very likely that, during the next decades, the Mediterranean Regions will cope to the very negative effects of climatic changes. Consequently, due to the climate change impacts and the effects of anthropogenic pressures upon natural resources, these regions are among the most vulnerable ecosystems to the effects of climate change. Therefore, appears to be of crucial importance to better understand the physiological strategies for cope to climate change adaptation for the Mediterranean maquis shrub species which are key information for developing adaptation strategies guidelines. In this work, the biological and reproductive cycle of some Mediterranean species growing in an experimental area located within a nature reserve in the peninsula of Capo Caccia, north-west Sardinia, Italy, was investigated for a period of two years. In particular, the research was focused on: (1) the study of the development processes and the description of phenological phases, and (2) the analysis of the growth processes performed through biometric and floristic composition measurements. Specific BBCH scales for each species were developed. Shoot growth and floristic composition analysis did not show a clear trend in the response of the different species to climatic manipulations but a downward trend in the number of species. The results obtained in this study add useful information on the phenological cycle and growth of the Mediterranean species, improving the knowledge on the mechanisms of adaptation to adverse environmental conditions of these species

Aria Sardinia: the on line community joining tradition and innovatiom

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Fabrizio Lao

2005-12-01

Full Text Available The "ARIA Sardinia" project (Network Actions for Italians Abroad has been especially designed to integrate and give value to the network of relationships between public administrations, local socio-economic stakeholders and Italian communities abroad, this goal to be pursued with the support of new technologies and learning approaches emerging within the context of on line interest communities. The general objective of the project is the development of competencies and knowledge, intended to combine specific technical skills with local "territorial knowledge", in a process where the strengthening and the dissemination of these forms of culture come from the prompt use of innovative tools. The main activities of the project are the actions intended to guide and assist entrepreneurs, associations, development projects' partners or promoters in the path of acquisition and dissemination of the competencies which are necessary to the involvement of Italians abroad into the internationalization process of Sardinian economy. ARIA Sardinia was funded by the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry and the European Social Fund (FSE, within the framework of the National Operational Program for Technical Assistance and System Action (PON ATAS aimed at specific promotion initiatives and fostering of permanent links between Southern Italy economy and Italians living abroad. Keywords: on line community, networking, Italians abroad, Sardinian economy, Sardinia, culture.

Active surface system for the new Sardinia Radiotelescope

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Orfei, Alessandro; Morsiani, Marco; Zacchiroli, Giampaolo; Maccaferri, Giuseppe; Roda, Juri; Fiocchi, Franco

2004-09-01

In this paper we'll describe the active surface system that will be provided on the new Italian radiotelescope being in the phase of erection in the Sardinia Island. SRT (Sardinia Radiotelescope) will be a 64m shaped dish working up to 100GHz by exploiting the active surface facility designed by the authors. This facility will overcome the effects of gravity deformations on the antenna gain and will also be used to re-shape in a parabolic form the primary mirror, in order to avoid large phase error contribution on the antenna gain for the highest frequencies placed on the primary focus. Together with the description of the SRT system, a wide overview will be given regarding our previous installation of an active surface system, that can be seen like a prototype for SRT, mounted on the 32m dish of the Noto antenna.

GLOBAL AND INSULAR DIMENSIONS: SPACE IN SARDINIA BLUES

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Ana Maria Chiarini

2010-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to focus attention on the dimension of space in Sardinia Blues (Publisher Bompiani, 2008, by Flavio Soriga. This is justified by the centrality of space throughout the novel and by the title itself. The island of Sardinia is not just a mere setting, but it is most importantly the articulating and conducting thread for all the themes related to the characters’ self-identity and existential issues. The regional Sardinian space, perceived as stereotyped and folkloristic, and the global space, seen as a source of both desire and fear, are problematized by the three young self-proclaimed “pirates of the island” in their long hours of idleness. It is our intention to highlight the conflicts of this marginal insular condition, heavily contaminated by an inevitable process of change, in Soriga’s simultaneously innovative and nostalgic fragmented text, filled with songs’ extracts and languages hybrids.

Yessotoxin detection in bivalve molluscs: A case study from coastal mussel farms (Sardinia, Italy

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Alessandro Graziano Mudadu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This work reports the first communication relating to the presence of yessotoxins in Mytilus galloprovincialis from coastal mussel farms (Sardinia, western Mediterranean detected during 2008 and 2013 through a monitoring programme. The paper emphasizes how the changes both in yessotoxin permitted limits and used methods, established by legislation, have influenced the interpretation of the obtained results. Consequently, the samples that resulted negative during 2008 would have been positive until August 2013 and negative from September 2013 up to now, and the samples that were positive in 2013 would have been positive in 2008 and negative nowadays, according to Regulation currently in force. Regular monitoring of biotoxins demonstrated that, although yessotoxins have been rarely present in the past in Sardinia, they may cause toxicity in shellfish. So, it’s important to keep up on legislation’s changing and laboratory methods.

What type of regional policy for Europe? Theoretical reflections and policy lessons from Sardinia

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Hospers, Gerrit J.; Benneworth, Paul Stephen

2005-01-01

In promoting European regional development, policymakers tend to pursue either an offensive, future-oriented or a defensive, tradition-preserving type of policy. Backed by theoretical notions and case evidence from an “ordinary” region, i. e. the Italian island of Sardinia, the following paper

A comparison of medicinal plant use in Sardinia and Sicily-De Materia Medica revisited?

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Leonti, Marco; Casu, Laura; Sanna, Francesca; Bonsignore, Leonardo

2009-01-21

Written records of oral medical traditions have had significant impact on the development of medicine and the pharmacopoeias. Modern ethnobotanical studies in Europe and the Mediterranean region, however, have so far largely overlooked the richness and accuracy of historic sources and ignored their probable influence on the development of today's local traditional medicines. Here, we explore the common fundament of traditional knowledge for the medicinal plant uses in Sardinia and Sicily by comparing the selection of medicinal species and specific uses with those of Dioscorides' De Materia Medica. We use (i) a quantification of citations for medicinal species mentioned in ethnobotanical studies conducted in Sardinia and Sicily (ii) a comparison of the flora and medicinal flora with a chi(2)-test (iii) a binomial approach recently introduced into ethnobotany (iv) a comparison of the most frequently used species with the indications cited in Dioscorides' De Materia Medica (v) and a crosscheck of all mentioned species with their appearance in Berendes' translation of De Materia Medica. We identified a core group of 170 medicinal species used on either islands, which accumulate 74% of all citations and are best represented in De Materia Medica. The 15 most frequently used species of both islands demonstrate intriguing parallels for indications with Dioscorides' work. The ethnopharmacopoeia of Sicily and Sardinia are shallow stereotypes of the different editions of De Materia Medica and talking of oral tradition in this respect is a contradiction. The medicinal species of Sardinia and Sicily are largely widespread and common species, including many weeds, which are not facing threat of extinction. Therefore, using traditional medicinal practices as an argument for conservation biology or vice versa is not scientifically sound.

New faunistic records of Jewel beetles from Southern Italy and Sardinia (Coleoptera, Buprestidae

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Francesco Izzillo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Three species of Buprestidae are reported for the first time from two Italian regions: Anthaxia (s. str. midasssp. oberthuri Schaefer, 1937, and Anthaxia (s. str. salicis (Fabricius, 1777 new to Campania, and Agrilus(Spiragrilus hyperici (Creutzer, 1799 new to Sardinia. Short notes on ethology and larval development ofA. midas oberthuri are also given.

Trace and rare earth elements fractionation in volcanic- and sediment-hosted Mn ores: a study case of Sardinia (western Italy).

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Sinisi, Rosa

2015-04-01

It is widely accepted that, regardless of the geological environment (continental, marine or hydrothermal), the occurrences of clay minerals and/or mineral phases with clay-type crystal structure (as zeolites and Mn-oxides), play a key role in the trace elements and REEs uptake processes. The REE resources are produced mostly from ion-adsorption type REE deposits of southern China that are formed by weathering of granitic rocks and subsequent chemical adsorption of REE on clay minerals. A significant group of minerals with a high metal uptake capacity is represented by Mn oxides. Their "tunnel" structure, in fact, allows both the absorption (inside the minerals) and adsorption (outside the minerals) of cations and anions producing metal accumulations with economic and environmental significance. However, the ores, mainly that forming within sedimentary environment, often have impurities due to presence of minerals unrelated to mineralization. These minerals can significantly alter the compositional features of the ores and suggest misleading conclusions. In Sardinia (Italy, western Mediterranean), Mn-oxide mineralizations occur and recently their origin has been discussed and identified (Sinisi et al. 2012). In this study the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the Sardinian sediment-hosted and volcanic-hosted Mn-ore are exhibit exploring the possibility that they can represent exploitable trace and REE mineralizations. High contents of metals characterize these Mn deposits. Besides some trace elements (Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu, As, Pb, and U) that commonly typify the Mn oxi-hydroxide ores, all rare earth elements showed high concentrations in the Sardinian deposits, comparable to those of the main actually exploited REE sinks. For this reason, a simple statistical data treatment (R-mode Factor Analysis) was performed on fifteen and nineteen samples of sediment-hosted and volcanic-hosted Mn ore respectively, in order to identify both the mineral phases trapping trace

Mycobacteriosis caused by Mycobacterium marinum in reared mullets: first evidence from Sardinia (Italy).

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Antuofermo, E; Pais, A; Polinas, M; Cubeddu, T; Righetti, M; Sanna, M A; Prearo, M

2017-03-01

Mycobacterium marinum is a slow-growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium, and it is considered the most common aetiologic agent of mycobacteriosis in wild and cultured fish. The diagnosis is principally made by histology when positive Ziehl-Neelsen stain granulomas are detected. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of mycobacteriosis in extensively cultured Mugilidae of two lagoons (Cabras and San Teodoro) from Sardinia by the use of histology, microbiology, PCR and DNA sequencing. Nine of 106 mullets examined were affected by mycobacteriosis, and the spleen was the most affected organ. The histology detected higher rate (100%) of infection in spleen than the culture and PCR (75% and 62.5%, respectively). The sequencing of hsp65 gene identified M. marinum as the primary cause of mycobacteriosis in the mullets examined. Mullets affected by mycobacteriosis were mainly fished in the San Teodoro lagoon characterized by critical environmental conditions. Histology remains the most common method in detecting fish affected by mycobacteriosis, and PCR-based methods are essential for species identification. Our finding are worthy of attention because mycobacteriosis caused by M. marinum in reared mullets was evidenced for the first time in Sardinia, suggesting that this disease may be underestimated also in other cultured fish species. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fuel type characterization and potential fire behavior estimation in Sardinia and Corsica islands

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Bacciu, V.; Pellizzaro, G.; Santoni, P.; Arca, B.; Ventura, A.; Salis, M.; Barboni, T.; Leroy, V.; Cancellieri, D.; Leoni, E.; Ferrat, L.; Perez, Y.; Duce, P.; Spano, D.

2012-04-01

Wildland fires represent a serious threat to forests and wooded areas of the Mediterranean Basin. As recorded by the European Commission (2009), during the last decade Southern Countries have experienced an annual average of about 50,000 forest fires and about 470,000 burned hectares. The factor that can be directly manipulated in order to minimize fire intensity and reduce other fire impacts, such as three mortality, smoke emission, and soil erosion, is wildland fuel. Fuel characteristics, such as vegetation cover, type, humidity status, and biomass and necromass loading are critical variables in affecting wildland fire occurrence, contributing to the spread, intensity, and severity of fires. Therefore, the availability of accurate fuel data at different spatial and temporal scales is needed for fire management applications, including fire behavior and danger prediction, fire fighting, fire effects simulation, and ecosystem simulation modeling. In this context, the main aims of our work are to describe the vegetation parameters involved in combustion processes and develop fire behavior fuel maps. The overall work plan is based firstly on the identification and description of the different fuel types mainly affected by fire occurrence in Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France) Islands, and secondly on the clusterization of the selected fuel types in relation to their potential fire behavior. In the first part of the work, the available time series of fire event perimeters and the land use map data were analyzed with the purpose of identifying the main land use types affected by fires. Thus, field sampling sites were randomly identified on the selected vegetation types and several fuel variables were collected (live and dead fuel load partitioned following Deeming et al., (1977), depth of fuel layer, plant cover, surface area-to-volume ratio, heat content). In the second part of the work, the potential fire behavior for every experimental site was simulated using

A new glucosidic phthalide from Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum from La Maddalena Island (Sardinia, Italy).

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Venditti, Alessandro; Lattanzi, Claudia; Ornano, Luigi; Maggi, Filippo; Sanna, Cinzia; Ballero, Mauro; Alvino, Antonello; Serafini, Mauro; Bianco, Armandodoriano

2016-01-01

In this study, we reported the analysis of the medium polarity fraction obtained from an accession of Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum from La Maddalena Island. Besides several compounds already evidenced in this species and related genera, i.e. micropyrone (1), arzanol (2), helipyrone (3), acetyl-bitalin derivatives (4, 5), gnaphaliol (6), caffeic acid (7), ursolic acid (8), 7-O-β-(D-glucopyranosyl)-5-methoxy-1(3H)-isobenzofuranone (9), gnaphaliol-9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (11) and gnaphaliol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (12), the presence of a new glycosidic phthalide, 6-O-β-(D-glucopyranosyl)-4-methoxy-1(3H)-benzofuranone (10), was evidenced for the first time, which resulted in a structural isomer of compound (9). The occurrence of this new benzofuranone derivative is an additional evidence of the deep intraspecific variability expressed by this species, which was also stated for the non-volatile components, and may be a distinctive trait of the population growing on La Maddalena Island.

Sediment-palaeosol successions in Calabria and Sardinia suggest spatially differentiated palaeo-vegetation patterns in southern Italy during the Last Glacial period

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Sauer, Daniela; Zucca, Claudio; Al-Sharif, Riyad; Zwanzig, Lisa; Madrau, Salvatore; Andreucci, Stefano; Pascucci, Vincenzo; Kadereit, Annette; Scarciglia, Fabio; Brückner, Helmut

2016-04-01

Several lakes on the southern Italian peninsula provide valuable palaeoenvironmental archives of the Last Glacial period. These archives include, e.g., the long high-resolution record from varved lake sediments of Lago Grande di Monticchio, the bigger one of two maar lakes situated on top of Mt. Vulture. Its pollen record indicates (1) temperate deciduous forest during MIS5.2-MIS5.1 (St. Germain 2); (2) frequent vegetation fluctuations, then Artemisia steppe during MIS5.1-MIS4; (3) alternations between open steppe (stadials) and wooded steppe (interstadials) during MIS3; and (4) open steppe during MIS2 (Last Glacial Maximum). However, only few palaeosol records of this period have been reported from southern Italy in the literature so far. Such records would allow for gaining insight also into spatial patterns of the vegetation cover during this period that should have formed, e.g., according to relief, elevation, and continentality gradient (related to the much lower coastline during the last glacial period). So far, we have studied three sediment-palaeosol successions in southern Italy, two in the Calabria region, and one in north-western Sardinia. All of them have developed in alluvial fan deposits resting on littoral sediments of the Last Interglacial period (MIS 5). The southernmost succession studied is located near Lazzaro (south of Reggio di Calabria). It is exposed in an alluvial fan overlying the MIS5.5 terrace. Due to strong tectonic uplift (1.3 m ka-1) the alluvial fan has been dissected by the same creek which previously had built it up. Therefore, its internal structure is exposed, exhibiting a detailed sediment-palaeosol sequence. The palaeosols are mainly characterized by accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM), bioturbation and secondary carbonates. They represent Chernozem- and Phaeozem-like soils that most likely formed under steppe to forest steppe. SOM of the two uppermost Lazzaro palaeosols was 14C-dated to 26.8-28.8 ka cal BP and 28

Remote sensing for mapping soil moisture and drainage potential in semi-arid regions: Applications to the Campidano plain of Sardinia, Italy.

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Filion, Rébecca; Bernier, Monique; Paniconi, Claudio; Chokmani, Karem; Melis, Massimo; Soddu, Antonino; Talazac, Manon; Lafortune, Francois-Xavier

2016-02-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of radar (ENVISAT ASAR and RADARSAT-2) and LANDSAT data to generate reliable soil moisture maps to support water management and agricultural practice in Mediterranean regions, particularly during dry seasons. The study is based on extensive field surveys conducted from 2005 to 2009 in the Campidano plain of Sardinia, Italy. A total of 12 small bare soil fields were sampled for moisture, surface roughness, and texture values. From field scale analysis with ENVISAT ASAR (C-band, VV polarized, descending mode, incidence angle from 15.0° to 31.4°), an empirical model for estimating bare soil moisture was established, with a coefficient of determination (R(2)) of 0.85. LANDSAT TM5 images were also used for soil moisture estimation using the TVX slope (temperature/vegetation index), and in this case the best linear relationship had an R(2) of 0.81. A cross-validation on the two empirical models demonstrated the potential of C-band SAR data for estimation of surface moisture, with and R(2) of 0.76 (bias +0.3% and RMSE 7%) for ENVISAT ASAR and 0.54 (bias +1.3% and RMSE 5%) for LANDSAT TM5. The two models developed at plot level were then applied over the Campidano plain and assessed via multitemporal and spatial analyses, in the latter case against soil permeability data from a pedological map of Sardinia. Encouraging estimated soil moisture (ESM) maps were obtained for the SAR-based model, whereas the LANDSAT-based model would require a better field data set for validation, including ground data collected on vegetated fields. ESM maps showed sensitivity to soil drainage qualities or drainage potential, which could be useful in irrigation management and other agricultural applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family meal frequency, weight status and healthy management in children, young adults and seniors. A study in Sardinia, Italy.

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Nuvoli, Gianfranco

2015-06-01

To examine family meal frequency, and weight management as a protective factor throughout life. Selected by city and by town in Sardinia (Italy), the 522 participants were divided into 162 children (7-11 years), 187 young adults (19-30 years), and 173 seniors (65-90 years). Chi-square analyses were used to compare the frequency of family meals, weight (self-reported and perceived) and healthy management (physical activity, dieting, perceived appetite) between age groups. In addition, multinomial regression analyses were carried out to find associations, with age group as the dependent variable and frequency of family meal, weight status, and healthy management categories as independent variables, adjusted for moderating effects. Significant associations with age variables were observed in mealtime frequency (skipping breakfast and mid-morning snack in adults and lunch in children and seniors), in decreasing self-reported normal weight with age and increasing perceived overweight with age, and in physical activity, dieting and perceived appetite. The results suggest the protective nature of family meals for adults and seniors, and identify significant associations (and some differences) between age groups. Discrepancies suggest the importance of education about body weight awareness throughout life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continuous SO2 flux measurements for Vulcano Island, Italy

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Fabio Vita

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The La Fossa cone of Vulcano Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy is a closed conduit volcano. Today, Vulcano Island is characterized by sulfataric activity, with a large fumarolic field that is mainly located in the summit area. A scanning differential optical absorption spectroscopy instrument designed by the Optical Sensing Group of Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg, Sweden, was installed in the framework of the European project "Network for Observation of Volcanic and Atmospheric Change", in March 2008. This study presents the first dataset of SO2 plume fluxes recorded for a closed volcanic system. Between 2008 and 2010, the SO2 fluxes recorded showed average values of 12 t.d–1 during the normal sulfataric activity of Vulcano Island, with one exceptional event of strong degassing that occurred between September and December, 2009, when the SO2 emissions reached up to 100 t.d–1.

A WEBGIS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSERVATION OF THE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IN SARDINIA (ITALY

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G. Vacca

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The presented work is part of the research project, titled "Tecniche murarie tradizionali: conoscenza per la conservazione ed il miglioramento prestazionale" (Traditional building techniques: from knowledge to conservation and performance improvement. This research project has the purpose of studying the building techniques of the 13th–18th centuries in the Sardinia Region (Italy for their knowledge, conservation, and promotion. The end purpose of the entire study is to improve the performance of the examined structures. In particular, the task of the authors within the research project was to build a WebGIS to manage the data collected during the examination and study phases. This infrastructure was entirely built using Open Source software. The work consisted of designing a database built in PostgreSQL and its spatial extension PostGIS, which allows storing and managing feature geometries and spatial data. The data input is performed via a form built in HTML and PHP. The HTML part is based on Bootstrap, an open tools library for websites and web applications. The implementation of this template used both PHP and Javascript code. The PHP code manages the reading and writing of data to the database, using embedded SQL queries. The database is published on the Internet as a WebGIS built using the Leaflet Javascript open libraries, which allows creating map sites with background maps and navigation, input and query tools. This too uses an interaction of HTML, Javascript, PHP and SQL code. The Database can be accessed in QGIS via a PostgreSQL connection. As of today, we surveyed and archived more than 300 buildings, belonging to three main macro categories: fortification architectures, religious architectures, residential architectures.

"Disciplina clericorum" on VI century Sardinia according to the letters of Gregory the Great

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Elena Marey

2018-12-01

Full Text Available This article deals with church life in Sardinia in the 6th century and is based on material from the letters of Gregory the Great. Metropolitan of Sardinia, Januarius, was not able to keep the island in order and to control his subordinate clerics; moreover, he himself was involved in crimes several times. The article studies various examples of violation of church discipline by clerics of Sardinia and their negligence of ordinances of church councils. Thus, priests often behaved in an improper and corrupt manner, did not obey the metropolitan, baptised incorrectly. The provincial council was rarely convened; several sees remained without a bishop due to Januarius’ negligence. All this much upset St. Gregory the Great, who did his best at trying to strengthen church discipline in the island. In his letters addressed to Januarius, the Pope scrutinised mistakes and faults of the latter appealing to the Bible and ordinances of conciliar canons. Typically, St. Gregory always provides arguments for his position. At the same time, he tried to raise Januarius’ authority in the eyes of the clergy, which he regarded as the base for order and stability. The letters of St. Gregory the Great demonstrate that church life in the region directly depended on metropolitan’s personality and character. This conclusion accords with the Cura pastoralis by St. Gregory which describes the epitome of a bishop: the bishop is able to manage his community and set his fl ock and clergy on the right path only on condition that he possesses certain moral standards.

NEW FOSSIL VERTEBRATE REMAINS FROM SAN GIOVANNI DI SINIS (LATE PLEISTOCENE, SARDINIA: THE LAST MAUREMYS (REPTILIA, TESTUDINES IN THE CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN

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FRANCESCO CHESI

2007-07-01

Full Text Available New fossil vertebrates from the most representative Upper Pleistocene section (Tyrrhenian, MIS 5e of the outcrop of San Giovanni di Sinis (Oristano, Sardinia are here reported and described. The fossils, although scarce and fragmentary, document the occurrence of a terrapin (Mauremys sp. and the endemic Sardinian deer (Praemegaceros cazioti. Significant is the occurrence of the terrapin because it is the youngest representative of the genus in the central Mediterranean area where it is extinct at present. The Late Pleistocene extinction of Mauremys in Italy follows the same pattern of other Mediterranean reptiles, in being in some cases delayed on the islands. A comparison of the modern range of Mauremys and that of the pond turtle, Emys, as well as of their past ranges as evidenced by the fossil record, might suggest that some sort of thermophily (at least during pre-hatching stages characterized the former taxon and is responsible for its past and present distribution. SHORT NOTE

Social Media-Related Geographic Information in the Context of Strategic Environmental Assessment of Municipal Masterplans: A Case Study Concerning Sardinia (Italy

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Roberta Floris

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a discussion concerning the use of social media-related geographic information in the context of the strategic environmental assessment (SEA of Sardinian Municipal masterplans (MMPs. We show that this kind of information improves, substantially, the SEA process since it provides planners, evaluators, and the local communities with information retrieved from social media that would have not been available otherwise. This information integrates authoritative data collection, which comes from official sources, and enlightens tastes and preferences of the users of services and infrastructure, and their expectations concerning their spatial organization. A methodological approach related to the collection of social media-related geographic information is implemented and discussed with reference to the urban context of the city of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy. The results are very effective in terms of provision of information, which may possibly increase the spatial knowledge available for planning policy definition and implementation. In this perspective, this kind of information discloses opportunities for building analytical scenarios related to urban and regional planning and it offers useful suggestions for sustainable development based on tourism strategies.

Perspectives on Cultural and Sustainable Rural Tourism in a Smart Region: The Case Study of Marmilla in Sardinia (Italy

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Chiara Garau

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper is being inserted into the current debate on the topic of sustainability, as it applies to rural tourism. In particular, it addresses the need to identify strategic actions that will enhance the dissemination of cultural resources to facilitate cultural planning. Balancing the dynamic tension that characterizes the relationship between tourism development and protection of the landscape is key to finalizing appropriate planning strategies and actions, especially in the context of marginal rural areas. In support of theoretical and methodological reflections pertinent to this relationship, this paper presents a case study of the region of Marmilla on Italy’s island of Sardinia. The absence of both a “cultural planning” philosophy and a strategic approach to systemic and sustainable rural tourism in this country has been acknowledged. This paper concludes by discussing the results that emerged during the preparation of this case study, with respect to smart, sustainable, rural tourism development, while accepting the need for compromises between the force of globalization, nature, tourism, places, and people.

Density and distribution of Patella ferruginea in a Marine Protected Area (western Sardinia, Italy: Constraint analysis for population conservation

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S. COPPA

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The endemic limpet Patella ferruginea is the most endangered invertebrate of the Mediterranean Sea. Our study examined a population of P. ferruginea in the Marine Protected Area of Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre (western Sardinia, Italy. During the summer 2009, we carried out a systematic census of P. ferruginea along a 8114 m georeferenced perimeter of coast in the no take-no entry zone to assess its density, spatial distribution, and morphometric characteristics. Our aim was to provide a detailed map of the distribution of P. ferruginea and to investigate the effects of accessibility, wave exposure and slope of the coast on its occurrence. Patella ferrugineashowed the lowest mean density ever reported (0.02 ind/m and a unimodal population structure characterised by fewer females and juveniles. Accessibility had a major negative effect on the occurrence of P. ferruginea. Exposure was also an important factor in influencing its density, size composition and specimen position within the mesolittoral, while the slope had little influence. Morphometric analysis showed the dominance of the Rouxi form, while the Lamarcki form was confined to exposed sites. Our results demonstrate a highly endangered population of P. ferruginea and suggest that human pressure represents the main risk factor.

Gravity modelling of the lower crust in Sardinia (Italy

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T. Quarta

1997-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper an example is given of an application of statistical techniques to the Bouguer anomalies analysis in order to design a simple crustal model using few a priori assumptions. All gravity measurements carried out in Sardinia have been collected and processed. The Bouguer anomalies have been calculated according to local density estimates. Spectral analysis of the Bouguer anomalies has been carried out along selected profiles in order to estimate the mean depth of the Moho discontinuity and that of an infracrustal discontinuity. The use of this technique inferred the presence of a discontinuity at a mean depth of ~ 28 km, interpreted as Moho and the likely presence of an infracrustal discontinuity at a mean depth of ~18 km, interpreted as the upper-lower crust transition. In order to roughly reconstruct the shape of these interfaces, 2D inversion techniques were applied to the large wavelength components of the Bouguer anomalies, relative to profiles oriented along the E-W direction, extracted from low-pass filtered Bouguer anomaly maps. The density model obtained is compatible with some velocity models achieved from the interpretation of the seismic refraction profiles carried out within the European Geotraverse project.

High HPV-51 prevalence in invasive cervical cancers: results of a pre-immunization survey in North Sardinia, Italy.

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Andrea Piana

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Human Papilloma virus (HPV is recognized as the etiological agent of benign and malignant ano-genital lesions. The most prevalent genotypes associated with cervical carcinoma are HPV-16 and -18 worldwide. However, recent studies have emphasized the role of other genotypes, such as HPV-51, in the pathogenesis of cervical dysplasia. The aim of the study was to estimate the burden of HPV-51 infection in invasive cervical malignant lesions in Northern Sardinia, Italy. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: An observational, retrospective, prevalence, mono-center study was carried out to evaluate the presence of HPV genotypes in tissues biopsies of cervical lesions (CIN-1, CIN-2, CIN-3 and invasive carcinoma gathered from 1996 to 2009. Biological samples were collected from women admitted consecutively to a tertiary university hospital situated in Sassari, Italy. Molecular methods were used to identify 28 oncogenic HPV types. A total of 155 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cervical tissue samples were analyzed. Approximately half of the cervical lesions were classified as invasive carcinoma. HPV-DNA was detected in 71% of the samples, with a higher frequency (100% in those categorized as invasive neoplasia. Mono- or co-infections were demonstrated in 45.8% and 25.8% of the cervical samples, respectively. Overall, the most prevalent HPV types were -16 (49% and -51 (19.4%, with an increased frequency of detection associated with the severity of the cervical lesions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This survey highlights for the first time the relevant role of HPV-51 infection in the pathogenesis of invasive cervical cancer prior to the introduction of a vaccination program. Although a selection bias could have influenced the results, other recent studies have described the impact of HPV-51. This remarkable epidemiological element should be carefully evaluated, particularly in the view of opting for preventive vaccines, whose cross-protection patterns

Assessing the impact of the Asian mussel Arcuatula senhousia in the recently invaded Oristano Lagoon-Gulf system (W Sardinia, Italy)

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Como, S.; Floris, A.; Pais, A.; Rumolo, P.; Saba, S.; Sprovieri, M.; Magni, P.

2018-02-01

In the marine environment, the introduction and spread of non-indigenous mussels may cause major modifications to native assemblages and alter the trophic flow within the food web. We analysed the impacts of the recently sighted Asian date mussel Arcuatula (=Musculista) senhousia on sediment features, native macrozoobenthic assemblages and the δ13C and δ15N values of dominant macrozoobenthic taxa in the Oristano Lagoon-Gulf system (western Sardinia, Italy). Results showed that the amount of variation generated by the occurrence of Arcuatula senhousia was lower than the intrinsic spatial variability in sediment features, macrozoobenthic assemblages and the δ13C values of dominant deposit feeders (Hediste diversicolor, Cirriphormia tentaculata, Haminoea navicula and Cyclope neritea) of this system. In addition, δ13C and δ15N values of A. senhousia were found to be similar to those of co-occurring suspension feeders Cerastoderma glaucum, Ruditapes decussatus and Scrobicularia plana, indicating exploitation of common food resources. The overall lack of effects of A. senhousia may be dependent on the moderate densities encountered in our study area (environmental conditions of the lagoons especially in summer (e.g. anoxia) which erode mussel populations, likely prevent A. senhousia from entering its expansion phase and impacting local benthic communities.

Provenance of marbles used for building the internal spiral staircase of the bell tower of St. Nicholas Church (Pisa, Italy)

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Lezzerini, Marco; Antonelli, Fabrizio; Gallello, Gianni; Ramacciotti, Mirco; Parodi, Luca; Alberti, Antonio; Pagnotta, Stefano; Legnaioli, Stefano; Palleschi, Vincenzo

2017-05-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the provenance of marbles used as architectural elements (bases, shafts and capitals of columns) for building the internal spiral staircase of the medieval bell tower of St. Nicholas Church at Pisa, Italy. Accordingly, the 45 collected marble samples have been analysed by optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and mass spectroscopy for carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratio analysis; additionally, SEM-EDS analysis have been performed to complement data about accessory minerals. By comparison with literature data on the main sources of the white Mediterranean marbles used in ancient times, the results show that the analysed samples are mainly white crystalline marbles from Carrara (Italy) and, subordinately, from other Tuscan and Eastern Mediterranean quarrying areas. In fact, Mt. Pisano and Campiglia M.ma (Tuscany, Italy) and Marmara (Turkey), Paros, Mt. Penteli, Thasos (Greece) are minor sources. The other coloured stones identified on the strength of their macroscopic features are quartzites from Mt. Pisano area and granitoids from Sardinia and Island of Elba (Italy). Occasionally, a very limited number of architectonical elements made up of Acquabona limestone from Rosignano Marittimo (Livorno, Italy), red limestone with ammonites (the so-called "Rosso Ammonitico") and black limestone belonging to the Tuscan Nappe sequence, outcropping at northwest of Pisa in the nearby Monti d'Oltre Serchio area, are present.

Determinants of land take at the regional scale: a study concerning Sardinia (Italy)

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Zoppi, Corrado, E-mail: zoppi@unica.it; Lai, Sabrina, E-mail: sabrinalai@unica.it

2015-11-15

In its “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe” (Communication COM(2011) 571 of 20 September 2011), the European Commission (EC) established an ambitious goal for the European Union (EU), that of achieving no land take by 2050; towards this aim, a key milestone for the year 2020 was set, by stating that European policies in the programming period 2014–2020 ought to consider both their direct and their indirect impacts on land use in the EU. Within this framework, this paper builds upon the findings of a previous paper (Zoppi and Lai, 2014), in which we estimated the magnitude of land take over a short period of time (2003–2008) in Sardinia, an Italian NUTS2 region, and we assessed whether and how land take is related to a set of variables that are regarded as important determinants in the literature, such as parcel size, accessibility, and proximity to main cities and towns, to the coastline, or to protected areas. In this paper we study the land-taking process taking Sardinia as a case study, in two larger time periods, 1960–1990 and 1990–2008. We assess if, and to what extent, these factors reveal similar, or different, effects in the two periods, and try to identify consistencies concerning the determinants of land take. - Highlights: • Population density and parcel size significantly affect the magnitude of land take. • The presence of nature conservation areas hinders land taking processes. • Extensive urbanization might effectively preserve non-artificial land. • Balanced accessibility of settlements and nature conservation regional policies can effectively contrast land take. • Size of non-artificial land parcels that become artificial is negatively and significantly connected to land take.

Determinants of land take at the regional scale: a study concerning Sardinia (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoppi, Corrado; Lai, Sabrina

2015-01-01

In its “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe” (Communication COM(2011) 571 of 20 September 2011), the European Commission (EC) established an ambitious goal for the European Union (EU), that of achieving no land take by 2050; towards this aim, a key milestone for the year 2020 was set, by stating that European policies in the programming period 2014–2020 ought to consider both their direct and their indirect impacts on land use in the EU. Within this framework, this paper builds upon the findings of a previous paper (Zoppi and Lai, 2014), in which we estimated the magnitude of land take over a short period of time (2003–2008) in Sardinia, an Italian NUTS2 region, and we assessed whether and how land take is related to a set of variables that are regarded as important determinants in the literature, such as parcel size, accessibility, and proximity to main cities and towns, to the coastline, or to protected areas. In this paper we study the land-taking process taking Sardinia as a case study, in two larger time periods, 1960–1990 and 1990–2008. We assess if, and to what extent, these factors reveal similar, or different, effects in the two periods, and try to identify consistencies concerning the determinants of land take. - Highlights: • Population density and parcel size significantly affect the magnitude of land take. • The presence of nature conservation areas hinders land taking processes. • Extensive urbanization might effectively preserve non-artificial land. • Balanced accessibility of settlements and nature conservation regional policies can effectively contrast land take. • Size of non-artificial land parcels that become artificial is negatively and significantly connected to land take

Nitrogen and phosphorus budget in reservoirs Medio Flumendosa and Mulargia (Sardinia, Italy)

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Sechi, N.; Luglie, A.; Mosello, R.

1996-01-01

The nutrient loads of the reservoirs Mulargia and Medio Flumendosa (Centre-South Sardinia) were studied in the framework of an interdisciplinary study on the causes of phytoplankton blooms (in particular of Cyanophyta Oscillatoria rubescens D. C.). The sources considered were the tributaries and atmospheric deposition on the lake surface. The study period (July 1991-June 1992) was characterized by amounts of precipitation and discharge lower than the pluriannual means. The atmospheric load resulted significant for N but negligible for P. The P load from the watershed was 10.6 and 10.8 t a -1 for lakes Medio Flumendosa and Mulargia, respectively; the values for N were 51.8 and 108 t a -1 . Nutrient loads are discussed both in relation to population and economic activity in the watersheds and as regards their effects on the lake trophic level

Imag(ining Sardinia

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Giorgia Alù

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Review of: Maria Bonaria Urban, Sardinia on Screen. The Construction of the Sardinian Character in Italian Cinema, Amsterdam–New York, Rodopi, 579 p., 2013, ISBN: 9789042037502, € 120 / US$ 168; eBook: 9789401210010, € 108 / US$ 151.

Tourist Ports and Yachting: The Case of Sardinia

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Gian Marco Ugolini

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to describe the situation of nautical tourism in one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean through the analysis of the marinas and the sailing habits of the boaters. After outlining the typology, characteristics and functions of the marinas in the introduction, we briefly present the quantitative-qualitative analysis methodology that was carried out through interviews to the stakeholders and subsequent processing of the original information obtained. The presentation of the results concerns the context of Italian ports and then focuses on Sardinia in terms of ports and berths. The discussion, on the other hand, is based on the original analysis of the use of Sardinian ports, the navigation mode of the boaters, including the characteristics of the boats used. In the conclusions, it is emphasized that Sardinia is at the centre of a boating area that extends to the Upper Tyrrhenian Sea, within which it represents a hub and the favourite area for the most important and rich segment of yachts. This, however, does not preclude existing structures from pursuing an improvement in the supply from the point of view of environmental compatibility, of the quality of the services offered and, above all, of a stronger connection to the tourist offer of the hinterlands. A possible development of the present study may cover other similar cases in the Mediterranean, regarding in particular the specific aspect of the degree of openness towards the boaters coming from "continental" territories.

Operational resilience of reservoirs to climate change, agricultural demand, and tourism: A case study from Sardinia.

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Mereu, Simone; Sušnik, Janez; Trabucco, Antonio; Daccache, Andre; Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia, Lydia; Renoldi, Stefano; Virdis, Andrea; Savić, Dragan; Assimacopoulos, Dionysis

2016-02-01

Many (semi-) arid locations globally, and particularly islands, rely heavily on reservoirs for water supply. Some reservoirs are particularly vulnerable to climate and development changes (e.g. population change, tourist growth, hydropower demands). Irregularities and uncertainties in the fluvial regime associated with climate change and the continuous increase in water demand by different sectors will add new challenges to the management and to the resilience of these reservoirs. The resilience of vulnerable reservoirs must be studied in detail to prepare for and mitigate potential impacts of these changes. In this paper, a reservoir balance model is developed and presented for the Pedra e' Othoni reservoir in Sardinia, Italy, to assess resilience to climate and development changes. The model was first calibrated and validated, then forced with extensive ensemble climate data for representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5, agricultural data, and with four socio-economic development scenarios. Future projections show a reduction in annual reservoir inflow and an increase in demand, mainly in the agricultural sector. Under no scenario is reservoir resilience significantly affected, the reservoir always achieves refill. However, this occurs at the partial expenses of hydropower production with implications for the production of renewable energy. There is also the possibility of conflict between the agricultural sector and hydropower sector for diminishing water supply. Pedra e' Othoni reservoir shows good resilience to future change mostly because of the disproportionately large basin feeding it. However this is not the case of other Sardinian reservoirs and hence a detailed resilience assessment of all reservoirs is needed, where development plans should carefully account for the trade-offs and potential conflicts among sectors. For Sardinia, the option of physical connection between reservoirs is available, as are alternative water supply measures

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-10-01

The Italian Republic comprises a 1200 - Km - long peninsula ex- tending from southern Europe into the Mediterranean Sea, and a number of adjacent islands, among which the principals are Sicily and Sardinia. The total area is in excess of 300,000 Sq.Km, the islands account for some 50, 000 Sq.Km. From a physiographic and morphologic point of view, Italy mainly consists of the Alpine region and the Po valley to the North and of the Appennine range and small Coastal plains to the Centre and South. Plains occupied only 20% of the total area, hills and mountains, up to 4,810 m of elevation, contribute almost equally to the remaining 80%. The most promising uranium mineralizations have been found in the Bergamasc Alps, near the small town of Novazza. Pitchblende and minor sphalerite (formation temperature, 80 deg. - 100 deg. C) occur disseminated in volcanics of permian age. The host rocks at the Novazza uranium deposit, consist of an acid ignimbrite with cineritic texture. The rocks have been affected by metasomatism which brought abundant neo-formation minerals such as silica, sericite, carbonates and minor adularia, albite and muscovite. The reasonably assured resources of the Novazza deposit have been estimated to be 1,200 ton of U having a grade of 900 p.p.m. U. Estimated additional resources are 1,000 ton U. Production is scheduled to start in 1980

Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Erwiniua carotovora spp. carotovora (JOnes Bergey et al. Isolates from Grafted Tomato in Sardinia, Italy

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M. Fiori

2005-04-01

Full Text Available A disease symptomatically similar to that caused by Erwinia carotovora occurred on “Cuore di Bue” and “Cencara” tomato plants grafted on “Beaufort” and “He-Man”, or ungrafted, in greenhouses in Sardinia (Italy. Symptoms were: dark brown/black longitudinal stem lesions, soft stem rot, pith breakdown of the stems, hollow stems, vascular tissue discoloration, wilting and collapse of the plants. Numerous bacterial colonies from stem tissues were isolated on yeast extract salts (YS medium. Seven isolates (DPP As-1, DPP As-2, DPP As-3, DPP As-14, DPP Pu6, DPP Pu7 e DPP Pu8 were selected on the basis of their ability to cause rot on potato pieces and a hypersensitivity reaction in “White burley” tobacco leaves. Pathogenicity tests revealed that five of these isolates infected artichoke, basil, dwarf bean, fennel, marrow, melon, pepper, eggplant, grafted and ungrafted tomato, and white cabbage. Of the remaining two isolates, one (DPP As-1 did not infect white cabbage, and the other (DPP Pu8 did not infect basil, marrow or white cabbage. Phenotypic properties and ELISA, also performed on naturally infected tissues, revealed that all the isolates were E. c. ssp. carotovora (Jones Bergey et al. PCR-RFLP analysis placed two (DPP As-2 and DPP As-3 of the seven isolates in RFLP group 8. Five isolates belonged to a hitherto unknown RFLP group. Prevention and control measures for this disease are suggested.

Geomaterials and architecture of the medieval monuments of Sardinia (Italy): petrophysical investigations on their construction materials and documentation on the architectonic aspects using digital technologies

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Columbu, Stefano; Verdiani, Giorgio

2015-04-01

The Sardinia Island is in the core area of the Mediterranean Sea. Its position has made it the crossing point of many cultural and political events, but at the same time its isolation has favoured the manifestation of specific and unique Cultural Heritage phenomena. The network of several medieval monuments (i.e., Romanesque churches) disseminated all around the island clearly shows how an architectural language can be declined according to site specific materials and specific artistical and practical choices, always preserving its original logic and grammar. On the bases of different architectural characteristics and petrophysical features of their lithology, a significant number of churches have been chosen from the different medieval geographical-political areas of the Sardinia named (at that time) "Giudicati". Each of these churches were surveyed using the following methods: photography, 3D Laser Scanner for the whole interior and exterior parts (using a Leica HDS 6000 and a Cam/2 Faro Photon units), photogrammetry (using high resolution Nikon D700 and D800e) of a selected set of the extern surface of significant altered samples (aimed to the production of high quality and highly detailed 3D digital models), direct sampling of representative rocks and ancient mortars for geochemical and minero-petrographic analysis using optical polarized microscope, electronic microscopy (SEM), X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray diffractometry (XRD). The physical-mechanical properties (real and bulk densities, open and closed porosity, water absorption and saturation, vapour permeability, flexion and compression strengths, etc.) of various geomaterials are determined with helium picnometry, microscopic image analysis, gas-permeability thermostatic chamber, oil-hydraulic press machine, Point Load Test (PLT), abrasimeter. For each church, when there was the occasion, some specific case study has been developed, matching the information about the materials and the specific events

The western submerged sector of the Ischia volcanic island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): new insights into its volcano-tectonic evolution

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Passaro, Salvatore; de Alteriis, Giovanni; Milano, Girolamo; Fedi, Maurizio; Florio, Giovanni

2010-05-01

The Island of Ischia is a volcanic complex located in the northern boundary of the Gulf of Naples (south-eastern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The island represents only the 30% of a larger, E-W trending, volcanic ridge and likely controlled by a regional tectonic lineament. Despite the many geo-volcanological and geophysical investigations conducted on the island since long time, still little is the knowledge of its offshore. Several marine surveys have been carried out over the past 10 years from IAMC - CNR research institute (Naples, Italy) mostly in the frame of INGV and GNV projects, funded by Italy Civil Protection Department. Such surveys have largely improved the knowledge of the entire volcanic complex. Multibeam bathymetry surveys has revealed several, previously unexpected, morphological and morphostructural features. Moreover some structural patterns and volcano alignments offshore show similarities with those occurring at a regional scale in the Campania region and, locally, between the island of Procida and Phlegrean Fields. Here we report the joint interpretation of geophysical data focused on the western underwater sector of the island. Interpretation was chiefly based on processing/inversion of magnetic data in turn constrained by bathymetry and seismic reflection profiles. Magnetic data, acquired by the IAMC during two different cruises in 2000 and 2002 onboard of the Urania R/V oceanographic vessel, put in evidence that the western seafloor of Ischia is characterized by the presence of a strong residual magnetic anomaly field of complex behaviour, somewhere correlated to local bathymetry. These two last methods allowed to define and distinguish between undersea and subsurface magnetic (i.e. magmatic) basement. Interpretation was also constrained by seismological data.

Extreme Wildfire Spread and Behaviour: Case Studies from North Sardinia, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Salis, M.; Arca, B.; Ager, A.; Fois, C.; Bacciu, V.; Duce, P.; Spano, D.

2012-04-01

Worldwide, fire seasons are usually characterized by the occurrence of one or more days with extreme environmental conditions, such as heat waves associated with strong winds. On these days, fires can quickly get out of hand originating large and severe wildfires. In these cases, containment and extinguishment phases are critical, considering that the imperative goal is to keep fire crews, people and animals safe. In this work we will present a set of large and severe wildfires occurred with extreme environmental conditions in the northern area of Sardinia. The most recent wildfire we will describe was ignited on July 13, 2011 in the Oschiri municipality (40°43' N; 9°06' E), and burned about 2,500 ha of wooded and herbaceous pastures and oakwoods in few hours. The second wildfire we will present was ignited on July 23, 2009 in the Bonorva municipality (40°25' N; 8° 46' E), and was responsible for the death of two people and several damages to houses, animals and farms. This wildfire lasted on July 25, and burned about 10,000 ha of wooded and herbaceous pastures; the most of the area was burned during the first day. The last wildfire we will describe was ignited on July 23, 2007 in the Oniferi municipality (40°16' N; 9° 16' E) and burned about 9,000 ha of wooded and herbaceous pastures and oakwoods; about 8,000 ha were burned after 11 hours of propagation. All these wildfires were ignited in days characterized by very hot temperatures associated to the effect of air masses moving from inland North Africa to the Mediterranean Basin, and strong winds from west-south west. This is one of the typical weather pattern associated with large and severe wildfires in North Sardinia, and is well documented in the last years. Weather conditions, fuels and topography factors related to each case study will be accurately analyzed. Moreover, a detailed overview of observed fire spread and behavior and post-fire vegetation recovery will be presented. The fire spread and

FOSSIL VERTEBRATES (MAMMALIA AND REPTILIA FROM CAPO MANNU (LATE PLIOCENE, WESTERN SARDINIA, ITALY, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEWTESTUDO (CHELONII, TESTUDINIDAE SPECIES

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LAURA ABBAZZI

2008-03-01

Full Text Available In the North-West Sinis Peninsula (Western Sardinia a stratigraphic sequence, the Capo Mannu Fm., that evolves from marine-littoral to continental-dunar, is present. A vertebrate fauna is reported within the middle part of this coastal dune complex. These new remains, here referred to as the Capo Mannu D4 Local Fauna, are slightly younger in the sedimentary succession than the Local Fauna known in the literature as Mandriola and here re-named the Capo Mannu D1 Local Fauna.Vertebrates from Capo Mannu D4 include reptiles (Chelonii and mammals (Bovidae and Suidae. The tortoise fossils show peculiarities of shape that require the naming of a new species. The suid material includes a fragmentary palate and a partial mandible, referable to the endemic species Sus sondaari. Bovids are well represented in the assemblage, although quite fragmentary. They have been identified as belonging to at least two forms. One of these is comparable in morphology to Nesogoral, one of the most characteristic taxa of the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene Sardinian endemic fauna (the so called "Nesogoral complex". On the whole, the Capo Mannu D4 assemblages open a new window on the Plio-Pleistocene terrestrial faunas of the Sardinian Island. 

Rare sulfosalts from vulcano, aeolian islands, Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, Daniela; Balic Zunic, Tonci; Bonaccorsi, Elena

2006-01-01

Cl-bearing galenobismutite (Cl ranging from 0.12 to 1.45 wt.%), discovered among high-temperature fumarole incrustations at "La Fossa" crater (Vulcano Island, Italy), has been chemically and structurally investigated. The mineral is commonly associated with bismuthinite, cannizzarite, lillianite......, heyrovskýite and galena; rarely with kirkiite, vurroite and some other less characterized Pb(Bi)-sulfochlorides. Electron-microprobe investigations show that Cl-bearing galenobismutite from Vulcano has a wide compositional field (Pb/Bi atomic ratio ranging from 0.52 to 0.72). The statistical analysis...... from ideal composition toward decreasing Pb (Pb/Bi atomic ratio 0.50 - 0.39). It reflects another type of substitution: 3Pb2+ à 2Bi3+ + ¿. X-ray single crystal investigations were performed on two selected crystals of Cl-bearing galenobismutite from Vulcano. The composition of galenobismutite controls...

Green infrastructure and low energy architecture for eco-tourism in Asinara island

Science.gov (United States)

Trombadore, Antonella; Rolovic, Dusan; Congiatu, Pier Paolo

2018-05-01

The paper will present the sustainable and low energy architecture approach that has been developed for a small island in Sardinia, Italy. The island has hosted several prison complexes in the past two centuries, now converted into a National Park, since its creation as a national park its architectural and urban patrimony have been completely abandoned. Its few built-up areas and/or urban developments do have an enormous potential, but past administrations failed in the attempt to offer a commercially attractive model. The project focuses mainly on the development of a Strategic Plan for the regeneration of the island: the main goal is to create completely new activities and functions which are both compatible with its touristic potential and especially with the natural fragility of the ecosystem. These functions have been planned in order to give life and continuous activity to the island, but with extreme care towards its cohesion with the environment and the biodiversity. Results consist in various minor agricultural activities that have been reinstated based on the past activities, and different touristic functions focused on a specific and Eco-responsible market niche. These activities are supported by a complex network of structures and services dedicated to maintaining the balance of the ecosystem intact, while this increases the quality of its offer, thus allowing the creation of a model of sustainable management of natural resources and commercial exploitation without risk for the environment.

Arrasia rostrata (Basidiomycota), a new corticioid genus and species from Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Annarosa Bernicchia; Sergio P. Gorj& #243; n; Karen K. Nakasone

2011-01-01

An unusual corticioid species with distinctive large basidiospores that develop a distal refractive rostrum when fully mature is described as new. It grows on living bark of Juniperus phoenicea on the Italian island of Sardinia. Because it is morphologically distinct from any known genus of corticioid fungi, the new genus Arrasia...

Depression in Sardinian immigrants in Argentina and residents in Sardinia at the time of the Argentinian default (2001) and the Great Recession in Italy (2015).

Science.gov (United States)

Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Atzeni, Michela; D'Oca, Silvia; Perra, Alessandra; D'Aloja, Ernesto; Brasesco, Maria Veronica; Moro, Maria Francesca; Minerba, Luigi; Sancassiani, Federica; Moro, Daniela; Mausel, Gustavo; Bhugra, Dinesh

2017-02-08

The aim of this study is to measure in two samples of Sardinian immigrants in Buenos Aires and representatives of the population in Sardinia the prevalence of depressive symptoms at the time of an economic crisis in Sardinia and to compare these results with those collected at the time of a similar crisis in Argentina more than 10 years before. Observational study. The associations of Sardinian immigrants in Buenos Aires provided the lists of families of Sardinian origin. A random sample of one fifth of registered families was selected. The sample of a study carried out in Sardinia was used as the control. The results were compared with those of the previous study performed in 2001-2002. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) was used for the screening of depression. The Sardinian immigrants show a lower rate of scoring positively on PHQ9 (i.e. less risk of being depressed) and reach statistical significance after standardization (8.7% vs. 13.1%, P = 0.046). Young women (≤40) are at higher risk. On the contrary, the risk of depression was higher in Sardinian immigrants in Argentina during the 2001-2002 crises. The study indicates a risk for depressive episodes linked to the fallout of the economic crisis (in Argentina in 2001-2002, in Sardinia in 2015) and specifically more in females than in males. Due to the associated socio-demographic risk factors, these results could be interpreted as due to an increase in non-bipolar depression.

Seismic and gravity signature of the Ischia Island Caldera (Italy)

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Capuano, P.; de Matteis, R.; Russo, G.

2009-04-01

The Campania (Italy) coasts are characterized by the presence of several volcanoes. The island of Ischia, located at the northwestern end of the Gulf of Naples, belongs to the Neapolitan Volcanic District together with Phlegrean Fields and Vesuvius, having all these Pleistocene volcanoes erupted in historical times, and it is characterized by diffuse hydrothermal phenomena The island represents the emergent part of a more extensive volcanic area developed mainly westward of the island, with underwater volcanoes aligned along regional fault patterns. The activity of Ischia volcano is testified by the occurrence of eruptions in historical times, the presence of intense hydrothermal phenomena, and by seismic activity (e.g. the 1883 Casamicciola earthquake). Ischia is populated by about 50,000 inhabitants increasing, mainly in the summer, due to thriving tourism business, partially due to its active volcanic state. Hazard assessment at active, densely populated volcanoes is critically based on knowledge of the volcanoes past behavior and the definition of its present state. As a contribution to the definition of the present state of the Ischia island volcano, we obtain a model of the shallow crust using geophysical observables through seismic tomography and 3D gravity inversion. In particular we use travel times collected during the Serapis experiment on the island and its surroundings and free air anomaly. A new 3D gravity inversion procedure has been developed to take better into account the shape and the effects of topography approximating it by a triangular mesh. Below each triangle, a sequence of triangular prisms is built, the uppermost prism having the upper face coincident with the triangle following the topography. The inversion is performed searching for a regularized solution using the minimum norm stabilizer. The main results inferable from the 3D seismic and gravity images are the definition of the caldera rims hypothesize by many authors along the

First occurrence of close-to-ideal Kirkiite at Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, Daniela; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Garavelli, anna

2006-01-01

Samples of kirkiite from the high temperature fumaroles of La Fossa crater of Vulcano (Aeolian islands, Italy) were chemically and structurally investigated in this work. Associated minerals are vurroite, bismuthinite, galenobismutite, cannizzarite, lillianite, heyrovsk ite, galena, and other less...... of the close-to-ideal kirkiite from Vulcano has been compared with the structure of the type specimen. The comparison reveals a variation in As-Bi substitution, with samples from Vulcano probably being close to the maximum possible Bi and the minimum As content for this structure type. This is reflected...

Exploring fire dynamics with BFAST approach: case studies in Sardinia, Italy

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Quarfeld, Jamie; di Mauro, Biagio; Colombo, Roberto; Verbesselt, Jan

2016-04-01

The synergistic effect of wildfire and extreme post-fire climatic events, (e.g. droughts or torrential rainfall), may result in long windows of disturbance - challenging the overall resilience of Mediterranean ecosystems and communities. The notion that increased fire frequency and severity may reduce ecosystem resilience has received much attention in Mediterranean regions in recent decades. Careful evaluation of vegetation recovery and landscape regeneration after a fire event provides vital information useful in land management. In this study, an extension of Breaks For Additive Seasonal and Trend (BFAST) is proposed as an ideal approach to monitor change and assess fire dynamics at the landscape level based on analysis of the MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS, TERRA) time series. To this end, satellite images of three vegetation indices (VIs), the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used. The analysis was conducted on areas affected by wildfires in the Sardinia region (Italy) between 2007 and 2010. Some land surface (LS) descriptors (i.e. mean and maximum VI) and fire characteristics (e.g. pre-fire trend & VI, change magnitude, current VI) were extracted to characterize the post-fire evolution of each site within a fifteen-year period (2000-2015). Resilience was estimated using a classic linear function, whereby recovery rates were compared to regional climate data (e.g. water balance) and local landscape components (e.g.topography, land use and land cover). The methodology was applied according to land cover type (e.g. mixed forest, maquis, shrubland, pasture) within each fire site and highlighted the challenge of isolating effects and quantifying the role of fire regime characteristics on resilience in a dynamic way when considering large, heterogeneous areas. Preliminary findings can be outlined as follows: I. NBR showed it was most effective at

The Cenozoic fold-and-thrust belt of Eastern Sardinia: Evidences from the integration of field data with numerically balanced geological cross section

Science.gov (United States)

Arragoni, S.; Maggi, M.; Cianfarra, P.; Salvini, F.

2016-06-01

Newly collected structural data in Eastern Sardinia (Italy) integrated with numerical techniques led to the reconstruction of a 2-D admissible and balanced model revealing the presence of a widespread Cenozoic fold-and-thrust belt. The model was achieved with the FORC software, obtaining a 3-D (2-D + time) numerical reconstruction of the continuous evolution of the structure through time. The Mesozoic carbonate units of Eastern Sardinia and their basement present a fold-and-thrust tectonic setting, with a westward direction of tectonic transport (referred to the present-day coordinates). The tectonic style of the upper levels is thin skinned, with flat sectors prevailing over ramps and younger-on-older thrusts. Three regional tectonic units are present, bounded by two regional thrusts. Strike-slip faults overprint the fold-and-thrust belt and developed during the Sardinia-Corsica Block rotation along the strike of the preexisting fault ramps, not affecting the numerical section balancing. This fold-and-thrust belt represents the southward prosecution of the Alpine Corsica collisional chain and the missing link between the Alpine Chain and the Calabria-Peloritani Block. Relative ages relate its evolution to the meso-Alpine event (Eocene-Oligocene times), prior to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tortonian). Results fill a gap of information about the geodynamic evolution of the European margin in Central Mediterranean, between Corsica and the Calabria-Peloritani Block, and imply the presence of remnants of this double-verging belt, missing in the Southern Tyrrhenian basin, within the Southern Apennine chain. The used methodology proved effective for constraining balanced cross sections also for areas lacking exposures of the large-scale structures, as the case of Eastern Sardinia.

The late Variscan ferroan granite magmatism of southern Sardinia: inferences from Mo metallogenesis

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Naitza, Stefano; Conte, Aida Maria; Cuccuru, Stefano; Fadda, Sandro; Fiori, Maddalena; Oggiano, Giacomo; Secchi, Francesco

2017-04-01

concentration processes. Mo concentration occurred during latest intrusive phases in granitic cupolas, as local subsolidus reactions. They involve: 1) leaching of Mo5+ and Mo6+ from their primary hosts (e.g., biotites) by Cl- and F-rich fluids under decreasing pH and increasing fH2O and fO2, and 2) transport of Mo cations towards intrusive contacts, where they quickly reacted with Sulphur from country rocks to be reduced as MoS2. Overall, the late Variscan Mo metallogenic peak in Sardinia is a single event located in a short timespan at around 290 Ma. In the early Permian extensional setting of Corsica-Sardinia batholith, a distinct HT/LP event related to melting of mantle lithosphere (Rossi et al., 2015), triggered partial melting of Mo-bearing deep crustal sources, producing the F-bearing ferroan magmas. The singular concentration of Mo-bearing granites could indicate a peculiar compositional character of the Sardinian lower crust. References: Conte A.M. et al. (2016). Proc. 2nd European Mineralogical Conference, Rimini, Italy, 154. Fadda et al. (2015). Proc. 13th Biennial SGA Meeting, Nancy, France, Vol. 2, 721-724. Frost, C. D. and Frost R. B. (2011). J. Petrol. 52, 39-53. Ishihara S. (1981). Econ. Geol., 75th Anniversary Volume, 458-484. Naitza S. et al. (2017). Ore Geol. Rev. 80, 1259-1278. Rossi et al. (2015). Bull. Soc. Géol. France 186, 171-192.

Fate of antimony and arsenic in contaminated waters at the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy)

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Cidu, Rosa; Dore, Elisabetta; Biddau, Riccardo; Nordstrom, D. Kirk

2018-01-01

We investigated the fate of Sb and As downstream of the abandoned Su Suergiu mine (Sardinia, Italy) and surrounding areas. The mined area is a priority in the Sardinian remediation plan for contaminated sites due to the high concentrations of Sb and As in the mining-related wastes, which may impact the Flumendosa River that supplies water for agriculture and domestic uses. Hydrogeochemical surveys conducted from 2005 to 2015 produced time-series data and downstream profiles of water chemistry at 46 sites. Water was sampled at: springs and streams unaffected by mining; adits and streams in the mine area; drainage from the slag heaps; stream water downstream of the slag drainages; and the Flumendosa River downstream from the confluence of the contaminated waters. At specific sites, water sampling was repeated under different flow conditions, resulting in a total of 99 samples. The water samples were neutral to slightly alkaline. Elevated Sb (up to 30 mg L−1) and As (up to 16 mg L−1) concentrations were observed in water flowing from the slag materials from where the Sb ore was processed. These slag materials were the main Sb and As source at Su Suergiu. A strong base, Na-carbonate, from the foundry wastes, had a major influence on mobilizing Sb and As. Downstream contamination can be explained by considering that: (1) the predominant aqueous species, Sb(OH)6 − and HAsO4 −2, are not favored in sorption processes at the observed pH conditions; (2) precipitation of Sb- and As-bearing solid phases was not observed, which is consistent with modeling results indicating undersaturation; and (3) the main decrease in dissolved Sb and As concentrations was by dilution. Dissolved As concentrations in the Flumendosa River did not generally exceed the EU limit of 10 µg L−1, whereas dissolved Sb in the river downstream of the contamination source always exceeded the EU limit of 5 µg L−1. Recent actions aimed at retaining runoff from the slag heaps are apparently

Analysis of recent surface deformation at Ischia Island Volcano (South Italy) via multi-platform monitoring systems

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Manzo, Mariarosaria; De Martino, Prospero; Castaldo, Raffaele; De Luca, Claudio; Dolce, Mario; Scarpato, Giovanni; Tizzani, Pietro; Zinno, Ivana; Lanari, Riccardo

2017-04-01

Ischia Island is a densely populated volcanic area located in the North-Western sector of the Gulf of Napoli (South Italy), whose activity is characterized by eruptions (the last one occurred in 1302 A.D.), earthquakes (the most disastrous ones occurred in 1881 and in 1883), fumarolic-hydrothermal manifestations and ground deformation. In this work we carry out the surface deformation time-series analysis occurring at the Island by jointly exploiting data collected via two different monitoring systems. In particular, we take advantage from the large amount of periodic and continuous geodetic measurements collected by the GPS (campaign and permanent) stations deployed on the Island and belonging to the INGV-OV monitoring network. Moreover, we benefit from the large, free and open archive of C-band SAR data acquired over the Island by the Sentinel-1 constellation of the Copernicus Program, and processed via the advanced Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) technique referred to as Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) algorithm [Berardino et al., 2002]. We focus on the 2014-2017 time period to analyze the recent surface deformation phenomena occurring on the Island, thus extending a previous study, aimed at investigating the temporal evolution of the ground displacements affecting the Island and limited to the 1992-2003 time interval [Manzo et al., 2006]. The performed integrated analysis provides relevant spatial and temporal information on the Island surface deformation pattern. In particular, it reveals a rather complex deformative scenario, where localized phenomena overlap/interact with a spatially extended deformation pattern that involves many Island sectors, with no evidence of significant uplift phenomena. Moreover, it shows a good agreement and consistency between the different kinds of data, thus providing a clear picture of the recent dynamics at Ischia Island that can be profitably exploited to deeply investigate the physical processes behind the observed

Comparative crystal-structure study of Ag-free lilliantite and galenobismutite from vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, Daniela; Balic Zunic, Tonci; Garavelli, Anna

2006-01-01

The crystal structures of natural Ag-free lillianite of fumarolic origin from Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy, Pb2.88Bi2.12(S5.67 Se0.33)S6.00, with a 13.567(1), b 20.655(2), c 4.1216(4) Å, V 1155.0(2) Å3, space group Bbmm, Z = 4, and galenobismutite also from Vulcano, Pb1.00Bi2.03(S3.87Se0...

Management of immigration and pregnancy screening in northeastern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio Tamaro

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Giorgio Tamaro, Sergio ParcoDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital, Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, ItalyAbstract: This study assesses the impact of immigration in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region of northeastern Italy, on the epidemiological features of hemoglobin patterns and on prothrombotic and trisomy risk in pregnancy for patients of non-Italian origin. This study follows a series of studies on the incidence of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies with reduced globin chain synthesis, that were performed during the postwar (1939–45 period in Friuli Venezia Giulia following immigration into the region from Istria and Sardinia (regions of northern and central Italy. Current data show that today’s constantly growing immigration into the region differs from previous decades, in terms of origin and quantity of migrants, who mainly come from third world countries. This has a significant impact on health care issues, and more specifically on prospective health screening for foreigners. The authors conclude that scholastic education and hospital services, either public or private, and voluntary associations, may contribute to solving the problem, but only in terms of training and organization, for non-European Union citizens arriving in northern Italy and neighboring areas, especially those from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe.Keywords: immigration, hemoglobinopathy, pregnancy, trisomy, thalassemia trait, Italy

Extensive genome rearrangements and multiple horizontal gene transfers in a population of pyrococcus isolates from Vulcano Island, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

White, James R; Escobar-Paramo, Patricia; Mongodin, Emmanuel F; Nelson, Karen E; DiRuggiero, Jocelyne

2008-10-01

The extent of chromosome rearrangements in Pyrococcus isolates from marine hydrothermal vents in Vulcano Island, Italy, was evaluated by high-throughput genomic methods. The results illustrate the dynamic nature of the genomes of the genus Pyrococcus and raise the possibility of a connection between rapidly changing environmental conditions and adaptive genomic properties.

Fertility transition and social stratification in the town of Alghero, Sardinia (1866-1935

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Marco Breschi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Despite the large amount of research on European fertility transition, the mechanisms of this demographic process are still poorly understood. This is particularly true in the Italian demographic experience, especially for some regions. Objective: We wish to improve the knowledge of the determinants of fertility transition in Sardinia, a region situated in the heart of the Mediterranean but paradoxically one which is the least "Mediterranean‟ region of the country. The analysis of SES differentials and their evolution over the transition process is the core purpose of this paper Methods: We use a complex individual database deriving from the combination of civil and religious sources of Alghero, a large costal town in north-western Sardinia. Our analysis is focussed on the reproductive history of Alghero marriage cohorts (1866-1905, followed through the mid-1930s. A micro-level statistical analysis is performed on legitimate births of parity 2+. Results: We find that, in the period under examination, the process of fertility decline already underway in the northern and central regions, was almost absent in Alghero. However we did prove significant socio-economic differentials in marital fertility. The "elite" group shows the first clear signs of deliberate marital fertility control. Conclusions: The results testify to a new and more conscious attitude towards birth control adopted by the elite minority, while no significant change is detectable for the rest of the population until the 1930s. This is the first research carried out at the individual level related to an urban population in Southern Italy.

Distribution and ecological relevance of fine sediments in organic-enriched lagoons: The case study of the Cabras lagoon (Sardinia, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magni, P. [CNR-IAMC, National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); International Marine Centre, Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy)], E-mail: paolo.magni@iamc.cnr.it; De Falco, G. [CNR-IAMC, National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); International Marine Centre, Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); Como, S. [International Marine Centre, Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); Casu, D. [Dip. di Botanica ed Ecologia vegetale, Universita di Sassari, 07100 Sassari (Italy); Floris, A. [Dip. di Zoologia e Genetica evoluzionistica, Universita di Sassari, 07100 Sassari (Italy); Petrov, A.N. [Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas NASU, 99011 Sevastopol (Ukraine); Castelli, A. [Dip. di Biologia, Universita di Pisa, 56126 Pisa (Italy); Perilli, A. [CNR-IAMC, National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); International Marine Centre, Localita Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy)

2008-03-15

In organic-enriched sedimentary systems, like many Mediterranean coastal lagoons, a detailed analysis of sediment grain size composition and partitioning within the muds is crucial to investigate sedimentological trends related to both hydrodynamic energy and basin morphology. In these systems, sediment dynamics are particularly important because the partitioning and transport of fine sediments can strongly influence the redistribution and accumulation of large amounts of organic matter, and consequently the distribution of benthic assemblages and the trophic status and functioning of a lagoon. Nevertheless, studies on benthic-sediment relationships have been based mainly on a rather coarse analysis of sediment grain size features. In muddy systems, however, this approach may impede a proper evaluation of the relationships and effects of the distribution of fine sediment and organic matter on the biotic benthic components. Here we show that the distribution of sedimentary organic matter (OM) and total organic carbon (TOC) in the Cabras lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) can be explained (i.e., predicted) as a function of a nonlinear increase in the amount of the cohesive fraction of sediments ({<=}8 {mu}m grain size particles) and that this fraction strongly influences the structure, composition and distribution of macrobenthic assemblages. Even in such a homogeneously muddy system, characterized by 'naturally' occurring impoverished communities, impaired benthic assemblages were found at {<=}8 {mu}m, OM, TOC contents of about 77%, 11% and 3.5%, respectively. A review of studies conducted in Mediterranean coastal lagoons highlighted a lack of direct integrated analysis of sediment features and the biotic components. We suggest that, especially in organic-enriched coastal lagoons, monitoring programs should primarily investigate and consider the cohesive fraction of sediments in order to allow a better assessment of benthic-sediment relationships and ecological

Water deficit mapping of soils in Southern and Insular Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ciavatta, C; Vianello, G

1987-03-01

Cross-elaboration of climatic, pedological and vegetational factors allows the water balance of soils to be defined. The data obtained are of particular interest not only for the primary sector, but also for the economy as a whole since the availability of such information is necessary for the correct and rational use of water resources. The application of a methodology, which takes into account the previously mentioned factors, led to the realization of a map showing the overall, annual and monthly water deficit of the soils in Southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.

First record of Bruchidius raddianae in Italy: infested seeds of Vachellia karroo from Lampedusa island (Coleoptera: Bruchidae; Fabales: Fabaceae

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Luciano Toma

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Bruchidius raddianae (Anton & Delobel 2003, a species of seed beetle spread in Northern Africa, was detected for the first time in Europe in some localities of the Southern Iberian Peninsula in 2007. In Spain this coleopteran lives on the shrubs of the South African acacia tree, Vachellia karroo (Hayne Banfi & Galasso, currently present in the Southern Iberian Peninsula. From seeds of V. karroo collected in October 2015, in Lampedusa island, Italy, where this plant is widely spread, 45 specimens of this coleopteran emerged. This observation represents the first record of B. raddianae in Italy and the second one for Europe.

Essential-oil composition of Helichrysum italicum (ROTH) G.DON ssp. italicum from Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Leonardi, Michele; Ambryszewska, Katarzyna E; Melai, Bernardo; Flamini, Guido; Cioni, Pier Luigi; Parri, Federico; Pistelli, Luisa

2013-03-01

The composition of 21 essential-oil samples isolated from Helichrysum italicum collected in seven locations of Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy), characterized by different soil types, during three different periods (January, May, and October 2010) was determined by GC-FID and GC/EI-MS analyses. In total, 115 components were identified, representing 96.8-99.8% of the oil composition. The oils were characterized by a high content of oxygenated monoterpenes (38.6-62.7%), while monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons accounted for 2.3-41.9 and 5.1-20.1% of the identified constituents, respectively. The main oxygenated derivatives were nerol (2.8-12.8%) and its ester derivative neryl acetate (5.6-45.9%). To compare the chemical variability of the species within Elba Island and between the island and other localities within the Mediterranean area, studied previously, multivariate statistical analysis was performed. The results obtained showed a difference in the composition of the essential oils of H. italicum from Elba Island, mainly due to the environment where the plant grows, and, in particular, to the soil type. These hypotheses were further confirmed by the comparison of these oils with essential oils obtained from H. italicum collected on other islands of the Tuscan archipelago. Copyright © 2013 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Structural features of the Middle Tirso Valley (Central Sardinia - Italy from geoelectrical and gravity data

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A. Tramacere

2001-06-01

Full Text Available The Middle Tirso Valley is located in Central Sardinia and lies between two structural highs, the Marghine-Goceano chain and the Barbagia Paleozoic horst. The geological structures of the area, potentially interesting for its geothermal resources, are rather complex and dominated by two regional faults – the Marghine fault and the Nuoro fault – which affect the Palaeozoic basement and the Tertiary volcano-sedimentary deposits. Combined modelling of gravity and geoelectrical data defines the shape and extent of this Tertiary basin. The Bouguer anomaly is mainly characterized by a three-dimensional gravity low which has been named «Bolotana-Sedilo gravity low», corresponding to a structure generated by collapses attributable to transcurrent and extensional tectonic events. The down faulted zone is filled with a Tertiary low density volcano-sedimentary sequence extending southwards and overlain by Pliocene-Quaternary basalts. Another regional structure named «Tirso Fault» is proposed

Hydrogen study in melt inclusions trapped in quartz with nuclear microprobe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosbah, M.; Tirira, J.; Gosset, J.; Massiot, P.

1990-01-01

Elastic recoil spectrometry induced by 3 MeV helium-4 microbeam has been used to determine hydrogen distribution within melt inclusions trapped in quartz. These minerals were selected from different geological environments: Guadeloupe (West Indies), Pantelleria Island (South Sicily - Italy) and San Pietro (South Sardinia - Italy). Bulk hydrogen contents are calculated (H assumed to be in H 2 O form). The knowledge of hydrogen distribution assists both in a better understanding and in the establishment of volcanic dynamism hypotheses. Finally, fluid hydrogen rich inclusions are evidenced and H concentration profile is simulated and reported for the first time in glass inclusion

Cliffs and quarries in the eastern coast of the Favignana island (Sicily, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falconi, Luca; Peloso, Alessandro; Screpanti Tatì, Angelo; Verrubbi, Vladimiro

2015-01-01

Favignana Island (Sicily, Italy) is a historical and environmental attraction site frequented by tourists especially during the long warm season of the year. Over several centuries the sea cliffs constituted by calcareous sandstone outcropping in the east side of the island have been exploited for the production of building stone. Currently the quarries used for the rock extraction as well as the natural cliffs are undergoing extensive erosional and gravitational processes. Besides putting at risk the safety of the people attending the area, the widespread rock falls are likely to threaten sites of great historical and anthropological value that, once destroyed, can no longer be reconstructed. The rock mass quality assessment and slope displacements monitoring of cliffs were conducted with the aim of identifying the most active areas and providing support to the local authorities in the implementation of effective and sustainable mitigation measures. If adequate measures are taken in the future, operators and users of the tourist circuit will have the opportunity to enjoy these amazing sites with a lower landslide risk [it

PLIO-PLEISTOCENE FOSSIL VERTEBRATES OF MONTE TUTTAVISTA (OROSEI, EASTERN SARDINIA, ITALY, AN OVERVIEW

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LAURA ABBAZZI

2004-11-01

Full Text Available The preliminary results of the analisys of fossil vertebrate remains from 19 fissure fillings in the karst network at Monte Tuttavista (Orosei, NMoro are reported. about 80 taxa, among fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have been recognised.These remains document the evolution of vertebrate assemblages in the Sardinian insular domain, during a time interval apparently spanning the Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene or Holocene. A succession of at least four populating complexes has been identified which document the vertebrate colonisation phases from the Italian mainland and the following periods of insularity. Indeed, the occurrence of endemic taxa such as the murid Rhagapodemus minor, the primate Macaca cf. M. majori and the caprine Nesogoral, suggest some fissure fillings date to a phase close to the Plio/Pleistocene boundary since these taxa occur at the Sardinian locality Capo Figari I which has been dated to about 1.8 Ma. However, the presence of the "hunting-hyaena" Chasmaporthetes, never reported before in Sardinia, could suggest that the beginning of the vertebrate record of Monte Tuttavista is older, given that this carnivore is documented in European Middle Pliocene-Early Pleistocene localities. The vertebrate assemblages that document the most recent migratory phases in the karst network of Monte Tuttavista are characterised by the occurrence of the endemic megalocerine cervid Praemegaceros cazioti and the arvicolid Tyrrhenicola henseli which are comparable with those occurring in other Late Pleistocene and early Holocene Sardinian sites.

Lifestyle and nutrition related to male longevity in Sardinia: an ecological study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pes, G M; Tolu, F; Poulain, M; Errigo, A; Masala, S; Pietrobelli, A; Battistini, N C; Maioli, M

2013-03-01

A demographic analysis in the Mediterranean island of Sardinia revealed marked differences in extreme longevity across the 377 municipalities and particularly identified a mountain inner area where the proportion of oldest subjects among male population has one of the highest validated value worldwide. The cause(s) of this unequal distribution of male longevity may be attributed to a concurrence of environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. In this study we focussed on some lifestyle and nutrition variables recorded in the island's population in early decades of 20th century, when agricultural and pastoral economy was still prevalent, and try to verify through ecological spatial models if they may account for the variability in male longevity. By computing the Extreme Longevity Index (the proportion of newborns in a given municipality who reach age 100) the island's territory was divided in two areas with relatively higher and lower level of population longevity. Most nutritional variables do not show any significant difference between these two areas whereas a significant difference was found with respect to pastoralism (P = 0.0001), physical activity estimated by the average slope of the territory in each municipality (P = 0.0001), and average daily distance required by the active population to reach the usual workplace (P = 0.0001). Overall, these findings suggest that factors affecting the average energy expenditure of male population such as occupational activity and geographic characteristics of the area where the population mainly resides, are important in explaining the spatial variation of Sardinian extreme longevity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Distribution of Field Physico-Chemical Parameters in the Vulcano Island (Italy) Coastal Aquifer: Volcanological and Hydrogeological Implications

OpenAIRE

Paolo Madonia; Giorgio Capasso; Rocco Favara; Salvatore Francofonte; Paolo Tommasi

2015-01-01

Vulcano, the southernmost of the Aeolian island arc (Italy), is characterized by a shallow coastal aquifer resulting from the mixing of seawater, meteoric recharge and volcanogenic fluids. The aquifer has been intensively studied during the last decades, but a comprehensive hydrogeological model has never been developed due to the lack of direct information about the litho-stratigraphic columns of the wells and the depth of water bearing levels. We present and discuss here the ...

A Survey on Aflatoxin M1 Content in Sheep and Goat Milk Produced in Sardinia Region, Italy (2005-2013).

Science.gov (United States)

Virdis, Salvatore; Scarano, Christian; Spanu, Vincenzo; Murittu, Gavino; Spanu, Carlo; Ibba, Ignazio; De Santis, Enrico Pietro Luigi

2014-12-09

In the present work the results of a survey conducted in Sardinia Region on Aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) contamination in milk of small ruminants from 2005 to 2013 are reported. A total of 517 sheep and 88 goat milk samples from bulk tank, tank trucks and silo tank milk were collected. Analyses were performed by the Regional Farmers Association laboratory using high-performance liquid chromatography following the ISO 14501:1998 standard. None of the sheep milk samples analysed during 2005-2012 showed AFM 1 contamination. In sheep milk samples collected in 2013, 8 out of 172 (4.6%) were contaminated by AFM 1 with a concentration (mean±SD) of 12.59±14.05 ng/L. In one bulk tank milk sample 58.82 ng/L AFM 1 was detected, exceeding the EU limit. In none of goat milk samples analysed from 2010 to 2012 AFM 1 was detected. In 2013, 9 out of 66 goat milk samples (13.6%) showed an AFM 1 concentration of 47.21±19.58 ng/L. Two of these samples exceeded the EU limit, with concentrations of 62.09 and 138.6 ng/L. Higher contamination frequency and concentration rates were detected in bulk tank milk samples collected at farm than in bulk milk truck or silo samples, showing a dilution effect on AFM 1 milk content along small ruminants supply chain. The rate and levels of AFM 1 contamination in sheep and goat milk samples were lower than other countries. However, the small number of milk samples analysed for AFM 1 in Sardinia Region in 2005-2013 give evidence that food business operators check programmes should be improved to ensure an adequate monitoring of AFM 1 contamination in small ruminant dairy chain.

A survey on Aflatoxin M1 content in sheep and goat milk produced in Sardinia Region, Italy (2005-2013

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Salvatore Virdis

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In the present work the results of a survey conducted in Sardinia Region on Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1 contamination in milk of small ruminants from 2005 to 2013 are reported. A total of 517 sheep and 88 goat milk samples from bulk tank, tank trucks and silo tank milk were collected. Analyses were performed by the Regional Farmers Association laboratory using high-performance liquid chromatography following the ISO 14501:1998 standard. None of the sheep milk samples analysed during 2005- 2012 showed AFM1 contamination. In sheep milk samples collected in 2013, 8 out of 172 (4.6% were contaminated by AFM1 with a concentration (mean±SD of 12.59±14.05 ng/L. In one bulk tank milk sample 58.82 ng/L AFM1 was detected, exceeding the EU limit. In none of goat milk samples analysed from 2010 to 2012 AFM1 was detected. In 2013, 9 out of 66 goat milk samples (13.6% showed an AFM1 concentration of 47.21±19.58 ng/L. Two of these samples exceeded the EU limit, with concentrations of 62.09 and 138.6 ng/L. Higher contamination frequency and concentration rates were detected in bulk tank milk samples collected at farm than in bulk milk truck or silo samples, showing a dilution effect on AFM1 milk content along small ruminants supply chain. The rate and levels of AFM1 contamination in sheep and goat milk samples were lower than other countries. However, the small number of milk samples analysed for AFM1 in Sardinia Region in 2005-2013 give evidence that food business operators check programmes should be improved to ensure an adequate monitoring of AFM1 contamination in small ruminant dairy chain.

Melt inclusion: methods, applications and problem: Silica-rich melts in quartz xenoliths from Vulcano islands and their bearing on processes of crustal melting and crust-magma interaction in the Aeolian Arc, Italy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Frezzotti, M.L.; Zavon, V.; Peccerillo, A.; Nikogosian, I.

2002-01-01

Silica-rich melts in quartz xenoliths from Vulcano islands and their bearing on processes of crustal melting and crust-magma interaction in the Aeolian Arc, Italy Proceedings of workshop Melt inclusion: methods, applications and problem. Napoli, Italy, September 2002, p. 71-73

Internationalism and nationalism: the Rockefeller Foundation, public health, and malaria in Italy, 1923-1951.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, D H

2000-06-01

The Rockefeller Foundation's support of malaria control and public health in Italy over three decades, the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, was one of the foundation's most successful collaborations in its history. Nearly one-sixth of the funds the Rockefeller Foundation allocated for malaria programs was spent in Italy in those years. Outstanding research, a new and important institution, and decided improvements in public health were historically-significant results. The three most important episodes of this American-Italian relationship were the operations of the Stazione Sperimentale per la Lotta Antimalarica, the founding of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, and the campaign to eradicate mosquitoes in Sardinia. In each of these episodes there was a tension between the international aspects and national aspects of the partnership that to some degree limited its success.

Characterization for multipurpose exploitations of genetic resources from the germplasm collection of pasture species owned by the CNR-ISPAAM in Sassari, Italy

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Bullitta Simonetta

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the results of genetic resources characterization of some pasture species from the germplasm collection held at ISPAAM-CNR in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. According to the peculiarities of each species, some of the uses suggested by the experimental results were phytoremediation, wildfi re prevention, biomass production for bioenergy, forage production and multiple uses, bioactive compounds for health care of domestic animals.

The transfer of a collection of bird skins from the Solomon Islands via Australia to Italy in the late 19th century

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McAllen, I.; Borgo, E.; Violani, C.

2005-01-01

An attempt is made to reconstruct the trail of a collection of birds from the Solomon Islands to museums in Genoa (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale “G. Doria”, Genova), Turin (Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino) and Milan (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Milano), Italy, with the aid of

Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th-Century Alghero, Sardinia

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Benedictow, Ole Jørgen; Fornaciari, Gino; Giuffra, Valentina

2013-01-01

Plague, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been responsible for at least 3 pandemics. During 1582–1583, a plague outbreak devastated the seaport of Alghero in Sardinia. By analyzing contemporary medical texts and local documentation, we uncovered the pivotal role played by the Protomedicus of Alghero, Quinto Tiberio Angelerio (1532–1617), in controlling the epidemic. Angelerio imposed rules and antiepidemic measures new to the 16th-century sanitary system of Sardinia. Those measures undoubtedly spared the surrounding districts from the spread of the contagion. Angelerio seems to have been an extremely successful public health officer in the history of plague epidemics in Sardinia. PMID:23968598

Reptiles of Sardinia: updating the knowledge on their distribution

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Daniele Salvi

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Sardinia shows a clear lack of herpetological data due to an evident paucity of herpetological surveys. This gap of knowledge is worthy of attention, since Sardinia hosts a rich herpetofauna with a large proportion of endemic species, and distribution data are crucial for targeting conservation efforts. In this paper we provide new distribution data for Sardinian reptiles, with the aim of updating our knowledge on their specific distribution. Data were opportunistically recorded during ten years of field research in Sardinia, carried out in more than twenty campaigns from April 1999 to June 2009. All the eighteen reptile species belonging to the Sardinian fauna were recorded. A total amount of 293 faunistic data were collected from 178 different localities covering the entire study area. Within this dataset, 137 faunistic data fall outside known species’ ranges as reported in the Atlas of Italian amphibians and reptiles. In conclusion, data presented here produced a remarkable increase of knowledge on Sardinian reptiles distribution compare to that reported in the last available syntheses. Nevertheless, it should be evidenced that, notwithstanding the present updating, the knowledge of Sardinian reptiles’ distribution is probably still far from being exhaustive. Thus, further investigations are strongly required for obtaining a complete picture and identifying conservation priorities in terms of isolated species/populations and areas of high diversity and endemicity.

Large Human Outbreak of West Nile Virus Infection in North-Eastern Italy in 2012

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Luisa Barzon

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Human cases of West Nile virus (WNV disease have been reported in Italy since 2008. So far, most cases have been identified in north-eastern Italy, where, in 2012, the largest outbreak of WNV infection ever recorded in Italy occurred. Most cases of the 2012 outbreak were identified in the Veneto region, where a special surveillance plan for West Nile fever was in place. In this outbreak, 25 cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease and 17 cases of fever were confirmed. In addition, 14 WNV RNA-positive blood donors were identified by screening of blood and organ donations and two cases of asymptomatic infection were diagnosed by active surveillance of subjects at risk of WNV exposure. Two cases of death due to WNND were reported. Molecular testing demonstrated the presence of WNV lineage 1 in all WNV RNA-positive patients and, in 15 cases, infection by the novel Livenza strain was ascertained. Surveillance in other Italian regions notified one case of neuroinvasive disease in the south of Italy and two cases in Sardinia. Integrated surveillance for WNV infection remains a public health priority in Italy and vector control activities have been strengthened in areas of WNV circulation.

Assessment of land cover changes in Lampedusa Island (Italy) using Landsat TM and OLI data

Science.gov (United States)

Mei, Alessandro; Manzo, Ciro; Fontinovo, Giuliano; Bassani, Cristiana; Allegrini, Alessia; Petracchini, Francesco

2016-10-01

The Lampedusa Island displays important socio-economic criticalities related to an intensive touristic activity, which implies an increase in electricity consumption and waste production. An adequate island conversion to a more environmental, sustainable community needs to be faced by the local Management Plans establishment. For this purpose, several thematic datasets have to be produced and evaluated. Socio-economic and bio-ecological components as well as land cover/use assessment are some of the main topics to be managed within the Decision Support Systems. Considering the lack of Land Cover (LC) and vegetation change detection maps in Lampedusa Island (Italy), this paper focuses on the retrieval of these topics by remote sensing techniques. The analysis was carried out by Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI multispectral images from 1984 to 2014 in order to obtain spatial and temporal information of changes occurred in the island. Firstly, imagery was co-registered and atmospherically corrected; secondly, it was then classified for land cover and vegetation distribution analysis with the use of QGIS and Saga GIS open source softwares. The Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC) was used for LC maps production, while the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used for vegetation examination and distribution. Topographic maps, historical aerial photos, ortophotos and field data are merged in the GIS for accuracy assessment. Finally, change detection of MLC and NDVI are provided respectively by Post-Classification Comparison (PCC) and Image Differencing (ID). The provided information, combined with local socio-economic parameters, is essential for the improvement of environmental sustainability of anthropogenic activities in Lampedusa.

High precision locations of long-period events at La Fossa Crater (Vulcano Island, Italy

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Salvatore Rapisarda

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Since the last eruption in 1888-90, the volcanic activity on Vulcano Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy has been limited to fumarolic degassing. Fumaroles are mainly concentred at the active cone of La Fossa in the northern sector of the island and are periodically characterized by increases in temperature as well as in the amount of both CO2 and He. Seismic background activity at Vulcano is dominated by micro-seismicity originating at shallow depth (<1-1.5 km under La Fossa cone. This seismicity is related to geothermal system processes and comprises long period (LP events. LPs are generally considered as the resonance of a fluid-filled volume in response to a trigger. We analyzed LP events recorded during an anomalous degassing period (August-October 2006 applying a high precision technique to define the shape of the trigger source. Absolute and high precision locations suggest that LP events recorded at Vulcano during 2006 were produced by a shallow focal zone ca. 200 m long, 40 m wide and N30-40E oriented. Their occurrence is linked to magmatic fluid inputs that by modifying the hydrothermal system cause excitation of a fluid-filled cavity.

Ecomorphological and taphonomic gradients in clypeasteroid-dominated echinoid assemblages along a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate shelf from the early Miocene of northern Sardinia, Italy

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Andrea Mancosu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Clypeasteroid echinoids are widespread and abundant within Miocene sedimentary sequences of the Mediterranean area within both siliciclastic and carbonate deposits. Herein, three clypeasteroid-dominated echinoid assemblages from the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate succession of the Mores Formation (lower Miocene cropping out within the Porto Torres Basin (northern Sardinia are described. These assemblages were compared to previously described clypeasteroid-bearing deposits from the Miocene of northern Sardinia with the purpose of investigating their palaeoecology and taphonomy along a shelf gradient. These goals are accomplished by various methods including (i logging sedimentary facies, (ii analysing the functional morphology of sea urchin skeletons, (iii comparing the relative abundance of taxa and taphonomic features, and (iv studying associated fauna, flora, and trace fossils. The clypeasteroid-bearing deposits differ greatly with respect to echinoid diversity, accompanying fauna and flora, sedimentological signatures, and taphonomic features. They also show variations in depositional environments and the mechanism of formation of the deposits. Three different shelf settings are distinguished: littoral, inner sublittoral, and outer sublittoral environments. Furthermore, an ecomorphological gradient along the shelf is recognized with respect to echinoid taxa and their morphologies. This gradient ranges from shallow water to a moderately deep shelf and is interpreted with respect to both abiotic and biotic factors as well as the taphonomy of the echinoid tests.

Anatomical study of animal remains from Phoenician-Punic amphorae found in the Santa Giusta Pond, Sardinia (Italy

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Laura Portas

2015-12-01

Full Text Available During the underwater excavations carried out in the Santa Giusta Pond, near Oristano, Sardinia, a significant amount of Phoenician- Punic materials was brought to light including amphorae (dating back to 7th-2nd century BC and vegetal and animal remains. All of these archaeological finds may come from Othoca, an important Phoenician- Punic city on the eastern shore of the pond, geographically corresponding with the modern-day town of Santa Giusta. Animal materials consist of more than 3000 very well-preserved remains, belonging to sheep (Ovis aries, goat (Capra hircus and cattle (Bos taurus. Bone analyses allowed reconstructing the slaughtering methods, as well as manipulation procedures carried out to preserve meat in order to be exported overseas. Although pig (Sus scrofa played an important economical role in other Sardinian Phoenician-Punic settlements, in this archaeological context this species is absent, suggesting that the meat contained in the amphorae was probably destined to other areas of the Mediterranean basin, where people did not eat pork.

GDS (Geomagnetic Depth Sounding in Italy: applications and perspectives

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M. Gambetta

1998-06-01

Full Text Available The analysis of geomagnetic field variations is a useful tool to detect electrical conductivity contrasts within the Earth. Lateral resolution of outlined patterns depends on the array dimensions and density of measurement sites over the investigated area. The inspection depth is constrained by the period of geomagnetic variations considered in data processing. Regions with significant geological features such as boundaries of continental plates, marginal areas of contact between tectonic units or other geodynamical processes, are of primary interest for the application of the MagnetoVariational (MV method. In the last ten years, in the frame of the ElectroMagnetic (EM sounding techniques in applied geophysics, this method has been applied in Italy by researchers of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica, Rome, the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universitá di Genova and the Czech Science Academy of Prague. The Ivrea body in the Northwestern Alps and their junction with the Apennine chain, the micro-plate of the Sardinian-Corsican system and, recently, the central part of the peninsula along Tyrrhenian-Adriatic lithospheric transects were investigated. Studies in time and frequency-domain used in the first investigations, have been followed by more refined analysis involving tests on the induced EM field dimension, computations of single site Transfer Functions (TFs through Parkinson arrows' and Fourier maps in the Hypothetical Event technique (HE. It was possible to describe the electrical conductivity distribution in the inner part of the SW Alpine arc and to confirm the presence of lithospheric and asthenospheric anomalies obtained by other geophysical methods. For the Sardinia-Corsica system, 2D and 3D inversion models highlighted the existence of two major conducting bodies, one north of Corsica, and the other south of Sardinia. In Central Italy, the regional electrical conductivity distribution pointed out a deep conductive structure

A preliminary investigation into the genetic variation and population structure of Taenia hydatigena from Sardinia, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Boufana, Belgees; Scala, Antonio; Lahmar, Samia; Pointing, Steve; Craig, Philip S; Dessì, Giorgia; Zidda, Antonella; Pipia, Anna Paola; Varcasia, Antonio

2015-11-30

Cysticercosis caused by the metacestode stage of Taenia hydatigena is endemic in Sardinia. Information on the genetic variation of this parasite is important for epidemiological studies and implementation of control programs. Using two mitochondrial genes, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (ND1) we investigated the genetic variation and population structure of Cysticercus tenuicollis from Sardinian intermediate hosts and compared it to that from other hosts from various geographical regions. The parsimony cox1 network analysis indicated the existence of a common lineage for T. hydatigena and the overall diversity and neutrality indices indicated demographic expansion. Using the cox1 sequences, low pairwise fixation index (Fst) values were recorded for Sardinian, Iranian and Palestinian sheep C. tenuicollis which suggested the absence of genetic differentiation. Using the ND1 sequences, C. tenuicollis from Sardinian sheep appeared to be differentiated from those of goat and pig origin. In addition, goat C. tenuicollis were genetically different from adult T. hydatigena as indicated by the statistically significant Fst value. Our results are consistent with biochemical and morphological studies that suggest the existence of variants of T. hydatigena. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Airborne Laser Systems Testing and Analysis (essals et analyse des systemes laser embarques)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

Pyroelectric Probe PG Proportional Guidance PILASTER PISQ LASer Test and Evaluation Range PIM Pixel Intensity Matrix PISQ Poligono Interforze del Salto di...requirements for upgrading the PISQ test/ training range ( Poligono Interforze del Salto di Quirra – Sardinia – Italy), adding new facilities for...INTRODUCTION This chapter describes the requirements for upgrading the PISQ ( Poligono Interforze del Salto di Quirra – Sardinia, Italy), adding new facilities

Structure refinement of Ag-free heyrovskýite from Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinto, Daniella; Balic Zunic, Tonci; Garavelli, Anna

2011-01-01

The first single-crystal structure refinement of Ag- and Cu-free heyrovskýite was performed in this study. Crystals investigated were sampled from the high-temperature fumaroles of La Fossa crater of Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Italy. Electron microprobe analyses gave the average chemical formula (Pb...... with Fo > 4s(Fo). In Ag-free heyrovskýite from Vulcano, as well as in the synthetic Pb6Bi2S9, the trigonal prismatic coordinated position Me1, as well as the octahedrally coordinated position Me3 are occupied only by Pb. Me2, also octahedrally coordinated, is dominated by Pb, whereas the octahedra...... the ideal composition, Pb6Bi2S9. Selenium is preferentially ordered at the fivefold-coordinated anionic sites. Taking into account vacancies, as well as Se for S substitutions the structural formula of Ag-free heyrovskýite from Vulcano is Pb5.82Bi2.12¿0.06S8.70Se0.30. Comparison with the Ag...

Spatial Distribution of Field Physico-Chemical Parameters in the Vulcano Island (Italy Coastal Aquifer: Volcanological and Hydrogeological Implications

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Paolo Madonia

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Vulcano, the southernmost of the Aeolian island arc (Italy, is characterized by a shallow coastal aquifer resulting from the mixing of seawater, meteoric recharge and volcanogenic fluids. The aquifer has been intensively studied during the last decades, but a comprehensive hydrogeological model has never been developed due to the lack of direct information about the litho-stratigraphic columns of the wells and the depth of water bearing levels. We present and discuss here the time and spatial analysis of water table elevation, temperature and electric conductivity data, acquired during the last 20 years in 33 wells located at Vulcano Island, with the aim of developing a groundwater circulation scheme able to fit the field observations. We retrieved a circulation scheme characterized by an intricate geometry of flow paths driven by horizontal and vertical permeability variations, accounting for the strong variability of geochemical data evidenced in this area by the related scientific literature. Extending these results to a general context, particular care must be taken in approaching the study of aquifers in volcanic islands, because a strong, small spatial scale variability of the hydrogeochemical parameters is expected, and a reliable knowledge of the local conditions is required for developing successful groundwater circulation schemes.

A statistical approach to rank multiple priorities in Environmental Epidemiology: an example from high-risk areas in Sardinia, Italy

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Dolores Catelan

2008-11-01

Full Text Available In Environmental Epidemiology, long lists of relative risk estimates from exposed populations are compared to a reference to scrutinize the dataset for extremes. Here, inference on disease profiles for given areas, or for fixed disease population signatures, are of interest and summaries can be obtained averaging over areas or diseases. We have developed a multivariate hierarchical Bayesian approach to estimate posterior rank distributions and we show how to produce league tables of ranks with credibility intervals useful to address the above mentioned inferential problems. Applying the procedure to a real dataset from the report “Environment and Health in Sardinia (Italy” we selected 18 areas characterized by high environmental pressure for industrial, mining or military activities investigated for 29 causes of deaths among male residents. Ranking diseases highlighted the increased burdens of neoplastic (cancerous, and non-neoplastic respiratory diseases in the heavily polluted area of Portoscuso. The averaged ranks by disease over areas showed lung cancer among the three highest positions.

Analysing the economy-wide impact of the supply chains activated by a new biomass power plant. The case of cardoon in Sardinia

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Andrea Bonfiglio

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the impact on the economy of Sardinia (Italy generated by a new biomass power plant fed by locally cultivated cardoon. The cardoon also serves the production of biopolymers. The impact is assessed at an economy-wide level using two multiregional closed Input-Output models, which allow us to take into account the entire supply chain activated and the supra-local effects generated by trade across local industries. The effects are computed under alternative scenarios simulating different levels of substitution of existing agricultural activities with the new activity (cardoon. Results show positive and locally significant impacts in terms of value added and employment. However, these impacts are substantially influenced by the degree of substitution. Results also suggest that there are specific territorial areas that are more sensitive to negative effects induced by substitution.

The Balearic Islands in the Alpine Orogeny

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourrouilh, R.

2016-10-01

The place of the Balearic Islands in the Alpine orogeny is examined using detailed sedimentology studies, stratigraphical studies from the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian) to modern times and a careful tectonic review of sedimentary formations from the Western Mediterranean. Despite being considered as the ultimate end of the north-eastern termination of the Betic Cordillera, the history of the Balearic archipelago seems to be closer to the tectonic opening of the Gulf of Valencia and to the Corsica-Sardinia rotation, and thus to the tectonic history of the Western Mediterranean Sea, than to the tectonics of the Betic Cordillera which appear as its symmetrical image with respect to this opening. (Author)

Displaced/re-worked rhodolith deposits infilling parts of a complex Miocene multistorey submarine channel: A case history from the Sassari area (Sardinia, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Murru, Marco; Bassi, Davide; Simone, Lucia

2015-08-01

In the Sassari area (north-western Sardinia, Italy), the Miocene Porto Torres sub-basin sequences represent the complex multistorey mixed carbonate-siliciclastic submarine feature called the Sassari Channel. During the late Burdigalian-early Serravallian, repeated terrigenous supplies from uplifted Paleozoic crystalline substrata fed the Sassari Channel system by means of turbidity and locally hyper-concentrated turbidity flows. Shelfal areas were the source of terrigenous clasts, but open shelf rhodalgal/foramol carbonate areas were very productive and largely also contributed to the channel infilling. Re-worked sands and skeletal debris were discontinuously re-sedimented offshore as pure terrigenous, mixed and/or carbonate deposits. Major sediment supply was introduced between the latest Burdigalian and the start of the middle Langhian, during which a large amount of carbonate, mixed and siliciclastic sediments reached the Porto Torres Basin (Sassari Channel I). Contributions from shallow proximal source areas typify the lower intervals (Unit A) in marginal sectors of the channel. Upward, these evolve into autochthonous rhodolith deposits, winnowed by strong currents in relatively shallow well lit settings within a complex network of narrow tidally-controlled channels (Unit D) locally bearing coral assemblages. Conversely, re-sedimented rhodoliths from the Units B and C accumulated under conditions of higher turbidity. In deeper parts of the channel taxonomically diversified rhodoliths point to the mixing of re-deposited skeletal components from different relatively deep bathmetric settings. In the latest early Langhian, major re-sedimentation episodes, resulting in large prograding bodies (Unit D), triggered by repeated regression pulses in a frame of persistent still stand. During these episodes photophile assemblages dwelled in the elevated margin sectors of the channel. A significant latest early Langhian drop in relative sea-level resulted in impressive mass

Mercury emissions and stable isotopic compositions at Vulcano Island (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Zambardi, T.; Sonke, J. E.; Toutain, J. P.; Sortino, F.; Shinohara, H.

2009-01-01

Sampling and analyses methods for determining the stable isotopic compositions of Hg in an active volcanic system were tested and optimized at the volcanic complex of Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy). Condensed gaseous fumarole Hg (fum)T, plume gaseous elemental Hg (g)0 and plume particulate Hg (p)II were obtained at fumaroles F0, F5, F11, and FA. The average total Hg emissions, based on Hg T/SO 2 in condensed fumarolic gases and plumes, range from 2.5 to 10.1 kg y - 1 , in agreement with published values [Ferrara, R., Mazzolai, B., Lanzillotta, E., Nucaro, E., Pirrone, N., 2000. Volcanoes as emission sources of atmospheric mercury in the Mediterranean Basin. Sci. Total Environ. 259(1-3), 115-121; Aiuppa, A., Bagnato, E., Witt, M.L.I., Mather, T.A., Parello, F., Pyle, D.M., Martin, R.S., 2007. Real-time simultaneous detection of volcanic Hg and SO 2 at La Fossa Crater, Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Sicily). Geophys. Res. Lett. 34(L21307).]. Plume Hg (p)II increases with distance from the fumarole vent, at the expense of Hg (g)0 and indicates significant in-plume oxidation and condensation of fumarole Hg (fum)T. Relative to the NIST SRM 3133 Hg standard, the stable isotopic compositions of Hg are δ 202Hg (fum)T = - 0.74‰ ± 0.18 (2SD, n = 4) for condensed gaseous fumarole Hg (fum)T, δ 202Hg (g)0 = - 1.74‰ ± 0.36 (2SD, n = 1) for plume gaseous elemental Hg (g)0 at the F0 fumarole, and δ 202Hg (p)II = - 0.11‰ ± 0.18 (2SD, n = 4) for plume particulate Hg (p)II. The enrichment of Hg (p)II in the heavy isotopes and Hg (g)0 in the light isotopes relative to the total condensed fumarolic Hg (fum)T gas complements the speciation data and demonstrates a gas-particle fractionation occurring after the gas expulsion in ambient T° atmosphere. A first order Rayleigh equilibrium condensation isotope fractionation model yields a fractionation factor α cond-gas of 1.00135 ± 0.00058.

Paralytic shellfish poison algal biotoxins: Sardinia report 2002-2011 and non-compliance management

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Giuseppa Lorenzoni

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Several microalgae of the genus Alexandrium (Alexandrium minutum and Alexandrium catenelle can produce an algal biotoxin, the paralytic shellfish poison (PSP that can be accumulated in the shellfish edible tissues making them hazardous to the consumer’s health. In this paper we report i the results of PSP toxins survey carried out by mouse bioassays (mouse test AOAC 958.08 on 7457 samples of bivalve molluscs farmed in Sardinia and in other European countries and marketed in Sardinia region from 2002 to 2011, and ii the management of positive cases. Based on our experience it is very important to strictly apply the planned activities in order to prevent any risk and to protect the consumer’s and producer’s health.

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility

Science.gov (United States)

Gosling, A. L.; Platt, D.; Kardailsky, O.; Prost, S.; Cameron-Christie, S.; Collins, C. J.; Boocock, J.; Kurumilian, Y.; Guirguis, M.; Pla Orquín, R.; Khalil, W.; Genz, H.; Abou Diwan, G.; Nassar, J.; Zalloua, P.

2018-01-01

The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE) and Phoenician (~700–400 BCE) samples from Lebanon (n = 4) and Sardinia (n = 10) and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic) site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society. PMID:29320542

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Matisoo-Smith

Full Text Available The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE and Phoenician (~700-400 BCE samples from Lebanon (n = 4 and Sardinia (n = 10 and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society.

Ancient mitogenomes of Phoenicians from Sardinia and Lebanon: A story of settlement, integration, and female mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Matisoo-Smith, E; Gosling, A L; Platt, D; Kardailsky, O; Prost, S; Cameron-Christie, S; Collins, C J; Boocock, J; Kurumilian, Y; Guirguis, M; Pla Orquín, R; Khalil, W; Genz, H; Abou Diwan, G; Nassar, J; Zalloua, P

2018-01-01

The Phoenicians emerged in the Northern Levant around 1800 BCE and by the 9th century BCE had spread their culture across the Mediterranean Basin, establishing trading posts, and settlements in various European Mediterranean and North African locations. Despite their widespread influence, what is known of the Phoenicians comes from what was written about them by the Greeks and Egyptians. In this study, we investigate the extent of Phoenician integration with the Sardinian communities they settled. We present 14 new ancient mitogenome sequences from pre-Phoenician (~1800 BCE) and Phoenician (~700-400 BCE) samples from Lebanon (n = 4) and Sardinia (n = 10) and compare these with 87 new complete mitogenomes from modern Lebanese and 21 recently published pre-Phoenician ancient mitogenomes from Sardinia to investigate the population dynamics of the Phoenician (Punic) site of Monte Sirai, in southern Sardinia. Our results indicate evidence of continuity of some lineages from pre-Phoenician populations suggesting integration of indigenous Sardinians in the Monte Sirai Phoenician community. We also find evidence of the arrival of new, unique mitochondrial lineages, indicating the movement of women from sites in the Near East or North Africa to Sardinia, but also possibly from non-Mediterranean populations and the likely movement of women from Europe to Phoenician sites in Lebanon. Combined, this evidence suggests female mobility and genetic diversity in Phoenician communities, reflecting the inclusive and multicultural nature of Phoenician society.

World's longest underwater line part of new dc transmission link

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1967-04-01

The world's seventh dc transmission system including the world's longest underwater power cable is now operative. The system, linking the Italian Mainland with Sardinia, was designed and engineered by the English Electric Co. Ltd. It will ensure a constant power supply for Sardinia and allow export of 200 MW of power to the Tuscany area in Italy. Proving test began on the link in Decmeber and continued until full demand is made on it from Italy.

An analysis on Wildland Urban Interface in North Sardinia

Science.gov (United States)

Arca, B.; Pellizzaro, G.; Canu, A.; Pintus, G. V.; Ferrara, R.; Duce, P.

2012-04-01

Climate variability and drought, typical of the Mediterranean climate, together with different anthropogenic disturbances (modifications of land use, deforestation, grazing, forest fires, etc.) makes the Mediterranean basin ecosystems extremely sensitive and vulnerable. In the last three decades, an increasing number of fires threatening the wildland urban interface (WUI) was observed. In Sardinia, this phenomenon is particularly evident in tourist and coastal areas where a large number of resorts is built within and surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation that is highly prone to events of wildfire. In these situations, the related risk of damage for villages, tourist resorts, other human activities and people is elevated especially in summer when the presence of human people is highest and meteorological conditions are extreme. In addition, fire can have significant effect on the hydrological response of the WUI causing the intensification of the erosive processes. Therefore, the development of planning policies is required in order to implement strategies to prevent and reduce wildfire and soil erosion risk in wildland urban interface areas. The main aims of this work are i) to assess presence and characteristics of wildland urban interface in a touristic areas of North Sardinia and ii) to evaluate fire danger and soil erosion risk in the studied area. The study was carried out in a coastal area located in North Sardinia, characterized by strong touristic development in the last thirty years. In that area, the characterization and mapping of the WUI were performed. In addition several simulation were carried out by the Farsite fire area simulator with the aim to study the spatial pattern of the fire danger factors in the vegetated areas closer to the WUI. Finally, maps of soil erosion were produced for the identification of the areas at high erosion risk in the WUI. This work is supported by MIIUR - Metodologie e indicatori per la valutazione del rischio di

Microbiological and chemical evaluation of Helix spp. snails from local and non-EU markets, utilised as food in Sardinia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arianna Corda

2014-04-01

Full Text Available With this study, 28 pools of snails of the genus Helix, respectively Helix aspersa (n=24 and Helix vermiculata (n=4 were analysed. They were taken from snail farming and stores. The snails were from Sardinia, other regions of Italy, and from abroad. All the samples were examined as pool looking for these microbiological target: Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157, Clostridium perfringens, Norovirus and Hepatitis A Virus (HAV. In the same pools, the concentration of cadmium and lead by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was also determined. The levels of these heavy metals were quite high, especially for cadmium. Two samples were positive for Salmonella spp., while no sample was positive for Escherichia coli O157, HAV and Norovirus. Two samples were positive for Clostridium perfringens and 8 for Listeria monocytogenes. The microrganisms related to Listeria monocytogenes were identified using biochemical techniques, then serotyped and gene sequenced by multiple loci sequence typing technique. Furthermore, antimicrobial restistence was tested on the same samples.

Sediment features, macrozoobenthic assemblages and trophic relationships (δ13C and δ15N analysis) following a dystrophic event with anoxia and sulphide development in the Santa Giusta lagoon (western Sardinia, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magni, P.; Rajagopal, S.; Velde, G. van der; Fenzi, G.; Kassenberg, J.; Vizzini, S.; Mazzola, A.; Giordani, G.

2008-01-01

Macrozoobenthic assemblages and stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope values of various primary producers (macroalgae and angiosperms) and consumers (macroinvertebrate filter/suspension feeders, deposit feeders, detritivores/omnivores and carnivores and fishes) were studied in the Santa Giusta lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) before (spring) and after (autumn) a dystrophic event which occurred in the summer of 2004. A few days after the dystrophy, the physico-chemical characteristics of sediments and macrozoobenthic assemblages were also investigated. In the latter occasion, high total organic carbon (3.9%) and organic matter (15.9%) contents of surface sediments went together with peaks in acid-volatile sulphide concentrations. Certain immediate effects were quite extreme, such as the drastic reduction in macrozoobenthos and the massive fish kill in August 2004. Among the macrozoobenthos, there were few individuals of chironomid larvae and Capitella cf. capitata left. However, by October, chironomid larvae were numerous, indicating a lack of predators (e.g. fish) and competitors. In addition, some bivalve species and polychaetes which were absent, or present in small numbers before the event, became relatively numerous. The results are discussed based on a knowledge of the sulphide tolerance of these species. Stable isotope analysis clearly showed that the basal level of the food web for most consumers consisted mainly of macroalgae and sedimentary organic matter, and that the values before and after the dystrophic event were not significantly different from one another. This indicates that the relations among different trophic levels were quickly restored following the dystrophic event

A tentative correlation between seismic activity and changes in the composition of thermal waters on Vulcano Island, Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolognesi, Luca [CNR-International Institute for Geothermal Research, Pisa (Italy)

1997-06-01

On Vulcano Island, Italy, the thermal water in the shallow water well W2 is a mixture of reservoir water and shallow steam-heated groundwater of meteoric origin. In the period 1986-1988, the composition of the W2 water changed just before two sequences of tectonic earthquakes, from the almost pure reservoir component to the almost pure steam-heated meteoric component. After the seismic activity, the W2 water returned to is pre-earthquake reservoir composition. These changes in composition could be explained by the dilatancy-fluid diffusion model. According to this model, the observed variations in W2 water composition could be in the consequence of stress build-up prior to the seismic events, and stress reduction afterwards. (Author)

8000 years of coastal changes on a western Mediterranean island: A multiproxy approach from the Posada plain of Sardinia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Melis, Rita T.; Di Rita, Federico; French, Charles

2018-01-01

-stratigraphy exhibited by a series of new cores taken from the coastal plain. This new study elucidates the main paleoecological changes, phases of shoreline migration and relative sea-level change during the last 8000 years. These results indicate the major role of sea-level stabilization and high sediment supply...... in driving major landscape changes, especially during the Neolithic period (6th–4th millennia BC), and the long-term settlement history of this coastal valley area. It is concluded that human occupation of the coastal plain, from prehistoric to historical times, was most likely constrained by the rapid......A multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental investigation was conducted to reconstruct the Holocene history of coastal landscape change in the lower Posada coastal plain of eastern Sardinia. In the Mediterranean region, coastal modifications during the Holocene have been driven by a complex interplay between...

Comparison of γ-aminobutyric acid and biogenic amine content of different types of ewe’s milk cheese produced in Sardinia, Italy

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Gavina Manca

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The bioactive compounds γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA and biogenic amines (BA, together with protein-free amino acids, were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in ewe’s milk cheeses produced in Sardinia with different technological traits. The study included three types of cheese: Pecorino Sardo PDO, Pecorino and Casu Marzu. Farmhouse Casu Marzu and Pecorino showed GABA content (maximum levels: 1001.3 and 378.1 mg 100 g–1 respectively that had never been found so high in cheese before, suggesting that these types of cheese present ideal conditions to produce GABA. These two types of cheese also showed high levels of BA (their total maximum levels were 1035.7 and 288.0 mg 100 g–1 respectively. Pearson correlation analysis detected significant correlation between GABA and the main BA present in the cheeses (tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine, suggesting that the factors affecting the production of GABA are the same as those influencing BA formation.

Current observations from a looking down vertical V-ADCP: interaction with winds and tide? The case of Giglio Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy

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Laura Cutroneo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In the context of the environmental monitoring of the Concordia wreck removal project, measurements of currents, winds and sea level height were made along the eastern coast of the Giglio Island, Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy, during 2012–2013. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of atmospheric forcing and periodic sea-level changes on the coastal currents. Normalised Cross-Correlation Function analysis allowed us to correlate these observations. A marked inter-seasonal variability was found in both current and local wind velocity observations but a significant level of correlation between the data was only found during strong wind events. Current and wind directions appeared to be uncorrelated and current measurements showed a predominant NW–SE direction, presumably linked to the shape and orientation of Giglio Island itself. During strong winds from the SSE, current flow was towards the NNW but it suddenly switched from the NNW to the SE at the end of wind events. The results show that, at Giglio Island, currents are principally dominated by the general cyclonic Tyrrhenian circulation, and, secondly, by strong wind events. The sea level had no effects on the current regime.

Calamintha sandaliotica (Lamiaceae a new species from Sardinia

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Brullo, Salvatore

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Calamintha sandaliotica is described as a species new to science and illustrated. It occurs on calcareous rocky crevices in SW Sardinia. Its ecology, chorology and taxonomical relationships are examined. A key to European Calamintha is provided.Se describe e ilustra la nueva especie Calamintha sandaliotica, característica de los acantilados calizos de la parte suroccidental de Cerdeña. Se examina su ecología, corología y las relaciones taxonómicas. Se presenta también una clave para las especies europeas del género Calamintha.

Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): from shoaling to emergent stage

Science.gov (United States)

Marinoni, L. B.; Pasquaré, G.; Vezzoli, L.

2003-04-01

Ustica is a volcanic island located in the southern Tyrrhenian sea, ~60 km NW of Sicily. As usual for volcanic ocean islands, its exposed part (8.6 km2, 248 m max elevation, mostly of Pleistocene age), is a small fraction of the whole edifice which rises from ~2000 m depth. Its 5-pointed-star shape is slightly elongated in a NE direction. A new geological field survey was carried out at scale 1:10000 and locally at 1:2000, establishing informal stratigraphic units that on the whole fit a common scheme of evolution for volcanic ocean islands. In this framework, the whole pre-existing stratigraphy has been revised. Ustica has a variety of volcanic deposits from submarine (basaltic effusive to explosive) to subaereal (effusive, explosive and highly explosive -Plinian?). Moreover, Ustica is one of the few places in the world where a transition of deposits from shoaling to emergent stage crop out. In fact, its oldest deposits consist of: (a) a flank-facies association of submarine lavas (variably-shaped pillows, pillow breccias and hyaloclastites) with biocalcarenite-biocalcirudite lenses, dipping coastward in the E, S and W outer parts of the island; this association is arranged in steep foreset beds (lava deltas) and is capped by flat-lying transitional to subaereal massive lava flows and surf-shaped boulder conglomerates; the geometry of this association may suggest a progressive island uplift or sea lowering during this period; (b) shallow-water to emergent tuff cone deposits in the NW part of the island. In the centre of the island, subsequent activity built a pile, now deeply eroded, of subaereal basaltic lava flows capped by a scoria cone. A previously unknown outcrop where a pumice fall layer is exposed, allows a distinction into two members of a unit that was known as formed by pyroclastic surges only. Higher in the succession, the Ustica Pumice formation (for which 4 members are defined) is underlain by a palaeosoil, and is likely the remnant of a caldera

Geochronological 40Ar/39Ar data on the submarine fault-scarps in the Sardinia channel (western mediterranean)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouillin, J.P.; Tricart, P.; Mascle, G.; Monie, P.; Rolfo, F.; Torelli, L.

1999-01-01

Granite and gneiss have been sampled on the submarine fault scarps of the Sardinia Channel and have been dated using the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar method. The majority of rocks partially preserve Hercynian ages. Some of them display Lower Cretaceous ages. In addition, Upper Eocene-Oligocene argon resetting is recorded only in rocks from the southeast sector of the Channel. We thus propose that the basement of the Sardinia Channel occupied a shallow position within the stack of the Alpine tectonic units, behind the more deformed front of the internal zones of the Maghrebide Chain. (authors)

Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th-Centruy Alghero, Sardinia

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Reginald Tucker reads an abridged version of the Emerging Infectious Diseases’ historical Review, Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th -Centruy Alghero, Sardinia.

Tidal notches, coastal landforms and relative sea-level changes during the Late Quaternary at Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Furlani, Stefano; Antonioli, Fabrizio; Cavallaro, Danilo; Chirco, Pietro; Caldareri, Francesco; Martin, Franco Foresta; Morticelli, Maurizio Gasparo; Monaco, Carmelo; Sulli, Attilio; Quarta, Gianluca; Biolchi, Sara; Sannino, Gianmaria; de Vita, Sandro; Calcagnile, Lucio; Agate, Mauro

2017-12-01

In this paper we present and discuss data concerning the morphostructural evolution at Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) during Late Quaternary. New insights on the relative sea-level changes of Ustica are coming from data collected during a geomorphological field survey around the island, together with the bathymetric analysis of the surrounding seabed and 14C datings on samples of speleothems, flowstones and marine shells found inside three selected sea caves. The survey was mainly accomplished on June 2015 through the first complete snorkel investigation off the about 18 km-long volcanic coast of the island, which allowed to precisely define location, relationship and morphometric features of coastal landforms associated with modern sea level. This study highlights the occurrence, for the first time in the Mediterranean, of tidal notches in correspondence of carbonate inclusions in volcanic rocks. The elevation of the modern tidal notch suggests that no significant vertical deformations occurred in the southeastern and eastern sectors of Ustica in the last 100 years. However, the presence of pillow lavas along the coast demonstrates that Ustica was affected by a regional uplift since the Late Quaternary, as also confirmed by MIS5.5 deposits located at about 30 m a.s.l., which suggests an average uplift rate of 0.23 mm/y. Radiocarbon dating of fossil barnacles collected inside the Grotta Segreta cave indicate an age of 1823 ± 104 cal. BP. The difference in height with respect to living barnacles in the same site suggests that their present elevation could be related to stick-slip coseismic deformations caused by the four earthquake sequences (two of which with Mw = 4.63 ± 0.46) that strongly struck the island between 1906 and 1924.

Magnetotelluric imaging of the resurgent caldera on the island of Ischia (southern Italy): inferences for its structure and activity

Science.gov (United States)

Di Giuseppe, M. G.; Troiano, A.; Carlino, S.

2017-12-01

The island of Ischia (located in the Bay of Naples, Italy) represents a peculiar case of a well-exposed caldera that has experienced a large (>800 m) and rapid resurgence, accompanied by volcanic activity. What drives the resurgence of calderas is a crucial issue to investigate, because this process is associated with potential eruptions and high risk to people living within and around such large active volcanic systems. To improve the knowledge of volcano-tectonic processes affecting the caldera of Ischia, electromagnetic imaging of the structures associated with its resurgence was performed and integrated with available geological information. A magnetotelluric (MT) survey of the island was carried out along two main profiles through the central-western sector, providing an electrical resistivity map to a depth of 3 km. These resistivity cross sections allowed us to identify the presence of a very shallow magmatic intrusion, possibly a laccolith, at a depth of about 1 km, which was responsible for both the resurgence and the volcanic activity. Furthermore, the tectonic structures bordering the resurgent area and the occurrence of a large thermal anomaly in the western sector of the caldera also provided a signature in the resistivity cross sections, with the magma intrusion producing advection of hot fluids with high geothermal gradients (>150 °C km-1) in the southern and western sectors. All of these data are fundamental for the assessment of the island's volcano-tectonic dynamics and their associated hazards. The structure and activity of the island have been controlled by the process of resurgence associated with the arrival of new magma and the progressive intrusion of a laccolith at a shallow depth. The reactivation of such a shallow system may imply imminent eruption which would pose a major volcanic hazard.

Green Infrastructure and Ecological Corridors: A Regional Study Concerning Sardinia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignazio Cannas

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We propose a methodological approach to identify a multifunctional green infrastructure (GI on the basis of four values (conservation value, natural value, recreation value and anthropic heritage that represent many functions (biodiversity conservation, supply of ecosystem services, recreation, identity building performed by the landscape. By taking the Italian region of Sardinia as a case study, we argue that the methodology can support the making of landscape plans as understood in the European Landscape Convention. Moreover, we propose and implement a methodology to identify ecological corridors (ECs connecting Natura 2000 sites (N2Ss, based on the prioritization of functional land patches related to their suitability to ecosystem services delivery, paying particular attention to biodiversity maintenance and enhancement, and taking Sardinia as spatial regional context. The methodology consists of two steps: (i identifying the most suitable patches to be included in ECs on the basis of their connectivity, that is, on their negative attitude towards contributing to landscape fragmentation; (ii assessing, through a discrete-choice-model, the suitability of these ECs to be included in a regional GI, starting from the territorial taxonomy based on biodiversity characteristics related to N2Ss, habitat suitability, and recreational and landscape potentials.

Sediment features, macrozoobenthic assemblages and trophic relationships ({delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N analysis) following a dystrophic event with anoxia and sulphide development in the Santa Giusta lagoon (western Sardinia, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magni, P. [CNR-IAMC National Research Council - Institute for Coastal Marine Environment c/o IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy)], E-mail: paolo.magni@iamc.cnr.it; Rajagopal, S. [Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands); Velde, G. van der [Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands); National Museum of Natural History Naturalis, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Fenzi, G. [IMC - International Marine Centre, Loc. Sa Mardini, Torregrande, 09072 Oristano (Italy); Kassenberg, J. [Department of Animal Ecology and Ecophysiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands); Vizzini, S.; Mazzola, A. [Dipartimento di Biologia Animale, Universita di Palermo, via Archirafi 18, 90123 Palermo (Italy); Giordani, G. [Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Universita di Parma, Via Usberti 33/A, 43100 Parma (Italy)

2008-07-01

Macrozoobenthic assemblages and stable carbon ({delta}{sup 13}C) and nitrogen ({delta}{sup 15}N) isotope values of various primary producers (macroalgae and angiosperms) and consumers (macroinvertebrate filter/suspension feeders, deposit feeders, detritivores/omnivores and carnivores and fishes) were studied in the Santa Giusta lagoon (Sardinia, Italy) before (spring) and after (autumn) a dystrophic event which occurred in the summer of 2004. A few days after the dystrophy, the physico-chemical characteristics of sediments and macrozoobenthic assemblages were also investigated. In the latter occasion, high total organic carbon (3.9%) and organic matter (15.9%) contents of surface sediments went together with peaks in acid-volatile sulphide concentrations. Certain immediate effects were quite extreme, such as the drastic reduction in macrozoobenthos and the massive fish kill in August 2004. Among the macrozoobenthos, there were few individuals of chironomid larvae and Capitella cf. capitata left. However, by October, chironomid larvae were numerous, indicating a lack of predators (e.g. fish) and competitors. In addition, some bivalve species and polychaetes which were absent, or present in small numbers before the event, became relatively numerous. The results are discussed based on a knowledge of the sulphide tolerance of these species. Stable isotope analysis clearly showed that the basal level of the food web for most consumers consisted mainly of macroalgae and sedimentary organic matter, and that the values before and after the dystrophic event were not significantly different from one another. This indicates that the relations among different trophic levels were quickly restored following the dystrophic event.

Hydrological characteristics in the Tunisia Sardinia Sicily area during spring 1995

Science.gov (United States)

Sammari, C.; Millot, C.; Taupier-Letage, I.; Stefani, A.; Brahim, M.

1999-10-01

Within the framework of the Tunisian - EC SALTO/AVICENNE project, four hydrological sections were performed between Tunisia, Sardinia and Sicily with a 10-20 km sampling interval in April-June 1995. To our knowledge, it is the first time that sections were repeated there at such a high frequency. These data significantly increase the number of observations available on the Tunisian side of the Channels of Sardinia and Sicily, and allow reliable specification of the hydrological characteristics of the area. For the first time, and as confirmed by infrared satellite images, these data sets show (i) the large mesoscale variability of the surface flow entering the study area, as expected from the characteristics of the Algerian Current upstream, (ii) the rapid changes it undergoes around northeastern Tunisia, as it shifts roughly from southward to eastward within less than a few weeks. These data also show a large heterogeneity at intermediate levels, clearly associated with waters of very different origins that follow converging routes and mix in both the study area and the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. They finally document the fundamental importance of bathymetric features of relatively small scale such as the Skerki passage.

Surface deformation time-series analysis at Ischia Island (South Italy) carried out via multi-platform monitoring systems

Science.gov (United States)

Manzo, Mariarosaria; Del Gaudio, Carlo; De Martino, Prospero; Ricco, Ciro; Tammaro, Umberto; Castaldo, Raffaele; Tizzani, Pietro; Lanari, Riccardo

2014-05-01

Ischia Island, located at the North-Western corner of the Gulf of Napoli (South Italy), is a volcanic area, whose state of activity is testified from eruptions (the last one occurred in 1302), earthquakes (the most disastrous in 1881 and 1883), hydrothermal manifestations and ground deformation. In this work we present the state of the art of the Ischia Island ground deformation phenomena through the joint analysis of data collected via different monitoring methodologies (leveling, GPS, and Differential SAR Interferometry) during the last twenty years. In particular, our analysis benefits from the large amount of periodic and continuous geodetic measurements collected by the 257 leveling benchmarks and the 20 (17 campaign and 3 permanent) GPS stations deployed on the island. Moreover, it takes advantage from the large archives of C-band SAR data (about 300 ascending and descending ERS-1/2 and ENVISAT images) acquired over the island since 1992 and the development of the advanced Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) technique referred to as Small BAseline Subset (SBAS). The latter, allows providing space-time information on the ground displacements measured along the radar line of sight (LOS), and thanks to the availability of multi-orbit SAR data, permits to discriminate the vertical and east-west components of the detected displacements. Our integrated analysis reveals a complex deformative scenario; in particular, it identifies a spatially extended subsidence pattern, which increases as we move to higher heights, with no evidence of any uplift phenomena. This broad effect involve the Northern, Eastern, Southern and South-Western sectors of the island where we measure velocity values not exceeding -6 mm/year; moreover, we identify a more localized phenomenon affecting the North-Western area in correspondence to the Fango zone, where velocity values up to -10 mm/year are retrieved. In addition, our study shows a migration of the Eastern sector of the island

The November 2002 degassing event at Panarea Island (Italy: five months of geochemical monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. L. Rossi

2005-06-01

Full Text Available On 3rd November 2002, at about 3 km off-shore of Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, Southern Italy, a series of gas vents suddenly and violently opened from the seafloor at the depth of 10-15 m, with an unusually high gas flux and superimposing on the already existing submarine fumarolic field. Starting from the 12th November 2002 a discontinuous geochemical monitoring program was carried out. The emissions consisted in an emulsion whose liquid phase derived from condensation of an uprising vapor phase occurring close to the fluid outlets without significant contamination by seawater. The whole composition of the fluids was basically H2O- and CO2-dominated, with minor amounts of typical «hydrothermal» components (such as H2S, H2, CO and light hydrocarbons, atmospheric-related compounds, and characterized by the occurrence of a significant magmatic gas fraction (mostly represented by SO2, HCl and HF. According to the observed temporal variability of the fluid compositions, between November and December 2002 the hydrothermal feeding system was controlled by oxidizing conditions due to the input of magmatic gases. The magmatic degassing phenomena showed a transient nature, as testified by the almost complete disappearance of the magmatic markers in a couple of months and by the restoration, since January 2003, of the chemical features of the existing hydrothermal system. The most striking feature of the evolution of the «Panarea degassing event» was the relatively rapid restoration of the typical reducing conditions of a stationary hydrothermal system, in which the FeO/Fe1.5O redox pair of the rock mineral phases has turned to be the dominating redox controlling system.

Significant genetic differentiation within the population of the Island of Corsica (France) revealed by y-chromosome analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiani, Maria Elena; Varesi, Laurent; Mitchell, Robert John; Vona, Giuseppe

2009-12-01

Using 10 Y-chromosome short tandem repeat allelic and haplotypic frequencies, we examined genetic variation within the population of Corsica and its relationship with other Mediterranean populations. The most significant finding is the high level of genetic differentiation within Corsica, with strong evidence of an effective barrier to male-mediated gene flow between the south and the rest of the island. This internal differentiation most probably results from low exogamy among small isolated populations and also from the orography of the island, with a central mountain chain running the length of the island restricting human movement. This physical barrier is reflected not only in present-day intraisland linguistic and genetic differences but also in the relatedness of Corsican regions to other Mediterranean groups. Northwest and Central Corsica are much closer to West Mediterranean populations, whereas South Corsica is closer to Central-North Sardinia and East Mediterranean populations.

A case study on the labeling of bottarga produced in Sardinia from ovaries of grey mullets (Mugil cephalus and Mugil capurrii caught in Eastern Central Atlantic coasts

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Pierluigi Piras

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this case study is to show how traditional and molecular methods can be employed to identify the Mugilidae species currently used in Sardinia (Italy to produce the traditional bottarga for the processing of their ovaries. A total of six specimens of Mugil cephalus (n=3 and Mugil capurrii (n=3 were subjected to external morphology and meristic measurements. Subsequently, tissue samples of white muscle and ovaries from three individuals per species were underwent PCR-sequencing assay of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI. The external morphology and meristic characters showed a sufficient level of reliability in the identification between the two species. At the same time, the molecular techniques showed the discriminatory power and confirmed the correct species identification in all the sampling units. DNA barcoding may be an effective aid to traditional taxonomy and can facilitate accurate species identification among the Mugilidae.

A case study on the labeling of bottarga produced in Sardinia from ovaries of grey mullets (Mugil cephalus and Mugil capurrii) caught in Eastern Central Atlantic coasts

Science.gov (United States)

Piras, Pierluigi; Sardu, Francesco; Meloni, Domenico; Riina, Maria Vittoria; Beltramo, Chiara; Acutis, Pier Luigi

2018-01-01

The aim of this case study is to show how traditional and molecular methods can be employed to identify the Mugilidae species currently used in Sardinia (Italy) to produce the traditional bottarga for the processing of their ovaries. A total of six specimens of Mugil cephalus (n=3) and Mugil capurrii (n=3) were subjected to external morphology and meristic measurements. Subsequently, tissue samples of white muscle and ovaries from three individuals per species were underwent PCR-sequencing assay of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). The external morphology and meristic characters showed a sufficient level of reliability in the identification between the two species. At the same time, the molecular techniques showed the discriminatory power and confirmed the correct species identification in all the sampling units. DNA barcoding may be an effective aid to traditional taxonomy and can facilitate accurate species identification among the Mugilidae. PMID:29732322

Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Statistics of Oldest Old People (>80 Years Living in Ikaria Island: The Ikaria Study

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Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Background. There are places around the world where people live longer and they are active past the age of 100 years, sharing common behavioral characteristics; these places (i.e., Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, Loma Linda in California and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica have been named the “Blue Zones”. Recently it was reported that people in Ikaria Island, Greece, have also one of the highest life expectancies in the world, and joined the “Blue Zones”. The aim of this work work was to evaluate various demographic, lifestyle and psychological characteristics of very old (>80 years people participated in Ikaria Study. Methods. During 2009, 1420 people (aged 30+ men and women from Ikaria Island, Greece, were voluntarily enrolled in the study. For this work, 89 males and 98 females over the age of 80 yrs were studied (13% of the sample. Socio-demographic, clinical, psychological and lifestyle characteristics were assessed using standard questionnaires and procedures. Results. A large proportion of the Ikaria Study's sample was over the age of 80; moreover, the percent of people over 90 were much higher than the European population average. The majority of the oldest old participants reported daily physical activities, healthy eating habits, avoidance of smoking, frequent socializing, mid-day naps and extremely low rates of depression. Conclusion. Modifiable risk factors, such as physical activity, diet, smoking cessation and mid-day naps, might depict the “secrets” of the long-livers; these findings suggest that the interaction of environmental, behavioral together with clinical characteristics may determine longevity. This concept must be further explored in order to understand how these factors relate and which are the most important in shaping prolonged life.

The influence of terrain forcing on the initiation of deep convection over Mediterranean islands

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Barthlott, Christian; Kirshbaum, Daniel

2013-04-01

The influence of mountainous islands on the initiation of deep convection is investigated using the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model. The study day is 26 August 2009 on which moist convection occurred over both the Corsica and Sardinia island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sensitivity runs with systematically modified topography are explored to evaluate the relative importance of the land-sea contrast and the terrain height for convection initiation. Whereas no island precipitation is simulated when the islands are completely removed, all simulations that represent these land surfaces develop convective precipitation. Although convection initiates progressively earlier in the day over taller islands, the precipitation rates and accumulations do not show a fixed relationship with terrain height. This is due to the competing effects of different physical processes. First, whereas the forcing for low-level ascent increases over taller islands, the boundary-layer moisture supply decreases, which diminishes the conditional instability and precipitable water. Second, whereas taller islands enhance the inland propagation speeds of sea-breeze fronts, they also mechanically block these fronts and prevent them from reaching the island interior. As a result, the island precipitation is rather insensitive to island terrain height except for one particular case in which the island precipitation increases considerably due to an optimal superposition of the sea breeze and upslope flow. These results demonstrate the complexity of interactions between sea breezes and orography and reinforce that an adequate representation of detailed topographic features is necessary to account for thermally induced wind systems that initiate deep convection.

Geochemical survey of Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), a natural laboratory for the study of ocean acidification.

Science.gov (United States)

Boatta, F; D'Alessandro, W; Gagliano, A L; Liotta, M; Milazzo, M; Rodolfo-Metalpa, R; Hall-Spencer, J M; Parello, F

2013-08-30

Shallow submarine gas vents in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island (Italy), emit around 3.6t CO2 per day providing a natural laboratory for the study of biogeochemical processes related to seabed CO2 leaks and ocean acidification. The main physico-chemical parameters (T, pH and Eh) were measured at more than 70 stations with 40 seawater samples were collected for chemical analyses. The main gas vent area had high concentrations of dissolved hydrothermal gases, low pH and negative redox values all of which returned to normal seawater values at distances of about 400m from the main vents. Much of the bay around the vents is corrosive to calcium carbonate; the north shore has a gradient in seawater carbonate chemistry that is well suited to studies of the effects of long-term increases in CO2 levels. This shoreline lacks toxic compounds (such as H2S) and has a gradient in carbonate saturation states. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lithofacies characteristics of diatreme deposits: Examples from a basaltic volcanic field of SW Sardinia (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Mundula, F.; Cioni, R.; Funedda, A.; Leone, F.

2013-04-01

A deeply eroded diatreme field, consisting in several, decametric-sized, vertical, mainly clastic volcanic bodies of basaltic composition is described for the first time in the Variscan basement of SW Sardinia. The recognition and description of four different lithofacies in these diatremes allowed discussion of the role of the different processes which control magma eruption and conduit infilling, and making general inferences about diatremes. The studied diatremes have a cross-sectional shape from elliptical to sub-triangular, and are slightly elongated nearly parallel to the main foliation of the intruded meta-sedimentary rocks. Foliation of host rocks is locally reoriented or folded close to the contact with the diatremes, suggesting that magma possibly rose to the surface through fissures oriented nearly parallel to host rock foliation. Textural features of the volcanic bodies show many analogies with kimberlitic diatremes, despite the difference in petrography and composition. Juvenile lapilli are mainly made by ghosts of mafic phenocrysts (olivine and clinopyroxene) set in a groundmass formed by plagioclase microlites immersed in a cryptocrystalline, chlorite-rich matrix. The four lithofacies were described mainly based on the shape and physical features of the clasts and textural anisotropy: a globular, juvenile-rich, lapilli tuff facies (GJLt); an angular, juvenile-rich, lapilli tuff facies (AJLt); a lithic-rich, lapilli tuff facies LiRLt), and a coherent, lava-like facies (COH). All the clastic lithofacies are generally well sorted and typically lack a fine-grained matrix. Juvenile fragments are lapilli sized and from equant to oblate in axial ratio, and from rounded-globular to very angular in shape. Conversely, lithic clasts are largely variable in shape and size, and are mainly represented by basement-derived clasts. The absence of bedding, the scarcity of the coherent facies and the dominance of clast supported, structureless, volcaniclastic facies

Genotoxicity biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity in natural populations of Mytilus galloprovincialis along a pollution gradient in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, western Mediterranean)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magni, P.; De Falco, G.; Falugi, C.; Franzoni, M.; Monteverde, M.; Perrone, E.; Sgro, M.; Bolognesi, C.

2006-01-01

A year-round biomonitoring study on blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) was carried out in 4 selected sites along the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Italy): a commercial port (Port), the outlet of the S'Ena Arrubia and Marceddi lagoons (in the catchment area of intensive agricultural and diary activities, and abandoned mining), and a reference site (North). Heavy metal concentrations in sediments from Marceddi were 2-3 to 10-20 times higher in Pb, Cd and Zn, respectively, than those found at North and S'Ena Arrubia. Higher values (P < 0.05) of micronuclei frequency were detected in mussels from Marceddi and Port compared to those detected in mussels from North and S'Ena Arrubia. DNA damage in animals from North was significantly lower than that at the other sites. Results of acetylcholinesterase inhibition consistently showed the strongest effects in mussels from Port and Marceddi. Our results suggest that these biomarkers can be used in coastal marine biomonitoring as early signals of exposure and adverse effects along a pollution gradient. - Biomarkers can be useful in coastal marine biomonitoring

Asinara National Park. An Example of Growth and Sustainability in Tourism

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Donatella CARBONI

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Despite its recent foundation (1997, the Asinara National Park (located in island not far from the northwestern coasts of Sardinia, Italy has recorded a growing trend in tourism demand and visitors of all types in recent years. However, irresponsible tourism can have negative environmental impacts often made worse by the concentration of tourists in space and time. After analyzing the attractions, services offered, activities available, access and transport and quantifying the flow of tourism, arrivals and stays, availability of accommodation, water resources, etc. this paper aims to identify the actions needed to create an appropriate model for the evaluation of the tourism carrying capacity that the Park’s territory can sustain.

Mambertiite, BiMo"5"+_2_._8_0O_8(OH), a new mineral from Su Seinargiu, Sardinia, Italy: occurrence, crystal structure, and relationships with gelosaite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orlandi, Paolo; Biagioni, Cristian; Pasero, Marco; Merlino, Stefano; Demartin, Francesco; Campostrini, Italo

2015-01-01

Mambertiite, BiMo"5"+_2_._8_0O_8(OH), is a new mineral identified in small vugs of quartz veins from Su Seinargiu, Sarroch, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. It occurs as pale yellow {001} tabular crystals, up to 1 mm in length and few μm thick, with adamantine lustre. Mambertiite is brittle, with a conchoidal fracture. It is associated with ferrimolybdite, muscovite, quartz, sardignaite, and wulfenite. Electron microprobe data (wt% - mean of 12 spot analyses) are: Mo_2O_5 59.59, Bi_2O_3 36.96, WO_3 2.03, H_2O_c_a_l_c 1.48, sum 100.06. On the basis of 9 O atoms per formula unit, the empirical formula is Bi_0_._9_9(Mo"5"+_2_._7_4W_0_._0_5)_Σ_2_._7_9O_7_._9_7(OH)_1_._0_3. Infrared spectra showed absorption bands consistent with the occurrence of OH- groups. Mambertiite is triclinic, space group P1, with a = 5.854(2), b = 9.050(3), c = 7.637(3) Aa, α = 112.85(1), β = 102.58(1), γ = 90.04(1) , V = 362.3(2) Aa"3, Z = 2. The crystal structure of mambertiite was solved and refined down to R_1 = 0.050 on the basis of 2019 observed [F_o>4σ(F_o)] reflections. It is composed by eight-fold coordinated Bi-centred polyhedra and five independent Mo-centred octahedra. Among the latter, two are completely occupied by molybdenum, whereas the remaining three are only partially occupied. Two kinds of (10 anti 1) layers occur in mambertiite, alternating along [10 anti 1]*: one is composed by Bi-centered polyhedra and the two partially occupied Mo_4 and Mo_5 sites, whereas the other is composed by the zigzag chains, running along c, formed by the fully occupied Mo_1 and Mo_2 sites, and the partially occupied Mo_3 site. Mambertiite is structurally related to gelosaite, BiMo"6"+_2O_7(OH) . H_2O; their relationships can be conveniently described through the OD theory. Mambertiite is the fourth known mineral with Bi and Mo as essential components. Its name honours the Italian mineral collector Marzio Mamberti (b. 1959) for his contribution to the knowledge of the Sardinian mineralogy. The

Diffuse soil CO_2 degassing from Linosa island

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Dario Cellura

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 14 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 14 false false false IT X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Herein, we present and discuss the result of 148 measurements of soil CO2 flux performed for the first time in Linosa island (Sicily Channel, Italy, a Plio-Pleistocene volcanic complex no longer active but still of interest owing to its location within a seismically active portion of the Sicily Channel rift system. The main purpose of this survey was to assess the occurrence of CO2 soil degassing, and compare flux estimations from this island with data of soil degassing from worldwide active volcanic as well as non-volcanic areas. To this aim soil CO2 fluxes were measured over a surface of about 4.2 km2 covering ~80% of the island. The soil CO2 degassing was observed to be mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the island likely due to volcano-tectonic lineaments, the presence of which is in good agreement with the known predominant regional faults system. Then, the collected data were interpreted using sequential Gaussian simulation that allowed estimating the total CO2 emissions of the island. Results show low levels of CO2 emissions from the soil of the island (~55 ton d-1 compared with CO2 emissions of currently active volcanic areas, such as Miyakejima (Japan and Vulcano (Italy. Results from this study suggest that soil degassing in Linosa is mainly fed by superficial organic activity with a moderate contribution of a deep CO2 likely driven by NW-SE trending active tectonic structures in the eastern part of the island.

The role of thermo-rheological properties of the crust beneath Ischia Island (Southern Italy) in the modulation of the ground deformation pattern

Science.gov (United States)

Castaldo, R.; Gola, G.; Santilano, A.; De Novellis, V.; Pepe, S.; Manzo, M.; Manzella, A.; Tizzani, P.

2017-09-01

In this paper we develop a model of the ground deformation behaviour occurred at Ischia Island (Southern Italy) in the 1992-2010 time period. The model is employed to investigate the forces and physical parameters of the crust controlling the subsidence of the Island. To this aim, we integrate and homogenize in a Finite Element (FE) environment a large amount of data derived from several and different observation techniques (i.e., geological, geophysical and remote sensing). In detail, the main steps of the multiphysics model are: (i) the generation of a 3D geological model of the crust beneath the Island by merging the available geological and geophysical information; (ii) the optimization of a 3D thermal model by exploiting the thermal measurements available in literature; (iii) the definition of the 3D Brittle/Ductile transition by using the temperature distribution of the crust and the physical information of the rocks; (iv) the optimization of the ground deformation velocity model (that takes into account the rheological stratification) by considering the spatial and temporal information detected via satellite multi-orbit C-Band SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) measurements acquired during the 1992-2010 time period. The achieved results allow investigating the physical process responsible for the observed ground deformation pattern. In particular, they reveal how the rheology modulates the spatial and temporal evolution of the long-term subsidence phenomenon, highlighting a coupling effect of the viscosities of the rocks and the gravitational loading of the volcano edifice. Moreover, the achieved results provide a very detailed and realistic velocity field image of the subsurface crust of the Ischia Island Volcano.

Preliminary estimate of CO2 budget discharged from Vulcano island

OpenAIRE

Inguaggiato, S.; Mazot, A.; Diliberto, I. S.; Rowet, D.; Vita, F.; Capasso, G.; Bobrowski, N.; Inguaggiato, C.; Grassa, F.

2008-01-01

Total CO2 output from fumaroles, soil gases, bubbling and water dissolved gases were estimated at Vulcano Island, Italy. The fumaroles output has been estimated from SO2 plume flux, while soil flux emission has been carried out through 730 CO2 fluxes measured on the island surface, performed by means of accumulation chamber method. Vulcano Island, located in the Aeolian Archipelago, is an active volcano that has been in state of solphataric activity, since the last eruption (1888-1890). At p...

Structural and dynamical insights on HLA-DR2 complexes that confer susceptibility to multiple sclerosis in Sardinia: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

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Amit Kumar

Full Text Available Sardinia is a major Island in the Mediterranean with a high incidence of multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Disease susceptibility in Sardinian population has been associated with five alleles of major histocompatibility complex (MHC class II DRB1 gene. We performed 120 ns of molecular dynamics simulation on one predisposing and one protective alleles, unbound and in complex with the two relevant peptides: Myelin Basic Protein and Epstein Barr Virus derived peptide. In particular we focused on the MHC peptide binding groove dynamics. The predisposing allele was found to form a stable complex with both the peptides, while the protective allele displayed stability only when bound with myelin peptide. The local flexibility of the MHC was probed dividing the binding groove into four compartments covering the well known peptide anchoring pockets. The predisposing allele in the first half cleft exhibits a narrower and more rigid groove conformation in the presence of myelin peptide. The protective allele shows a similar behavior, while in the second half cleft it displays a narrower and more flexible groove conformation in the presence of viral peptide. We further characterized these dynamical differences by evaluating H-bonds, hydrophobic and stacking interaction networks, finding striking similarities with super-type patterns emerging in other autoimmune diseases. The protective allele shows a defined preferential binding to myelin peptide, as confirmed by binding free energy calculations. All together, we believe the presented molecular analysis could help to design experimental assays, supports the molecular mimicry hypothesis and suggests that propensity to multiple sclerosis in Sardinia could be partly linked to distinct peptide-MHC interaction and binding characteristics of the antigen presentation mechanism.

Les depots fumerolliens terrestres et marins de l'Ile vulcano (Italie)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valette, J.N. (Centre Universitaire, Perpignan, Italy); Picot, P.

1981-01-01

Many hydrothermal deposits are formed around the marine and terrestrial fumarolic vents of Vulcano island (Italy). Their genesis is related to the recombination of the elements brought by the fumaroles and those liberated by the destruction of pre-existing minerals.

Disentangling the influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors on the distribution of endemic vascular plants in Sardinia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fois, Mauro; Fenu, Giuseppe; Cañadas, Eva Maria; Bacchetta, Gianluigi

2017-01-01

Due to the impelling urgency of plant conservation and the increasing availability of high resolution spatially interpolated (e.g. climate variables) and categorical data (e.g. land cover and vegetation type), many recent studies have examined relationships among plant species distributions and a diversified set of explanatory factors; nevertheless, global and regional patterns of endemic plant richness remain in many cases unexplained. One such pattern is the 294 endemic vascular plant taxa recorded on a 1 km resolution grid on the environmentally heterogeneous island of Sardinia. Sixteen predictors, including topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors, were used to model local (number of taxa inside each 1 km grid cell) Endemic Vascular Plant Richness (EVPR). Generalized Linear Models were used to evaluate how each factor affected the distribution of local EVPR. Significant relationships with local EVPR and topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors were found. In particular, elevation explained the larger fraction of variation in endemic richness but other environmental factors (e.g. precipitation seasonality and slope) and human-related factors (e.g. the Human Influence Index (HII) and the proportion of anthropogenic land uses) were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with local EVPR. Regional EVPR (number of endemic taxa inside each 100 m elevation interval) was also measured to compare local and regional EVPR patterns along the elevation gradient. In contrast to local, regional EVPR tended to decrease with altitude partly due to the decreasing area covered along altitude. The contrasting results between local and regional patterns suggest that local richness increases as a result of increased interspecific aggregation along altitude, whereas regional richness may depend on the interaction between area and altitude. This suggests that the shape and magnitude of the species-area relationship might vary with

A Complex Network Approach for the Estimation of the Energy Demand of Electric Mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Mureddu, Mario; Facchini, Angelo; Scala, Antonio; Caldarelli, Guido; Damiano, Alfonso

2018-01-10

We study how renewable energy impacts regional infrastructures considering the full deployment of electric mobility at that scale. We use the Sardinia Island in Italy as a paradigmatic case study of a semi-closed system both by energy and mobility point of view. Human mobility patterns are estimated by means of census data listing the mobility dynamics of about 700,000 vehicles, the energy demand is estimated by modeling the charging behavior of electric vehicle owners. Here we show that current renewable energy production of Sardinia is able to sustain the commuter mobility even in the theoretical case of a full switch from internal combustion vehicles to electric ones. Centrality measures from network theory on the reconstructed network of commuter trips allows to identify the most important areas (hubs) involved in regional mobility. The analysis of the expected energy flows reveals long-range effects on infrastructures outside metropolitan areas and points out that the most relevant unbalances are caused by spatial segregation between production and consumption areas. Finally, results suggest the adoption of planning actions supporting the installation of renewable energy plants in areas mostly involved by the commuting mobility, avoiding spatial segregation between consumption and generation areas.

Inner structure of La Fossa di Vulcano (Vulcano Island, southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) revealed by high-resolution electric resistivity tomography coupled with self-potential, temperature, and CO2 diffuse degassing measurements

OpenAIRE

Revil , A.; Finizola , Anthony; Piscitelli , A.; Rizzo , E.; Ricci , T.; Crespy , A.; Angeletti , B.; Balasco , M.; Barde-Cabusson , Stéphanie; Bennati , L.; Boleve , A.; Byrdina , S.; Carzaniga , N.; Di Gangi , F.; Morin , Julie

2008-01-01

International audience; La Fossa cone is an active stratovolcano located on Vulcano Island in the Aeolian Archipelago (southern Italy). Its activity is characterized by explosive phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions producing wet and dry pyroclastic surges, pumice fall deposits, and highly viscous lava flows. Nine 2-D electrical resistivity tomograms (ERTs; electrode spacing 20 m, with a depth of investigation >200 m) were obtained to image the edifice. In addition, we also measured the sel...

Detecting the impact of bank and channel modification on invertebrate communities in Mediterranean temporary streams (Sardinia, SW Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Buffagni, Andrea; Tenchini, Roberta; Cazzola, Marcello; Erba, Stefania; Balestrini, Raffaella; Belfiore, Carlo; Pagnotta, Romano

2016-09-15

We hypothesized that reach-scale, bank and channel modification would impact benthic communities in temporary rivers of Sardinia, when pollution and water abstraction are not relevant. A range of variables were considered, which include both artificial structures/alterations and natural features observed in a stream reach. Multivariate regression trees (MRT) were used to assess the effects of the explanatory variables on invertebrate assemblages and five groups, characterized by different habitat modification and/or features, were recognized. Four node variables determined the splits in the MRT analysis: channel reinforcement, tree-related bank and channel habitats, channel modification and bank modification. Continuity of trees in the river corridor diverged among MRT groups and significant differences among groups include presence of alders, extent of channel shading and substrate diversity. Also, the percentage of in-stream organic substrates, in particular CPOM/Xylal, showed highly significant differences among groups. For practical applications, thresholds for the extent of channel reinforcement (40%) and modification (10%) and for bank alteration (≈30%) were provided, that can be used to guide the implementation of restoration measures. In moderately altered river reaches, a significant extent of tree-related habitats (≈5%) can noticeably mitigate the effects of morphological alteration on aquatic invertebrates. The outcomes highlight the importance of riparian zone management as an opportune, achievable prospect in the restoration of Mediterranean temporary streams. The impact of bank and channel modification on ecological status (sensu WFD) was investigated and the tested benthic metrics, especially those based on abundance data, showed legible differences among MRT groups. Finally, bank and channel modification appears to be a potential threat for the conservation of a few Sardo-Corsican endemic species. The introduction of management criteria that

Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in Na-Cl brackish waters of north-western Sardinia, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Mongelli, G.; Monni, S.; Oggiano, G.; Paternoster, M.; Sinisi, R.

2013-01-01

In the Mediterranean area the demand of good quality water is often threatened by salinization, especially in coastal areas. The salinization is the result of concomitant processes due to both marine water intrusion and rock-water interaction, which in some cases are hardly distinguishable. In northwestern Sardinia, in the Nurra area, salinization due to marine water intrusion has been recently evidenced as consequence of bore hole exploitation. However, the geology of the Nurra records a long history from Paleozoic to Quaternary, resulting in relative structural complexity and in a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. To elucidate the origin of the saline component in the Nurra aquifer, may furnish a useful and more general model for the salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activities and recent climatic changes, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, similarly to other Mediterranean islands, surface-water resources can periodically suffer from drastic shortage. With this in mind we report new data, regarding brackish waters of Na-Cl type of the Nurra, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I and Sr) and isotopic data, including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved sulphate. To better depict the origin of the salinity we also analyzed a set of Nurra Triassic evaporites for mineralogical and isotopic composition. The brackish waters have Cl contents up to 2025 mg L-1 and the ratios between dissolved ions and chlorine, with the exception of the Br/Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of a simple mixing between rain water and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters are within the Regional Meteoric Water Line and the Global Meteoric Water Line supporting the idea that they are meteoric in origin. A relevant consequence of the

Water resource planning and water quality in the Riu Cixerri Basin (Southern Sardinia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coni, M.; Ferralis, M; Madonia, P.; Sechi, C.; Verde, C.

2000-01-01

Present paper deals with a hydrogeological and biological study of the Riu Cixerri watershed (Southern Sardinia), carried out in order to evaluate volumes and quality of surface waters. Variables of hydrogeological balance have been derived by the use of a G.I.S. based method. The obtained results underline the low reliability of data used for past water resource planning and the good self purification capability of the Cixerri river [it

Concentration and distribution of dissolved amino acids in a shallow hydrothermal system, Vulcano Island (Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svensson, E.; Skoog, A. [University of Connecticut, Groton, CT (United States). Dept. of Marine Sciences; Amend, J.P. [Washington University, St. Louis, MO (United States). Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences

2004-09-01

Hydrothermal systems are known to harbour a large number of microorganisms, but the organic chemical composition of the solution that comprises their potential substrate is largely unknown. Concentrations and distributions of dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) and dissolved combined amino acids (DCAA) were determined in fluids from the moderate-temperature (42-89{sup o}C), shallow hydrothermal system on the volcanically active island of Vulcano, Italy. The seven samples represent three different geological settings on the island; shallow ({approx} 1 m) submarine vents, geothermal wells, and seeps in heated beach sediments, in addition to ambient local seawater from the bay, Baia di Levante. All hydrothermal sites, with one exception, had TDAA concentrations that were 3-114 times higher than local seawater in Baia di Levante. There were large similarities in amino acid concentration and composition among samples from the same geological setting. The highest amino acid concentrations were found at sites with acidic and reducing conditions, which also had the largest freshwater component. An unusually high fraction of the TDAA pool was represented by DFAA (33-87%), possibly due to in situ acid hydrolysis of DCAA to DFAA. Both DFAA and DCAA concentrations were correlated to DOC, indicating similar source and sink functions for these pools. The yield of TDAA (TDAA-carbon as fraction of organic carbon) ranged from 2% to 25%, which is high compared with non-hydrothermal settings, and indicates high biological lability. The mole fraction of {beta}-alanine plus {gamma}-aminobutyric acid (% BALA + GABA) was 2-2.7% of TDAA, also indicating high biological lability. Owing to the high over-all amino acid concentrations, the high fraction of DFAAs, and the high biological lability of the organic matter, organic matter in general and amino acids specifically could represent significant carbon and energy sources for archaea and bacteria in this hydrothermal system. The clear

Climbing walls as multitasking sites of geo(morpho)logical interests: Italian examples from the Western Alps and Sardinia

Science.gov (United States)

Bollati, Irene; Fossati, Maria; Panizza, Valeria; Pelfini, Manuela; Zanoletti, Enrico; Zucali, Michele

2015-04-01

physical elements necessary for vertical progression ii) elaborate an educational proposal; 3) Risk assessment and education has been approached through the analysis of site hazard on climbing routes, linked with both geomorphological processes, and to the variable meteorological conditions, at Monteleone Rocca Doria (Sardinia, Italy), a site sensitive to both the needs of the climbers and the environment. Here a particular attention was given to potential geomorphologically-related risks for climbers, the impacts linked to human presence and the specific features of the geomorphosite. In order to assess the possible risk situations related to the active geomorphological processes in a specific climbing site, a method for collecting data and information has been also proposed.

Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th-Centruy Alghero, Sardinia

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-10-28

Reginald Tucker reads an abridged version of the Emerging Infectious Diseases’ historical Review, Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th -Centruy Alghero, Sardinia.  Created: 10/28/2013 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 10/30/2013.

Interaction between loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and marine litter in Sardinia (Western Mediterranean Sea).

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Camedda, Andrea; Marra, Stefano; Matiddi, Marco; Massaro, Giorgio; Coppa, Stefania; Perilli, Angelo; Ruiu, Angelo; Briguglio, Paolo; de Lucia, G Andrea

2014-09-01

Anthropogenic debris in the environment affects many species that accidentally ingest it. The aim of this study is to evaluate the quantity and composition of marine litter ingested by loggerheads in Sardinia, thus supplying for the lack of data in the existing literature for this area. Seventeen of the 121 (14.04%) monitored turtles presented debris in their digestive tracts. Litter in faecal pellet of alive individuals (n = 91) and in gastro-intestinal contents of dead ones (n = 30) was categorized, counted and weighed. User plastic was the main category of ingested debris with a frequency of occurrence of 13.22% of the total sample, while sheet (12.39%) and fragments (9.09%) were the most relevant sub-categories. This study highlights for the first time the incidence of litter in alive turtles in Sardinia. This contribution improves the knowledge about marine litter interaction on Caretta caretta as bio-indicator. Results will be useful for the Marine Strategy implementation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Observations of a nearby filament of galaxy clusters with the Sardinia Radio Telescope

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Vacca, Valentina; Murgia, M.; Loi, F. Govoni F.; Vazza, F.; Finoguenov, A.; Carretti, E.; Feretti, L.; Giovannini, G.; Concu, R.; Melis, A.; Gheller, C.; Paladino, R.; Poppi, S.; Valente, G.; Bernardi, G.; Boschin, W.; Brienza, M.; Clarke, T. E.; Colafrancesco, S.; Enßlin, T.; Ferrari, C.; de Gasperin, F.; Gastaldello, F.; Girardi, M.; Gregorini, L.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Junklewitz, H.; Orrù, E.; Parma, P.; Perley, R.; Taylor, G. B.

2018-05-01

We report the detection of diffuse radio emission which might be connected to a large-scale filament of the cosmic web covering a 8° × 8° area in the sky, likely associated with a z≈0.1 over-density traced by nine massive galaxy clusters. In this work, we present radio observations of this region taken with the Sardinia Radio Telescope. Two of the clusters in the field host a powerful radio halo sustained by violent ongoing mergers and provide direct proof of intra-cluster magnetic fields. In order to investigate the presence of large-scale diffuse radio synchrotron emission in and beyond the galaxy clusters in this complex system, we combined the data taken at 1.4 GHz with the Sardinia Radio Telescope with higher resolution data taken with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey. We found 28 candidate new sources with a size larger and X-ray emission fainter than known diffuse large-scale synchrotron cluster sources for a given radio power. This new population is potentially the tip of the iceberg of a class of diffuse large-scale synchrotron sources associated with the filaments of the cosmic web. In addition, we found in the field a candidate new giant radio galaxy.

Palaeococcus helgesonii sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a geothermal well on Vulcano Island, Italy.

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Amend, Jan P; Meyer-Dombard, D'Arcy R; Sheth, Seema N; Zolotova, Natalya; Amend, Andrea C

2003-06-01

A novel, hyperthermophilic archaeon was isolated from a shallow geothermal well that taps marine waters on the Island of Vulcano in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy. The cells were irregular cocci, 0.6-1.5 microm in diameter, with multiple polar flagella. Growth was observed at temperatures from 45 to 85 degrees C (optimum at approximately 80 degrees C), pH 5-8 (optimum at 6.5), and 0.5-6.0% NaCl (optimum at approximately 2.8%). The minimum doubling time was 50 min. The isolate was obligately chemoheterotrophic, utilizing complex organic compounds including yeast or beef extract, peptone, tryptone, or casein for best growth. The presence of elemental sulfur enhanced growth. The isolate grew anaerobically as well as microaerobically. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 42.5 mol%. The 16S rRNA sequence indicated that the new isolate was a member of the Thermococcales within the euryarchaeota, representing the second species in the genus Palaeococcus. Its physiology and phylogeny differed in several key characteristics from those of Palaeococcus ferrophilus, justifying the establishment of a new species; the name Palaeococcus helgesonii sp. nov. is proposed, type strain PI1 (DSM 15127).

Antimony in the soil-water-plant system at the Su Suergiu abandoned mine (Sardinia, Italy): strategies to mitigate contamination.

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Cidu, Rosa; Biddau, Riccardo; Dore, Elisabetta; Vacca, Andrea; Marini, Luigi

2014-11-01

This study was aimed to implement the understanding of the Sb behavior in near-surface environments, as a contribution to address appropriate mitigation actions at contaminated sites. For this purpose, geochemical data of soil (8 sites), water (29 sites), and plant (12 sites) samples were collected. The study area is located at Su Suergiu and surroundings in Sardinia (Italy), an abandoned mine area heavily contaminated with Sb, with relevant impact on water bodies that supply water for agriculture and domestic uses. Antimony in the soil horizons ranged from 19 to 4400 mg kg(-1), with highest concentrations in soils located close to the mining-related wastes, and concentrations in the topsoil much higher than in the bedrock. The Sb readily available fraction was about 2% of the total Sb in the soil. Antimony in the pore water ranged from 23 to 1700 μg L(-1), with highest values in the Sb-rich soils. The waters showed neutral to slightly alkaline pH, redox potential values indicating oxidizing conditions, electrical conductivity in the range of 0.2 to 3.7 mS cm(-1), and dissolved organic carbon ≤2 mg L(-1). The waters collected upstream of the mine have Ca-bicarbonate dominant composition, and median concentration of Sb(tot) of 1.7 μg L(-1) (that is total antimony determined in waters filtered through 0.45 μm), a value relatively high as compared with the background value (≤0.5 μg L(-1) Sb) estimated for Sardinian waters, but below the limits established by the European Union and the World Health Organization for drinking water (5 μg L(-1) Sb and 20 μg L(-1) Sb, respectively). The waters flowing in the mine area are characterized by Ca-sulfate dominant composition, and median concentrations of 7000 μg L(-1) Sb(tot). Extreme concentrations, up to 30,000 μg L(-1) Sb(tot), were observed in waters flowing out of the slag materials derived from the processing of Sb-ore. The Sb(III) was in the range of 0.8 to 760 μg L(-1) and represented up to 6% of Sb

SEA effectiveness for landscape and master planning: An investigation in Sardinia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Montis, Andrea; Ledda, Antonio; Caschili, Simone; Ganciu, Amedeo; Barra, Mario

2014-01-01

The Italian administrative bodies and planning agencies have embraced with mixed feedbacks the introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) through the European Directive 2001/42/EC. Concurrently, regional and local spatial planning practice have been characterized by a new approach inspired by landscape planning. The Italian region of Sardinia has been one of the pioneering administrative bodies in the Italian and European arena that has adopted landscape principles for the construction of its regional master plan (PPR, Piano Paesaggistico Regionale). Municipalities are now carrying out the review of their master plans to the PPR's prescriptions and indications. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to assess the level of SEA implementation in the municipal master plans of Sardinia, six years after the approval of the PPR. Rooted in the SEA international literature we construct a modular and adaptable on-line survey for officers involved in the review of municipal master plans. The results show that many Sardinian municipalities have not reviewed their master plans to the PPR's regulations yet and only a few municipalities have started this review process according to the SEA procedure. - Highlights: • We study strategic environmental assessment (SEA) effectiveness on land use plans • Four SEA implementation key issues are drawn from international literature • Data collection has included an on-line survey with close and open questions • Results indicate that SEA has been poorly implemented in landscape and master plans • Weak aspects include planning alternatives, financial resources, and monitoring

SEA effectiveness for landscape and master planning: An investigation in Sardinia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Montis, Andrea, E-mail: andreadm@uniss.it [Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione Ingegneria del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia, 39, 07100 Sassari (Italy); Ledda, Antonio, E-mail: antonioledda@gmail.com [Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione Ingegneria del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia, 39, 07100 Sassari (Italy); Caschili, Simone, E-mail: s.caschili@ucl.ac.uk [UCL QASER Lab and Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 7HB (United Kingdom); Ganciu, Amedeo, E-mail: dott.amedeoganciu@gmail.com [Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione Ingegneria del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia, 39, 07100 Sassari (Italy); Barra, Mario, E-mail: barra@uniss.it [Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione Ingegneria del Territorio, Università degli Studi di Sassari, Viale Italia, 39, 07100 Sassari (Italy)

2014-07-01

The Italian administrative bodies and planning agencies have embraced with mixed feedbacks the introduction of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) through the European Directive 2001/42/EC. Concurrently, regional and local spatial planning practice have been characterized by a new approach inspired by landscape planning. The Italian region of Sardinia has been one of the pioneering administrative bodies in the Italian and European arena that has adopted landscape principles for the construction of its regional master plan (PPR, Piano Paesaggistico Regionale). Municipalities are now carrying out the review of their master plans to the PPR's prescriptions and indications. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to assess the level of SEA implementation in the municipal master plans of Sardinia, six years after the approval of the PPR. Rooted in the SEA international literature we construct a modular and adaptable on-line survey for officers involved in the review of municipal master plans. The results show that many Sardinian municipalities have not reviewed their master plans to the PPR's regulations yet and only a few municipalities have started this review process according to the SEA procedure. - Highlights: • We study strategic environmental assessment (SEA) effectiveness on land use plans • Four SEA implementation key issues are drawn from international literature • Data collection has included an on-line survey with close and open questions • Results indicate that SEA has been poorly implemented in landscape and master plans • Weak aspects include planning alternatives, financial resources, and monitoring.

Geochemical Investigations In Soils And Waters Of Ischia Island (southern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Avino, R.; Capaldi, G.; Di Matteo, V.; Pece, R.

The island of Ischia is localized in the Gulf of Naples and is a volcanic field belonging to the volcanic district of the Phlegraean Fields. It covers an area of about 42 Km2 and is characterized by a complex system of faults and fractures of tectonic and volcano- tectonic origin. The highest peak of the island is Mt Epomeo (787 m), situated in the central part of Ischia. The last eruption on this island took place in 1302 (Arso) and from that time the volcanic activity has reduced only to hydrothermal manifestations (fumaroles and thermal springs) localized especially along the faults that border Mt Epomeo. So the area around the Epomeo is an area of great interest for geochemical investigations, and in fact in this place high concentration of mercury, carbon dioxide and radon have been measured. In this work are presented the data of a study on the concentration of CO2 and mercury and of the activity of radon in the soils and in the waters of the island of Ischia. For these investigations 184 samples of soils have been collected and analyzed in laboratory to calculate the concentration of mercury using the Jerome 511 Mercury Vapor Analyzer. In the same sampling sites measurements of CO2 and of the activity of radon-222 in the soils have also been made using the Track- etch@ method. As regards the waters, a sampling of 50 wells localized all around the coast of the island has been carried out. In these waters measures of mercury and of the activity of some radioactive elements have been done. The measures of radioactivity has been carried out by gamma spectrometry with a HPE Ge detector. All the investigations (in soils and in waters) allow to have preliminary information about the concentrations of these investigated elements and will be a starting-point for a more detailed sampling in those place where anomalies have been found. This set of data can also help to better understand the degassing process of these elements through the principal structures of the

Assessment of alternative land management practices using hydrological simulation and a decision support tool: Arborea agricultural region, Sardinia

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P. Cau

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Quantifying the impact of land use on water supply and quality is a primary focus of environmental management. In this work we apply a semidistributed hydrological model (SWAT to predict the impact of different land management practices on water and agricultural chemical yield over a long period of time for a study site situated in the Arborea region of central Sardinia, Italy. The physical processes associated with water movement, crop growth, and nutrient cycling are directly modeled by SWAT. The model simulations are used to identify indicators that reflect critical processes related to the integrity and sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically we focus on stream quality and quantity indicators associated with anthropogenic and natural sources of pollution. A multicriteria decision support system is then used to develop the analysis matrix where water quality and quantity indicators for the rivers, lagoons, and soil are combined with socio-economic variables. The DSS is used to assess four options involving alternative watersheds designated for intensive agriculture and dairy farming and the use or not of treated wastewater for irrigation. Our analysis suggests that of the four options, the most widely acceptable consists in the transfer of intensive agricultural practices to the larger watershed, which is less vulnerable, in tandem with wastewater reuse, which rates highly due to water scarcity in this region of the Mediterranean. More generally, the work demonstrates how both qualitative and quantitative methods and information can assist decision making in complex settings.

Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in the Na-Cl brackish waters of northwestern Sardinia, Italy

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G. Mongelli

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Throughout the Mediterranean, salinization threatens water quality, especially in coastal areas. This salinization is the result of concomitant processes related to both seawater intrusion and water–rock interaction, which in some cases are virtually indistinguishable. In the Nurra region of northwestern Sardinia, recent salinization related to marine water intrusion has been caused by aquifer exploitation. However, the geology of this region records a long history from the Palaeozoic to the Quaternary, and is structurally complex and comprises a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. Determining the origin of the saline component of the Jurassic and Triassic aquifers in the Nurra region may provide a useful and more general model for salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activity and recent climatic change, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, in common with other Mediterranean islands, surface water resources periodically suffer from severe shortages. With this in mind, we report new data regarding brackish and surface waters (outcrop and lake samples of the Na-Cl type from the Nurra region, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I, and Sr, in addition to isotopic data including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved SO4. To identify the origin of the salinity more precisely, we also analysed the mineralogical and isotopic composition of Triassic evaporites. The brackish waters have Cl contents of up to 2025 mg L−1 , and the ratios between dissolved ions and Cl, with the exception of the Br / Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of simple mixing between rainwater and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters fall between the regional meteoric water line and the global meteoric water line, supporting the

Tracing groundwater salinization processes in coastal aquifers: a hydrogeochemical and isotopic approach in the Na-Cl brackish waters of northwestern Sardinia, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Mongelli, G.; Monni, S.; Oggiano, G.; Paternoster, M.; Sinisi, R.

2013-07-01

Throughout the Mediterranean, salinization threatens water quality, especially in coastal areas. This salinization is the result of concomitant processes related to both seawater intrusion and water-rock interaction, which in some cases are virtually indistinguishable. In the Nurra region of northwestern Sardinia, recent salinization related to marine water intrusion has been caused by aquifer exploitation. However, the geology of this region records a long history from the Palaeozoic to the Quaternary, and is structurally complex and comprises a wide variety of lithologies, including Triassic evaporites. Determining the origin of the saline component of the Jurassic and Triassic aquifers in the Nurra region may provide a useful and more general model for salinization processes in the Mediterranean area, where the occurrence of evaporitic rocks in coastal aquifers is a common feature. In addition, due to intensive human activity and recent climatic change, the Nurra has become vulnerable to desertification and, in common with other Mediterranean islands, surface water resources periodically suffer from severe shortages. With this in mind, we report new data regarding brackish and surface waters (outcrop and lake samples) of the Na-Cl type from the Nurra region, including major ions and selected trace elements (B, Br, I, and Sr), in addition to isotopic data including δ18O, δD in water, and δ34S and δ18O in dissolved SO4. To identify the origin of the salinity more precisely, we also analysed the mineralogical and isotopic composition of Triassic evaporites. The brackish waters have Cl contents of up to 2025 mg L-1 , and the ratios between dissolved ions and Cl, with the exception of the Br / Cl ratio, are not those expected on the basis of simple mixing between rainwater and seawater. The δ18O and δD data indicate that most of the waters fall between the regional meteoric water line and the global meteoric water line, supporting the conclusion that they are

Volcanic emissions from soils at the base of La Fossa volcano, Vulcano island, Italy

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Obenholzner, J. H.; Parks, J. L.

2006-12-01

A top-sealed plastic tube with a diameter of ca. 15 cm had been buried vertically at the base of La Fossa volcano, Volcano island, Italy, next to the front of the obsidian flow. The tube had been filled with quartz wool to condense vapors emanating from the soil. At ca. 75 cm below the surface the sample had been exposed to vapors from Sept. 2005 to April 2006. The leached sample had not been in touch with the ground. Another glass wool cushion (ca. 3 cm thick) had been underneath to minimize capillary effects. Leaching of the quartz wool and ICP-MS analysis documented positive values for: Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, Pb. Leaching with nitric acid documented also V and Fe. Acid leaching produced higher values for all elements, except K and Sn, than leaching with deionized water. Negative values had been obtained for As, Se, Mo. Influence from soil breathing can be excluded as the active fumaroles contain As and Se. This experiment documents for the first time an unknown element transport by vapors/gases through a volcanic edifice interacting with hydrothermal and magmatic gases. It remains unknown if elements detected are entering the atmosphere or are getting adsorbed onto the volcanic ash soil particles derived from reworked surge beds. This question is very important as soils might be an unknown filter medium to filter volcanically polluted air in case of major volcanic crises. Data can be obtained from the authors.

Risk of lymphoma subtypes and dietary habits in a Mediterranean area.

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Campagna, Marcello; Cocco, Pierluigi; Zucca, Mariagrazia; Angelucci, Emanuele; Gabbas, Attilio; Latte, Gian Carlo; Uras, Antonella; Rais, Marco; Sanna, Sonia; Ennas, Maria Grazia

2015-12-01

Previous studies have suggested that diet might affect risk of lymphoma subtypes. We investigated risk of lymphoma and its major subtypes associated with diet in the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Italy. In 1998-2004, 322 incident lymphoma cases and 446 randomly selected population controls participated in a case-control study on lymphoma etiology in central-southern Sardinia. Questionnaire interviews included frequency of intake of 112 food items. Risk associated with individual dietary items and groups thereof was explored by unconditional and polytomous logistic regression analysis, adjusting by age, gender and education. We observed an upward trend in risk of lymphoma (all subtypes combined) and B-cell lymphoma with frequency of intake of well done grilled/roasted chicken (p for trend=0.01), and pizza (p for trend=0.047), Neither adherence to Mediterranean diet nor a frequent intake of its individual components conveyed protection. We detected heterogeneity in risk associated with several food items and groups thereof by lymphoma subtypes although we could not rule out chance as responsible for the observed direct or inverse associations. Adherence to a Mediterranean diet does not seem to convey protection against the development of lymphoma. The association with specific food items might vary by lymphoma subtype. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Essential oil composition and biological activity from Artemisia caerulescens subsp. densiflora (Viv.) Gamisans ex Kerguélen & Lambinon (Asteraceae), an endemic species in the habitat of La Maddalena Archipelago.

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Ornano, Luigi; Venditti, Alessandro; Ballero, Mauro; Sanna, Cinzia; Donno, Yuri; Quassinti, Luana; Bramucci, Massimo; Vitali, Luca A; Petrelli, Dezemona; Tirillini, Bruno; Papa, Fabrizio; Maggi, Filippo; Bianco, Armanodoriano

2016-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the composition of the essential oil obtained from a population of Artemisia caerulescens subsp. densiflora growing in Razzoli, an island in the La Maddalena Archipelago (Sardinia, Italy). A. caerulescens sups. densiflora Viv. (Asteraceae), a wild herb, seldom studied in the Mediterranean, represents one of the many rare endemic species growing in North Sardinia. The essential oil composition was analysed by means of GC/MS analysis, which showed davana ethers as the major volatile components, accounting together for 17.5%, followed by (E)-nerolidol (4.5%), β-oplopenone (3.3%), cis-sabinene hydrate (5.2%) and terpinen-4-ol (4.7%). The oil was tested for antioxidant activity by means of DPPH test, inhibition of lipid oxidation test and hypochlorous acid test, which showed a quite interesting scavenger capacity. For the first time, we reported the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of A. caerulescens subsp. densiflora, against three human tumour cell lines (A375, MDA-MB231 and HCT116), with IC50 values in the range 5.20-7.61 μg/mL, which deserved further studies to support its use as chemopreventive agent. Finally, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, displayed on a panel of human pathogens, was very low.

Role of key-regulator genes in melanoma susceptibility and pathogenesis among patients from South Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casula, Milena; Sini, MariaCristina; Palomba, Grazia; The Italian Melanoma Intergroup; Palmieri, Giuseppe; Muggiano, Antonio; Cossu, Antonio; Budroni, Mario; Caracò, Corrado; Ascierto, Paolo A; Pagani, Elena; Stanganelli, Ignazio; Canzanella, Sergio

2009-01-01

Several genetic alterations have been demonstrated to contribute to the development and progression of melanoma. In this study, we further investigated the impact of key-regulator genes in susceptibility and pathogenesis of such a disease. A large series (N = 846) of sporadic and familial cases originating from South Italy was screened for germline mutations in p16 CDKN2A , BRCA2, and MC1R genes by DHPLC analysis and automated DNA sequencing. Paired primary melanomas and lymph node metastases from same patients (N = 35) as well as melanoma cell lines (N = 18) were analyzed for somatic mutations in NRAS, BRAF, and p16 CDKN2A genes. For melanoma susceptibility, investigations at germline level indicated that p16 CDKN2A was exclusively mutated in 16/545 (2.9%) non-Sardinian patients, whereas BRCA2 germline mutations were observed in 4/91 (4.4%) patients from North Sardinia only. Two MC1R germline variants, Arg151Cys and Asp294His, were significantly associated with melanoma in Sardinia. Regarding genetic events involved in melanoma pathogenesis at somatic level, mutually-exclusive mutations of NRAS and BRAF genes were observed at quite same rate (about two thirds) in cultured and in vivo melanomas (either primary or metastatic lesions). Conversely, p16 CDKN2A gene alterations were observed at increased rates moving from primary to metastatic melanomas and melanoma cell lines. Activation of the ERK gene product was demonstrated to be consistently induced by a combination of molecular alterations (NRAS/BRAF mutations and p16 CDKN2A silencing). Our findings further clarified that: a) mutation prevalence in melanoma susceptibility genes may vary within each specific geographical area; b) multiple molecular events are accumulating during melanomagenesis

Hydrothermal alteration of a rhyolitic hyaloclastite from Ponza Island, Italy

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Ylagan, Robert F.; Altaner, Stephen P.; Pozzuoli, Antonio

1996-12-01

A rhyolitic hyaloclastite from Ponza island, Italy, has been hydrothermally altered producing four distinct alteration zones based on XRD and field textures: (1) non-pervasive argillic zone; (2) propylitic zone; (3) silicic zone; and (4) sericitic zone. The unaltered hyaloclastite is a volcanic breccia with clasts of vesiculated obsidian in a matrix of predominantly pumice lapilli. Incomplete alteration of the hyaloclastite resulted in the non pervasive argillic zone, characterized by smectite and disordered opal-CT. Obsidian clasts, some pumice lapilli, and pyrogenic plagioclase and biotite are unaltered. Smectite has an irregular flakey morphology, although euhedral particles are occasionally observed. The propylitic zone is characterized by mixed-layer illite/smectite (I/S) with 10 to 85% illite (I), mordenite, opal-C and authigenic K-feldspar (akspar). The matrix of the hyaloclastite is completely altered and obsidian clasts are silicified; however, plagioclase and biotite phenocrysts remain unaltered. Flakey I/S replaces pumice, and mordenite, akspar and silica line and fill pores. I/S particles are composed predominantly of subequant plates and euhedral laths. The silicic zone is characterized by highly illitic I/S with ≥ 90% I, quartz, akspar and occasional albite. In this zone the matrix and clasts are completely altered, and pyrogenic plagioclase shows significant alteration. Illitic I/S has a euhedral lath-like morphology. In the sericitic zone the hyaloclastite altered primarily to illitic I/S with ≥ 66% I, quartz, and minor akspar and pyrite. Clay minerals completely replace pyrogenic feldspars and little evidence remains of the original hyaloclastite texture. Unlike other zones, illitic I/S is fibrous and pure illite samples are composed of euhedral laths and hexagonal plates. The temperatures of hydrothermal alteration likely ranged from 30 to 90 °C for the argillic zone, from 110 to 160 °C for the propylitic zone, from 160 to 270 °C for the

Developing a Serious Game for decision making for the water-land-food-energy-climate Nexus in Sardinia-Italy: The SIM4NEXUS approach

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Vamvakeridou-Lyroudia, Lydia; Alexandri, Eva; Blanco, Maria; Chew, Chengzi; Conradt, Tobias; Daskalou, Olympia; Evans, Barry; Guitart, Francesc; Mereu, Simone; Sartori, Martina; Susnik, Janez; Savic, Dragan

2017-04-01

A four-year EU H2020 project "Sustainable Integrated Management FOR the NEXUS of water-land-food-energy-climate for a resource-efficient Europe (SIM4NEXUS)" started in June 2016, with an overall grant of € 7.9M (www.sim4nexus.eu). The project involves 25 partners from 15 European countries. SIM4NEXUS has four objectives: (i) to adopt existing knowledge and develop new expertise on the water-energy-food-climate-land use Nexus; (ii) to reduce uncertainties of how policies, governance and institutions affect complex environmental systems; (iii) to showcase the implementation via a network of three regional, five national, two transboundary case studies in Europe, as well as continental and global studies; (iv) to valorise the project outputs by suitable business models. SIM4NEXUS develops an innovative concept and methodologies to facilitate the design of policies and bridge knowledge and technology gaps in the field of the Nexus under global change. The project will develop a methodology of integration using a complexity science approach and a Serious Game (a decision-based platform that allows policy makers to play out scenarios to see what would bring the best outcome) as an integrating tool for testing and evaluating policy decisions. The Serious Game is based on Aqua Republica (http://www.dhigroup.com/upload/publications/scribd/172629015-Exploring-the-World-of-Aqua-Republica-DHI-Case-Story.pdf ) and will cover a vast array of scenarios for all the case studies, over short, medium and long terms. In this presentation we focus on all the stages of the development of the Serious Game for one of our Case Studies (Sardinia, Italy) which is being used as a pilot example prior to wider rollout. Specifically we detail the components and steps involved in Game development including: (i) linking thematic models (CAPRI- http://www.capri-model.org/dokuwiki/doku.php and E3ME- http://www.e3me.com/) and downscaling to regional level; (ii) climate change scenarios (using and

Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil from Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. ssp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo e Giusso growing in La Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ornano, Luigi; Venditti, Alessandro; Sanna, Cinzia; Ballero, Mauro; Maggi, Filippo; Lupidi, Giulio; Bramucci, Massimo; Quassinti, Luana; Bianco, Armandodoriano

2015-01-01

Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. subsp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo e Giusso (Asteraceae), previously known as Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum (Willd.) Nyman, is one of the many endemic species growing in Sardinia, Corsica and Balearic Islands. In the present work the composition of the essential oil obtained from a population of H. microphyllum ssp. thyrrenicum growing in a littoral location of La Maddalena Archipelago was investigated by GC-FID and CG-MS. The major compounds of the oil were the monoterpene ester neryl acetate (18.2%), the oxygenated sesquiterpene 5-eudesmen-11-ol (rosifoliol, 11.3%), the sequiterpene hydrocarbons δ-cadinene (8.4%) and γ-cadinene (6.7%), showing a peculiar composition in comparison with other Sardinian populations. The oil was tested for cytotoxicity on three human tumor cell lines (MDA-MB 231, HCT116 and A375) by MTT assay showing a strong inhibitory activity on human malignant melanoma cells A375 (IC50 of 16 µg/ml). In addition the oil was assessed for antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS assay.

Monitoring water masses properties by Glider in Sardinia Channel during summer 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Gana, Slim; Iudicone, Daniele; Ghenim, Leila; Mortier, Laurent; Testor, Pierre; Tintoré, Joaquin; Olita, Antonio

2015-04-01

1. Summary In the framework of the EC funded project, PERSEUS (WP3, Subtask 3.3.1: Repeated glider sections in key channels and sub-basin) and with the support of JERICO TNA (EU-FP7), a deep water glider (up to 1000m) was deployed from the R/V Tethys in the Sardinia Channel and has carried out 3 return trips during the period spanning from the 16th of August 2014 to the 19th of September 2014. The Gilder was equipped with CTD, O2 sensors, Fluorometers (ChlA), back scattering from 470 to 880 nm and was programmed to follow a path close to SARAL satellite track #887. During this experiment, a significant dataset, as never obtained before for this area, has been collected. The innovation stands in the high spatial resolution, in the temporal repetitivity and in the number of parameters sampled simultaneously. The first step of the work will focuses on the analysis of the hydrological properties of the existing water masses in the area. 2. Frame and aim of the experiment The Sardinia Channel is a zonally oriented passage connecting the Algerian and the Tyrrhenian basins, with a sill depth of about 1900 m. In spite of the considerable amount of work achieved and accurate results obtained about the circulation in the Western Mediterranean Sea, during the last 20 years, the Sardinia Channel is still one of the region where the dynamical processes and water exchanges are not clearly identified. Previous studies (Garzoli S. and C. Maillard, 1979, and Ozturgut Erdogan, 1975) pointed out the complexity of the processes in the region and the role of the bottom topography in sustaining them, and provided a first estimation of the involved fluxes. The main knowledge about the water masses crossing this region mostly concerns the AW (Atlantic Water) and the LIW (Levantine Intermediate Water). Along the Algerian coast, the AW is transported mainly by the Algerian current (AC Millot, 1985) from which the anticyclonic Algerian eddies (AEs, Puillat et al., 2002; Taupier-Letage et al

Systematics and paleobiogeography of .i.Sardolagus obscurus./i. n. gen. n. sp. (Leporidae, Lagomorpha) from the early Pleistocene of Sardinia

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Angelone, Ch.; Čermák, Stanislav; Moncunill-Solé, B.; Quintana, J.; Tuveri, C.; Arca, M.; Kotsakis, T.

2018-01-01

Roč. 92, č. 3 (2018) ISSN 0022-3360 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Sardolagus obscurus n. gen. n. sp. * Leporidae * early Pleistocene * Sardinia * systematics Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy OBOR OECD: Paleontology Impact factor: 1.591, year: 2016

Invasioni biologiche. Il caso drammatico delle palme e di due specie di insetti, il Punteruolo rosso delle palme (Rynchophorus ferrugineus, Coleotteri e il castnide delle palme (Paysandisia archon, Lepidotteri in Italia

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Marco Di Domenico

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The biological invasions represent today a serious ecological problem, and is one of the main threats to biodiversity, in Italy as in the rest of the world. In the last century several species of palm trees have been introduced in gardens, parks and lanes of great part of Italy, where climate allows their life and growth. Among the others Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifera, Washingtonia robusta, W. filifera, Jubaea spectabilis and Trachycarpus fortunei. All of these species are exotic, as the only indigenous palm in Italy is the dwarf fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, which occurs along the tirrenian coast from Sicily to Liguria, in Sardinia and most of the smaller islands. Palm trees have become by now part of the Italian landscape, as do pine tree in Rome or cypress in Tuscany. Recently, two different species of exotic insects where recorded for the first time in Italy: the south American moth Paysandisia archon and the chinese beetle Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. Both of them lay their eggs on palm trees, and their larvae feed into the stem and kill the palms. Both arrived in Italy and in other Mediterranean countries as larvae or eggs hidden into the plants imported from the native regions. These insects are rapidly spreading through Italy, following palm plantations, and destroying palms from north to south, with a huge economic damage. Furthermore, they are locally changing probably for ever the Italian landscape. More recently, there is evidence of infestation on dwarf fan palm by both the moth and the beetle. This could cause a local extinction of the palm.

Assessment of the Agronomic Feasibility of Bioenergy Crop Cultivation on Marginal and Polluted Land: A GIS-Based Suitability Study from the Sulcis Area, Italy

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Giuseppe Pulighe

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In the context of environmental sustainability there has been an increasing interest in bioenergy production from renewable resources, and is expected that European biofuel production from energy crops will increase as a consequence of the achievement of policy targets. The aim of this paper is to assess the agronomic feasibility of biomass crop cultivation to provide profitable renewable feedstocks in a marginal and heavy-metal polluted area located in the Sulcis district, Sardinia (Italy. Results from literature review and unpublished data from field trials carried out in Sardinia were analysed to establish the main agronomic traits of crops (e.g., yield potential and input requirements. A Geographical Information System (GIS-based procedure with remotely sensed data is also used to evaluate the land suitability and the actual land use/cover, considering a future scenario of expansion of energy crops on these marginal areas avoiding potential conflicts with food production. The results of the review suggests that giant reed, native perennial grasses and milk thistle are the most suitable energy crops for this area. The land suitability analysis shows that about 5700 ha and 1000 ha could be available for feedstock cultivation in the study area and in the most polluted area, respectively. The results obtained from land suitability process and agronomic evaluation will serve as a base to support technical and economical feasibility studies, as well as for the evaluation of environmental sustainability of the cultivation in the study area.

Quinto Tiberio Angelerio and New Measures for Controlling Plague in 16th-Century Alghero, Sardinia

OpenAIRE

Bianucci, Raffaella; Benedictow, Ole J?rgen; Fornaciari, Gino; Giuffra, Valentina

2013-01-01

Plague, a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, has been responsible for at least 3 pandemics. During 1582?1583, a plague outbreak devastated the seaport of Alghero in Sardinia. By analyzing contemporary medical texts and local documentation, we uncovered the pivotal role played by the Protomedicus of Alghero, Quinto Tiberio Angelerio (1532?1617), in controlling the epidemic. Angelerio imposed rules and antiepidemic measures new to the 16th-century sanitary system of Sardi...

[Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), cervical cancer incidence and screening uptake: differences among Northern, Central and Southern Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgi Rossi, Paolo; Chini, Francesco; Borgia, Piero; Guasticchi, Gabriella; Carozzi, Francesca Maria; Confortini, Massimo; Angeloni, Claudio; Buzzoni, Carlotta; Buonaguro, Franco Maria

2012-01-01

this article presents a review of evidences about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer in Italy, highlighting geographical differences. two systematic reviews recently published were updated, one collecting studies on the prevalence of HPV types in Italy in the general population and the other collecting prevalence of HPV types in cervical pathologic samples.The search was updated to 31.10.2010 and performed exclusively in MedLine and references in retrieved papers. the prevalence of HPV types has been related with the incidence of cervical cancer and the spread of Pap tests and screening programs. the prevalence high risk HPV types is 8%in studies with population-based random sample, with no significant difference between Centre-North and South-Islands, however, the prevalence is slightly higher in the South than the Centre-North for women up to 54 years of age, whereas in older women the ratio is reversed. HPV 16 is the most common type, while HPV 18 is less frequent, 5% and 1% respectively. The average of HPV 16 positivity is 64% and 68% in CIN2/3 and invasive cancer respectively, while the average of HPV 18 is 7% and 11% in CIN2/3 and invasive cancer respectively. There are no significant differences by geographical area.The incidence of invasive cervical cancer in Italy has been decreasing in recent years changing from 9.2 to 7.7 per 100,000 inhabitants in 10 years. The incidence is lower in South-Islands. Pap test coverage is over 80% in Centre-North and less than 60%in South-Islands. cervical cancer incidence is lower in Southern Italy, while the Pap test coverage is much higher in Centre-Northern Italy. This paradox, until now, has been interpreted as a consequence of a lower HPV prevalence in Southern than Northern regions. Recent studies on HPV prevalence do not confirm this hypothesis. Our interpretation is that in Southern Italy we are facing an epidemiologic scenario in transition where the low cancer incidence is the consequence of a low HPV

Field {gamma}-ray spectrometry on the Vulcano island (Aeolian Arc, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiozzi, P.; Pasquale, V.; Russo, D.; Verdoya, M. [Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita di Genova, Genoa (Italy); De Felice, P. [Istituto Nazionale di Metrologica delle Radiazioni Ionizzanti ENEA, Dipartimento Ambiente, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy)

1999-08-01

In situ NaI(Tl) {gamma}-ray spectrometric measurements on the Vulcano island show that the magmatic evolution of the main structural units is reflected by the uranium, thorium and potassium concentrations. The results allowed us to delineate two temporal and radiometric districts. The older district comprises lava flows and pyroclastics of mafic composition forming the whole southern part of the island, with an equivalent uranium concentration and an eTh/eU ratio ranging, on average, from 2.9 to 3.4 ppm and from 2.4 to 4.1, respectively. Rocks of the younger district, ranging from leucitic tephritic and trachytic to rhyolitic composition, show higher K contents (about 6%) and more variable eTh/eU ratios (2.4-6.1)

Field γ-ray spectrometry on the Vulcano island (Aeolian Arc, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiozzi, P.; Pasquale, V.; Russo, D.; Verdoya, M.; De Felice, P.

1999-01-01

In situ NaI(Tl) γ-ray spectrometric measurements on the Vulcano island show that the magmatic evolution of the main structural units is reflected by the uranium, thorium and potassium concentrations. The results allowed us to delineate two temporal and radiometric districts. The older district comprises lava flows and pyroclastics of mafic composition forming the whole southern part of the island, with an equivalent uranium concentration and an eTh/eU ratio ranging, on average, from 2.9 to 3.4 ppm and from 2.4 to 4.1, respectively. Rocks of the younger district, ranging from leucitic tephritic and trachytic to rhyolitic composition, show higher K contents (about 6%) and more variable eTh/eU ratios (2.4-6.1)

Lo stereotipo del Sud fra Otto e Novecento. Il caso della Sardegna

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Maria Bonaria Urban

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The Southern Stereotype in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The Case of Sardinia   Following Italian unification, the North-South dichotomy which had for centuries been part of European tradition was reformulated in Italian culture, resulting in the definition of a homogeneous concept of the South and with it what is probably the most significant and persistent stereotype in the national collective imagination. This perspective stands as a constant in every text on Sardinia, since the national debate on the Southern Question placed the island firmly among the country's other Southern regions. In the early 20th century the traditional stock of images and stereotypes characterising literary discourse became an essential reservoir of characters, situations and places for film-makers. Following the method of imagology, this paper focuses on the strategies used in representing the stereotype of the South in the cinema, specifically in the film Cainà. L’isola e il continente (Righelli 1922. The working hypothesis is that films confirmed the centrality of the North-South dichotomy as the creative engine in the Italian cinematic imagination and the identification of Sardinian society with the South perceived as a model of archaic and primitive civilisation. Depicting Sardinia in accordance with an interpretative scheme considered absolute and unchanging, the new art form followed a route already laid down in literature. In addition, in a cultural phase dominated by the need to develop and disseminate a national consciousness, it contributed to the production of images and symbols standing in open contradiction to the ideal of a united Italy, revealing the contradictions that the Risorgimento had created rather than resolve.

Seasonal variation of air kerma in the 'Vulcano Porto' area (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellia, S.; Basile, S.; Brai, M.; Hauser, S.; Puccio, P.; Rizzo, S.

2001-01-01

Air kerma was measured in the 'Vulcano Porto' area of the Vulcano Island, belonging to the Aeolian Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea. Measurements were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters. The relationship between observed dose values and source lithology has been assessed. Data show a seasonal variation due to weather conditions but also probably related to features of the soils, making the variation more evident

Seasonal variation of air kerma in the "Vulcano Porto" area (Aeolian Islands, Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Bellia, S; Basile, S; Brai, M; Hauser, S; Puccio, P; Rizzo, S

2001-04-01

Air kerma was measured in the "Vulcano Porto" area of the Vulcano Island, belonging to the Aeolian Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea. Measurements were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters. The relationship between observed dose values and source lithology has been assessed. Data show a seasonal variation due to weather conditions but also probably related to features of the soils, making the variation more evident.

The effects of prey size on diet differentiation of seven passerine species at two spring stopover sites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchetti, C.M.; Locatelli, D.P.; Van Noordwijk, A.J.; Baldaccini, N.E.

1998-01-01

Prey size was evaluated for seven passerine trans-Saharan migrant species at two spring stopover sites in Sardinia, Italy. The species considered were Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata, Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Garden Warbler Sylvia borin, Whitethroat

MARICULTURE ON CROATIAN ISLANDS

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Gordana Šarušić

2000-09-01

Full Text Available The first attempts of intensive mariculture in Croatia commenced at the very beginning of 1980’s. The mid-eighties brought an expansion of mariculture production, which has been continuously increasing. A few different marine organisms are intensively cultured - both fish and shellfish. Among them commercially most important and highly valued species are sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax and sea bream Sparus aurata. Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and oyster Ostrea edulis are the most important shellfish. Fish species such as dentex Dentex dentex, red sea bream Pagrus major and sheepshead bream Puntazzo puntazzo are reared too, but in a rather small quantities. Only recently the rearing, on-growing- of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus started in Croatia. The juveniles (70% are reared in a Croatian hatcheries, and 30% has to be imported mainly from Italy and France, due to a higher demand for this kind of culture among the small growers. Croatian part of Adriatic sea possesses a number of geomorfologicaly suitable sites and meteorological conditions which determined the choice - type - of intensive culture. All fish species are reared in a floating cages. The choice of cages i. e. semi off-shore or floating frames, size, rearing volume and design depend on the investors personal preference. The annual turnouf of a market size bass was about 600t and 300t bream in 1996., by 10 island farms which is 70% of total production in Croatia. Including other cultured fish species last year production was up to 1000t, and it™s being estimated to be about 1300t in the following year. The shellfish production on the islands is usually individual attempt of farmers, producing minor quantities mostly in polyculture. This production has bigger potential but it’s limited owing to the EU quality control regulations which do not allow the export, and by domestic market which has drastically decreased due to the collapse of tourism during the recent war. Almost 80

Uses of plants, animal and mineral substances in Mediterranean ethno-veterinary practices for the care of small ruminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Piluzza, G; Virdis, S; Serralutzu, F; Bullitta, S

2015-06-20

The cultural heritage of Sardinian shepherds is rapidly vanishing and survives in the memory of elderly people. The objective of our study was not only to report the usage of plants and their preparation for administration but also the use of other remedies of different origin arising from traditional ethno-veterinary knowledge, as Sardinian shepherds were used to employ plants, animals, minerals and combinations of several substances to prepare remedies for prophylaxis or therapy on their animals. The work was carried out in rural areas of the island of Sardinia (Italy) by interviewing shepherds and filling questionnaires in order to record ethno-veterinary practices traditionally used for animal health care. Ethno-veterinary remedies traditionally utilised for treatments of small ruminants against ecto-and endo-parasites, gastrointestinal diseases, viral and bacterial diseases, wounds, sprains and bruises were identified. Non herbal remedies outnumbered the herbal ones, as usually plant species were mainly used for the care of cattle and equines. A total of 150 ethno-veterinary uses were documented for the treatment of 33 animal conditions, a detailed account of the formulations and their administration to sheep and goats was provided. Herbal remedies involved the use of twenty two spontaneous species and seven cultivated species. This study identifies remedies used in ethno-veterinary practices for small ruminants care in Sardinia, the second major Mediterranean island which has agro-pastoral activities dating back to Neolithic. Moreover, the danger of losing oral traditions, and the increasing attention towards traditional remedies as potential sources of natural products for improving animal health and welfare, support the interest of our survey. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aeromagnetic anomaly images of Vulcano and Southern Lipari Islands (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy

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M. Chiappini

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Newly acquired high-resolution, low-altitude aeromagnetic data over Vulcano Island and Southwestern Lipari in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea resolve the major volcanic features in the area associated with the past and present activity. The magnetic character changes in amplitude and frequency from south-east to north-west. The Primordial Vulcano, the Lentia Complex, the Piano Caldera units, the Fossa Caldera deposits, and the currently active La Fossa cone and Vulcanello represent the main volcanic phases on Vulcano Island. They show a distinct magnetic anomaly pattern, whereas prior to this survey, no magnetic signatures of these features were found.

"Pittura Romeica" in Italy: Artistic transfers across the Adriatic sea (18th - 19th centuries

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Eugenia Drakopoulou

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The complex historical reality of the Adriatic region, an area located even today on the borderline between East and West, is reflected in the works of religious painting and in the painters’ geographical movements. The art of Orthodox regions was mainly influenced by Venice, but also by the rest of Italy, and, as a result, a unique art emerged in the Ionian Islands, which remained under Venetian control until the end of the eighteenth century. In the course of the eighteenth century, political and economic conditions contributed to the growth of the Orthodox communities in Italy. Their members were interested in the art of the country where they lived and prospered, but they simultaneously wished to preserve the “pittura romeica” in the decorations of churches and in the icons used for their personal worship. From Naples to the cosmopolitan Trieste, Orthodox painters, coming mainly from the Ionian Islands, produced artworks which were adapted to the new surroundings, thereby making the Adriatic region once again a privileged area for cultural exchanges.

Occurrence of Somma-Vesuvio fine ashes in the tephrostratigraphic record of Panarea, Aeolian Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Donatella, De Rita; Daniela, Dolfi; Corrado, Cimarelli

2008-10-01

Ash-rich tephra layers interbedded in the pyroclastic successions of Panarea island (Aeolian archipelago, Southern Italy) have been analyzed and related to their original volcanic sources. One of these tephra layers is particularly important as it can be correlated by its chemical and morphoscopic characteristics to the explosive activity of Somma-Vesuvio. Correlation with the Pomici di Base eruption, that is considered one of the largest explosive events causing the demolition of the Somma stratovolcano, seems the most probable. The occurrence on Panarea island of fine ashes related to this eruption is of great importance for several reasons: 1) it allows to better constrain the time stratigraphy of the Panarea volcano; 2) it provides a useful tool for tephrochronological studies in southern Italy and finally 3) it allows to improve our knowledge on the distribution of the products of the Pomici di Base eruption giving new insights on the dispersion trajectories of fine ashes from plinian plumes. Other exotic tephra layers interbedded in the Panarea pyroclastic successions have also been found. Chemical and sedimentological characteristics of these layers allow their correlation with local vents from the Aeolian Islands thus constraining the late explosive activity of Panarea dome.

Contribution of the calving interval to dairy farm profitability: results of a cluster analysis of FADN data for a major milk production area in southern Italy

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G. Dono

2013-10-01

Full Text Available In this study we investigated the potential economic impact of good management of the calving interval on dairy farms. This involved the assessment of economics and production of a sample of farms, selected from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN, and located in Sardinia, Italy. Two farm models were derived from clustering the sample by k-means, which were validated by verifying their consistency in relation to nutritional needs, feed supply and milk production of the herds. Differences in indices of performance and dynamics were found (e.g. ROE is -0.8% vs 4.7%, with evident linkages between economic performance, greater efficiency, reproductive capacity, and potential turnover. The model better performing reflected greater economic feeding efficiency and a shorter calving interval. Hence, management, more than structural aspects, determined the economic results of the sampled farms.

Leg ulcer in Werner syndrome (adult progeria): a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Fumo, Giuseppe; Pau, Monica; Patta, Federico; Aste, Nicola; Atzori, Laura

2013-03-15

Werner syndrome (WS; MIM#277700) or adult progeria, is a rare disease, associated with mutations of a single gene (RECQL2 or WRN), located on chromosome 8 (8p12). It codes a DNA-helicase, whose defects cause genomic instability. The highest incidences are reported in Japan and Sardinia (Italy). On this major island of the Mediterranean Basin, the WS cases have been observed in the northern areas. The authors describe the apparently first case reported in southern Sardinia, a 51-year-old woman, who was born in and resides in the province of Cagliari. She presented with a 9-year history of an intractable leg ulcer and other characteristic symptoms, including "bird-like" face, high-pitched voice, premature greying, short stature, abdominal obesity in contrast with thin body type, scleroderma-like legs, decreased muscle mass, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and premature menopause. A specialized genetic Institute of Research (IRCCS-IDI, Rome) confirmed the clinical diagnosis. There is no cure or specific treatment and patients must be periodically screened for an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and malignancies. Among the many findings, leg ulcers significantly affect the patient's quality of life. This problem may send the patient to the dermatologist, who finally suspects the diagnosis. Poor response to medical treatment may require aggressive repeated surgery, with poor or temporary results.

Evaluation of photovoltaic installations performances in Sardinia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghiani, Emilio; Pilo, Fabrizio; Cossu, Silvestro

2013-01-01

Highlights: • One year measurement and performance analysis of grid connected PV power plants. • The analysis of the whole energetic PV transformation chain is presented. • Ambient parameters monitored and compared with the ones available in literature. • Monthly variability of the performance ratio and its correlation with temperature. • Range of variation of performance ratio in plants grouped by typology. - Abstract: This paper aims at providing a performance analysis of a grid connected photovoltaic power plant in Sardinia by investigating on the effective performance ratio of PV installations, with a critical analysis of the whole energetic transformation chain, starting from the incident solar energy, to the DC energy output from the modules and AC energy output from the inverter and transformer. The parameters that can influence the energy production are analyzed in order to find out the critical points in the optimization of the PV system design process. One year measurement and performance analysis of two real-life grid connected PV power plants are presented in the paper, providing up-to-date measurement data, useful to compare the effective energy production of PV plants positioned in different areas of the world. Monthly variability of the performance ratio and its correlation with ambient temperature is also discussed in the paper

The importance of a taste. A comparative study on wild food plant consumption in twenty-one local communities in Italy

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Binda Riccardo

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract A comparative food ethnobotanical study was carried out in twenty-one local communities in Italy, fourteen of which were located in Northern Italy, one in Central Italy, one in Sardinia, and four in Southern Italy. 549 informants were asked to name and describe food uses of wild botanicals they currently gather and consume. Data showed that gathering, processing and consuming wild food plants are still important activities in all the selected areas. A few botanicals were quoted and cited in multiple areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Italian regions (Asparagus acutifolius, Reichardia picroides, Cichorium intybus, Foeniculum vulgare, Sambucus nigra, Silene vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale, Urtica dioica, Sonchus and Valerianella spp.. One taxon (Borago officinalis in particular was found to be among the most quoted taxa in both the Southern and the Northern Italian sites. However, when we took into account data regarding the fifteen most quoted taxa in each site and compared and statistically analysed these, we observed that there were a few differences in the gathering and consumption of wild food plants between Northern and Southern Italy. In the North, Rosaceae species prevailed, whereas in the South, taxa belonging to the Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, and Liliaceae s.l. families were most frequently cited. We proposed the hypothesis that these differences may be due to the likelihood that in Southern Italy the erosion of TK on wild vegetables is taking place more slowly, and also to the likelihood that Southern Italians' have a higher appreciation of wild vegetables that have a strong and bitter taste. A correspondence analysis confirmed that the differences in the frequencies of quotation of wild plants within the Northern and the Southern Italian sites could be ascribed only partially to ethnic/cultural issues. An additional factor could be recent socio-economic shifts, which may be having

Occurrence of the alien nudibranch Melibe viridis (Kelaart, 1858 (Opisthobranchia, Tethydidae, in the Maltese Islands

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J.A. BORG

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The alien dendronotacean nudibranch Melibe viridis (Kelaart, 1858, a tropical Indo-Pacific species that seems to have been introduced by shipping into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, and which has established populations in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Montenegro, Croatia, NW Sicily, southern peninsular Italy and Djerba Island in the Gulf of Gabes, is recorded for the first time from Malta. A thriving population was observed on a soft sediment bottom at a depth of 18-20 m off the western coast of the island of Comino (Maltese Islands. It is suggested that this species was introduced into Malta due to a natural range expansion of surrounding populations.

Miocene shoshonite volcanism in Sardinia: Implications for magma sources and geodynamic evolution of the central-western Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Beccaluva, Luigi; Bianchini, Gianluca; Mameli, Paola; Natali, Claudio

2013-11-01

In this paper we document the existence of a Miocene shoshonite (SHO) volcanism in Northern Sardinia (Anglona). This occurrence completes the spectrum of orogenic magmas related to the subduction process which developed from the Eocene along the Palaeo-European continental margin, in concert with the opening of the Ligurian-Balearic back-arc basin and southeastward drift/rotation of the Sardinia-Corsica continental block. K-Ar ages show that the oldest volcanics of the area are calcalkaline (CA) basalts and andesites (~ 21 Ma), overlain by 19.7-18.4 Ma-old more potassic products such as high-potassium calcalkaline (HK-CA) and SHO lavas. CA, HK-CA and SHO suites include basalts and differentiated lavas of andesite and latite composition, respectively, that (according to the PELE software modelling) represent ~ 40-45% residual liquid fraction after shallow fractional crystallization. Application of the "Arc Magma Simulator" software suggests that the generation of primary melts of the distinct suites may occur at similar degrees of partial melting (5-8%) and melting pressures (2-2.2 GPa, ~ 60-70 km depth) in the mantle wedge. By contrast, the potassic character of parental melts of CA, HK-CA and SHO suites is controlled by 1) the amount of subducted continental components (possibly terrigenous sediments) and 2) the pressure (depth) at which these metasomatic agents are released from the slab. Results suggest that the slab depth beneath the volcanic district increased from ~ 80-100 to 100-120 km for CA and SHO magmas, respectively. Accordingly, the evolution from CA to SHO magmatism in the same plumbing system could be related to slab deepening and increase of the subduction angle of ~ 5-10° in the time span of 2-3 Ma. This tectono-magmatic scenario conforms to the major anticlockwise rotation (~ 30°) event of the Sardinia block (between 20.5 and 18 Ma). This geodynamic evolution preludes the development of the volcanism in the Apennine-Tyrrhenian domains, where the

Looking inside the Panarea Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy by gravity and magnetic data

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F. Greco

2008-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper we show and discuss the results of gravity and magnetic surveys of Panarea Island and its archipelago. The most recent volcanic manifestation occurred in November 2002 with a shallow submarine gas eruption between the islets of Dattilo, Panarelli, Lisca Bianca, Bottaro and Lisca Nera. Currently, the activity of Panarea is monitored through a multidisciplinary study under the umbrella of the Italian Department of Civil Protection with the goal of defining the hazard of this area. With this aim, in May 2006 the first gravity and magnetic surveys of Panarea Island and its archipelago were performed. The offshore magnetic data were obtained using a marine magnetometer, a Geometrics G880, from the Istituto Idrografico dell Marina (IIM. Onshore and offshore magnetic data were integrated into an unique dataset for complete magnetic coverage of the study area. By using two micro-gravimeters (LaCoste & Romberg, gravity data were collected along tracks every 250 meters. The gravity dataset was processed using the standard method. A Bouguer reduction was applied to the free-air gravity dataset using a detailed digital elevation model of the island and the neighbouring sea after evaluation of the optimal Bouguer density to reduce the topographic effect. The result is a Bouguer anomaly map that shows lateral variations in density distribution and the relationships between the shallow volcanic/crustal features and tectonic lineaments. This evidence is also highlighted by the magnetic pattern, which suggests the importance of the youngest volcanic deposits with respect to the magnetic features of the island.

The crustal velocity field mosaic of the Alpine Mediterranean area (Italy): Insights from new geodetic data

Science.gov (United States)

Farolfi, Gregorio; Del Ventisette, Chiara

2016-04-01

A new horizontal crustal velocity field of Alpine Mediterranean area was determined by continuous long time series (6.5 years) of 113 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) permanent stations. The processing was performed using state-of-the-art absolute antenna phase center correction model and recomputed precise IGS orbits available since April 2014. Moreover, a new more accurate tropospheric mapping function for geodetic applications was adopted. Results provide a new detailed map of the kinematics throughout the entire study area. This area is characterized by a complex tectonic setting driven by the interaction of Eurasian and African plates. The eastern Alps, Corsica, Sardinia and the Tyrrhenian Sea (which is covered only by interpolation data) show small velocity residuals with respect to the Eurasian plate. The whole Apennines axis discriminates two different velocity patterns, the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian area. The area around Messina Strait, which separates peninsular Italy and Sicily, represents a poorly understood region. Results identify an important boundary zone between two different domains, Calabria and Sicily, which are characterized by different crustal motions. The northeastern part of Sicily and Calabria move like Adriatic area, whilst the rest of Sicily, Malta and Lampedusa are dominated by African motion.

Submarine geo-hazards on the eastern Sardinia-Corsica continental margin based on preliminary pipeline route investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Cecchini, S.; Taliana, D.; Giacomini, L.; Herisson, C.; Bonnemaire, B.

2011-03-01

The understanding of the morphology and the shallow geo-hazards of the seafloor is a major focus for both academic and private industry research. On November and December 2009 a geophysical pipeline survey was carried out by Fugro Oceansismica S.p.A. (FOSPA) and FUGRO France (FFSA) for DORIS Engineering on behalf of GRTgaz (Engineering centre, Transmission Pipe Department; http://www.grtgaz.com) which are currently investigating the possibility of laying a pipeline between Sardinia and Corsica as a spur line from the planned GALSI Project. The Project, "Alimentation de la Corse en gaz naturel", consists of a corridor 100 km long and 1.0 km wide along the Corsica-Sardinia shelf. The integration of the multibeam, sidescan sonar and sparker data provided a high resolution seafloor mapping for geo-hazard assessment. In this article the data acquired along a break of slope section (approximately 20 km × 1.5 km), in the eastern sector of the Strait of Bonifacio are described. The area was abandoned during the survey, because of its unsuitability. Indeed, in this area the continental shelf, approximately 100 m deep and deepening gently eastward, is characterized by an uneven morphology, with different seabed features such as Beach- rocks mainly NNW-SSE oriented. Also, the continuity of the continental margin, identified around -110/-115 m, is interrupted by four canyon heads which incise the slope and are associated with glide deposits.

"Instant status" during the slaughter: social positioning and power in a Sardinian shepherd family

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, F.

2012-01-01

This article uses food as a means to critically explore the existing theoretical debate on social change and power structures. Through a detailed ethnographic analysis of two events the milking of sheep and the slaughtering of a steer in rural Sardinia, Italy the article introduces the concept of

Influence of environmental factors on composition of volatile constituents and biological activity of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Don (Asteraceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Tundis, R; Statti, G A; Conforti, F; Bianchi, A; Agrimonti, C; Sacchetti, G; Muzzoli, M; Ballero, M; Menichini, F; Poli, F

2005-06-01

The biovariability of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) Don grown wild in Calabria and Sardinia (Italy) was reported. This species has been characterized through the detection, isolation and quantitative evaluation of chemical markers (alpha-terpinolene, trans-cariophyllene and neryl acetate) by GC and GC-MS. Antioxidant activity of the methanolic H. italicum extracts using DPPH and beta-carotene bleaching test showed that the Calabrian samples were more active than those from Sardinia. The antibacterial activity of all extracts evidenced the best performance on the Gram positive bacteria particularly on Micrococcus luteus. Moreover, antifungal activity of all extracts was also tested evidencing important results particularly on the phytopathogene fungus Pythium ultimum. In general, as regards the antifungal activity, the extracts from Sardinia were more active than those from Calabria. The phytochemical analysis and the biological activity data suggested a possible use of these plant matrices in alimentary, cosmetic and pharmaceutical fields.

Rediscovery of Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix incapax Starý, 2005 (Diptera, Limoniidae, a crane fly species flightless in both sexes and probably endemic to Sardinia

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Jaroslav Stary

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Rediscovery of Rhabdomastix (Rhabdomastix incapax Starý, 2005 in Sardinia made it possible to update the description of the male and to provide the first description of the female of this species. Notes on the wing reduction, ecology, and behaviour of this species are appended.

Offspring from endogamic vs. exogamic matings: Absence of anthropometric differences among Sardinian children (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Sanna, E; De Micco, A; Palmas, L; Soro, M R; Vallascas, E; Danubio, M E

2010-01-01

This study evaluates possible differences in body dimensions among children from matings of different exogamy levels. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 867 children, 435 males, and 432 females, 6-10 years old, attending elementary schools in the metropolitan area of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia (Italy). The children were divided into two groups according to the level of exogamy. The first group consisted of children of parents born in the same Sardinian municipality and was considered endogamous sensu stricto. The second group included children of parents born in municipalities from different Sardinian linguistic domains and was considered exogamous. The Mann-Whitney test did not reveal significant differences between the two groups of children in the mean rank values of the 36 anthropometric variables considered, with the exception of cephalic circumference in males and chest depth in females. In particular, there were no significant differences for anthropometric variables considered to be indirect indicators of nutritional status: sum of skinfolds, waist/hip ratio, body mass index, total upper arm area, upper arm muscle area, and upper arm fat area. The results indicate that Sardinian children from marriages of different exogamy levels do not differ in body dimensions if they grow up with similar nutritional and socioeconomic conditions.

The island of Lipari (Aeolian archipelago, Italy). Preliminary distribution and evaluation of the significative elements pertaining to the environmental, floristic and faunistic patrimony; Distribuzione e valutazione preliminare di biotipi, flora e fauna: l'Isola di Lipari (Arcipelago Eoliano)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Ayala, A. [Parma Univ., Parma (Italy). Dipt. di Scienze Ambientali

2000-02-01

The island of Lipari (Italy), with the larger territorial extension and human impact in the Aeolian archipelago, shows a remarkable naturalistic resources richness and it was recently studied with the Italian program Carta della Natura (national law 394/91). In order to identify and prioritize areas for protection planning, are here presented some preliminary results concerning the conservation status, the spatial distribution of habitats of European importance (EU Habitat Directive 43/92), floristic and faunistic elements classified as threatened in Italy (IUCN categories), with reference to the ecological sensibility, anthropic pressure and also the main problems related the natural reserve in way of institution. [Italian] L'articolo presenta uno studio di valutazione ambientale relativo alla distribuzione dei biotipi, della flora e della fauna dell'isola di Lipari, inerente al programma nazionale Carta della Natura (L. 394/91). Vengono discussi alcuni aspetti significativi connessi all'importanza della conservazione degli habitat dell'isola, con riferimento alle problematiche della futura riserva.

Seasonal variation of air kerma in the 'Vulcano Porto' area (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellia, S.; Basile, S.; Brai, M. E-mail: mbrai@unipa.it; Hauser, S.; Puccio, P.; Rizzo, S

2001-02-01

Air kerma was measured in the 'Vulcano Porto' area of the Vulcano Island, belonging to the Aeolian Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea. Measurements were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters. The relationship between observed dose values and source lithology has been assessed. Data show a seasonal variation due to weather conditions but also probably related to features of the soils, making the variation more evident.

Identification of the source of manufacture of obsidian through the dating with the method of fission track

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arias, C.; Bigazzi, G.; Bonadonna, F.P.; Radi, G.; Bernardes, C.; Hadler Neto, J.C.; Lattes, C.M.G.; Araya, A.M.O.; Oliveira, J.X.

1986-01-01

Identification of the source of manufacture of obsidian through the dating with the method of fission track. After a brief description of fission track dating method and of the problems related to its application to volcanic glasses, we show and discuss data about obsidians of geological origin from Mediterranean basin and Latin America and of archaeological origin found in prehistoric sites from Italian peninsula. The analysis of the results shows the excellent performance of fission track method to identify the provenance of obsidians of archaeological origin, provided important constributions both from the methodological pointo of view-excellent agreement between the two correction techniques of apparent ages, size-correction technique and plateau age -, as from the archaeological point of view - we could identify four possible sources of provenance in Italy, the obsidian from Monte Arci, Sardinia, the obsidian from Pahnarola island, the obsidian from Gabelloto, Lipari island and the obsidian from Balata dei Turchi, Pantelleria island; and it ca be shown that Lipari obsidian began to be used at a very antique phase of neolithic period. The data about Latin American samples, though fragmented, constitute in an inicial study promissing perpectives as it can be observed by the comparisions made with the data published by others authors about geologic and archaeologic samples from the same area. (Author) [pt

Applying and validating the PTVA-3 Model at the Aeolian Islands, Italy: assessment of the vulnerability of buildings to tsunamis

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F. Dall'Osso

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Sicily, Italy is included on the UNESCO World Heritage list and is visited by more than 200 000 tourists per year. Due to its geological characteristics, the risk related to volcanic and seismic activity is particularly high. Since 1916 the archipelago has been hit by eight local tsunamis. The most recent and intense of these events happened on 30 December 2002. It was triggered by two successive landslides along the north-western side of the Stromboli volcano (Sciara del Fuoco, which poured approximately 2–3×10⁷ m³ of rocks and debris into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The waves impacted across the whole archipelago, but most of the damage to buildings and infrastructures occurred on the islands of Stromboli (maximum run-up 11 m and Panarea.

The aim of this study is to assess the vulnerability of buildings to damage from tsunamis located within the same area inundated by the 2002 event. The assessment is carried out by using the PTVA-3 Model (Papathoma Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment, version 3. The PTVA-3 Model calculates a Relative Vulnerability Index (RVI for every building, based on a set of selected physical and structural attributes. Run-up values within the area inundated by the 2002 tsunami were measured and mapped by the Istituto Italiano di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV and the University of Bologna during field surveys in January 2003. Results of the assessment show that if the same tsunami were to occur today, 54 buildings would be affected in Stromboli, and 5 in Panarea. The overall vulnerability level obtained in this analysis for Stromboli and Panarea are "average"/"low" and "very low", respectively. Nonetheless, 14 buildings in Stromboli are classified as having a "high" or "average" vulnerability. For some buildings, we were able to validate the RVI scores calculated by the PTVA-3 Model through a qualitative comparison with photographs taken by INGV and

Metals in bones of the middle-aged inhabitants of Sardinia island (Italy) to assess nutrition and environmental exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bocca, Beatrice; Forte, Giovanni; Giuffra, Valentina; Serra, Rita Maria; Asara, Yolande; Farace, Cristiano; Milanese, Marco; Tognotti, Eugenia; Montella, Andrea; Bandiera, Pasquale; Madeddu, Roberto

2018-03-01

Metals in bones of 72 subjects lived between the twelfth and eighteenth century AC and collected in four Sardinian (Italian insular region) burial sites (Alghero, Bisarcio, Geridu, and Sassari) were determined and used as biomarkers to evaluate diet and potential social-environmental differences. Concentrations of Ba, Ca, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sr, and Zn were quantified in different types of compact bone (femur, fibula, humerus, radius, tibia, ulna) by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry previous acidic digestion and differences among the various burial sites, centuries, types of bone, gender, and age were explored by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results indicated differences between sites in terms of diet: Bisarcio (inland village) had increased ratios of Ba/Ca and Zn/Ca due to higher incidence of vegetables, cereals, and animal foods in the diet; Geridu (coastal village) showed increased Sr/Ca ratio indicating foods of plant and marine origin that were predominant; Alghero (coastal site) and Sassari (inland site) displayed prevalently a mixed diet reflecting a higher economy and food imports. In addition, these latter sites showed increased levels of Hg/Ca (fish, drugs, cosmetics) and Pb/Ca (coins, utensils, pipeline for water). In conclusion, the elemental Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca, and Zn/Ca ratios were indicative of provenance and diet, while Hg/Ca and Pb/Ca ratios were associated to various forms of environmental exposure.

The Montessori Experiment in Rhode Island (1913-1940): Tracing Theory to Implementation over 25 Years

Science.gov (United States)

Zoll, Susan

2017-01-01

This article highlights archived documents pertaining to a 25-year experimental classroom implemented by Clara Craig, then supervisor of training at the Rhode Island Normal School. Craig is notable as she was the only participant in the first International Montessori Training Course in Rome, Italy, in 1913, to gain approval from the Rhode Island…

A neighborhood revealed by geophysical prospection: An example of urbanization at the Phoenician-Punic settlement of Mozia (western Sicily, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Di Mauro, D.; Alfonsi, L.; Sapia, V.; Urbini, S.

2014-05-01

The archaeological site of Mozia, a small island in front of the western coast of Sicily (Italy), is one of the most important Phoenician-Punic settlements in the Mediterranean; it preserves important vestiges and remains, located in an uncontaminated site, inhabited and car-free. The remains are still partially hidden under vegetation and vineyards.

Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-04-01

For "Background Notes" on Italy, the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Public Affairs, covers geography, people, history, government, politics, economy, defense and foreign relations. Italy had 57.3 million persons in 1986, with a growth rate of 2.3%. The life expectancy is 73 years; the infant mortality rate is 14.3/1000 live births. 98% of the people are literate. The current constitutional republic has existed since 1948. Mean per capita income is $6,447. The people work mainly in services (60%), industry (30%) and agriculture (10%). Most of the country is mountainous, without significant food, energy or natural resources, so Italy's central position in the Mediterranean has influenced economic development since ancient times. The nation is highly homogeneous, as the government is centralized. Although there are several influential political parties, the diverse structure of the Christian Democrats has given them power since the war. The current prime minister, Bettino Craxi, is a member of the centralist Italian Socialist Party. The Italian Communist Party is the largest such party in the free world, polling 30% of the vote in 1983. Italy is a member of NATO.

A new land snail from the Quaternary of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean: Darderia bellverica n. gen., n. sp. (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Helicodontidae

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Altaba, C. R.

2006-12-01

Full Text Available A new genus and species of land snail is described from pre-human paleosoils at Bellver hill in the island of Mallorca. It is a medium-sized helicodontid with 6 tight coils, dome-shaped spire, obtuse peripheral keel, eccentric umbilicus, narrow aperture inclined forward, sinuous reflected peristome, a low angular tooth, 5 infrapalatal denticles, teleoconch with many regular riblets and widely scattered hair pits, and protoconch with simple wrinkles and very thin spiral lines. This very rare species had been reported as a member of the Iberian-Maghribian Oestophora. Similar Plio-Pleistocene fossils from the Balearics and Sardinia are placed in the new genus. This may constitute a biogeographic link within the Lindholmiolinae, now surviving at both ends of the Mediterranean basin. It remains unknown when, why or whether it became extinct.

Results of radioactivity analysis made in Corsica following the navigation incident of the USS Hartford submarine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

No radiological impact has been revealed in relation with the navigation incident of the Uss Hartford submarine at the north of Sardinia. The analysis have been made by the Institute of radiation protection and nuclear safety (I.R.S.N.).The Uss Hartford submarine had hit the bottom of the sea, on the 25. of october 2003, between the islands of Sardinia at a thirty kilometers distance in the south of Bonifacio. The accident had been declared to the public only on the 12. of November 2003. (N.C.)

The island of Elba (Tuscany, Italy) at the crossroads of ancient trade routes: an archaeometric investigation of dolia defossa from the archaeological site of San Giovanni

Science.gov (United States)

Manca, Rosarosa; Pagliantini, Laura; Pecchioni, Elena; Santo, Alba P.; Cambi, Franco; Chiarantini, Laura; Corretti, Alessandro; Costagliola, Pilario; Orlando, Andrea; Benvenuti, Marco

2016-12-01

Dolia are large pottery containers used in Roman times for the storage and fermentation of wine. They were produced in specialized pottery workshops ( figlinae) and were typically marked with specific epigraphical stamps, which represent a major tool to unravel their provenance and trade. In this work we present the preliminary results of a study of two dolia defossa, recently found at San Giovanni (Portoferraio, island of Elba, Italy) during 2012-2014 archaeological excavations in a Roman farm (late 2nd cent. BC-1st cent. AD), devoted to wine production and probably constituting the antecedent archaeological phase of the adjacent "Villa delle Grotte". Based on archaeological (epigraphic) evidence, five different production areas have been hypothesized: 1) Elba island, where the dolia have been found; 2) the municipal figlinae in the Pisa territory; 3) the middle catchment of the Tiber river (central Latium) where "urban" figlinae occurred; 4) the figlinae of Minturno (southern Latium), a locality known both for wine production and exportation and for the presence of ancient figlinae; 5) the municipal figlinae in the Volterra territory. Archaeometric analysis of tempering agents intentionally added to the clay for the manufacturing of the dolia, particularly magmatic lithic fragments and clinopyroxene crystals, allowed us to suggest that the watershed of the central Tiber Valley - including different volcanic centres belonging to both Tuscany Magmatic Province (Monti Cimini) and Roman Magmatic Province (Monti Vulsini and Vico volcano) - could have been the most likely sites of production of the dolia found at San Giovanni. Alternatively, the site of Minturno (southern Latium) could be proposed.

Effects of fire on the state of several elements in some soils of Sardinia.

Science.gov (United States)

Senette, C; Meloni, S; Alberti, G; Melis, P

2000-01-01

In order to individuate the modifications induced in the soil by fires relatively to the mobility of metals and rare earth three soils of Sardinia which differ in their mineralogical and physico-chemical characteristics were sampled. The analytical results obtained on the samples drawn at different depths (0-5 and 10-30 cm) three months after a fire and on the tests indicate that only the surface layer underwent significant modifications. The dynamics of metals and the distribution of the rare earths were found to depend, besides the amount and quality of the burned material, on the different behaviour of elements towards leaching. The diffractometric analysis showed that the soil surface layer of all the samples did not exceed 400 degrees C.

Social Phobia in an Italian region: do Italian studies show lower frequencies than community surveys conducted in other European countries?

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Dell'Osso Liliana

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The lifetime prevalence of Social Phobia (SP in European countries other than Italy has been estimated to range from 3.5% to 16.0%. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of SP in Sardinia (Italy in order to verify the evidence of a lower frequency of SP in Italy observed in previous studies (from 1.0% to 3.1%. Methods A randomised cross sample of 1040 subjects, living in Cagliari, in rural areas, and in a mining district in Sardinia were interviewed using a Simplified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDIS. Diagnoses were made according to the 10th International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10. Results Lifetime prevalence of SP was 2.2% (males: 1.5%, females: 2.8% whereas 6-month prevalence resulted in 1.5% (males: 0.9%, females: 2.1%. Mean age at onset was 16.2 ± 9.3 years. A statistically significant association was found with Depressive Episode, Dysthymia and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Conclusions The study is consistent with findings reported in several previous studies of a lower prevalence of SP in Italy. Furthermore, the results confirm the fact that SP, due to its early onset, might constitute an ideal target for early treatment aimed at preventing both the accumulation of social disabilities and impairments caused by anxiety and avoidance behaviour, as well as the onset of more serious, associated complications in later stages of the illness.

"IlVulcanoInforma": The restyling of the INGV Volcanological Information Centres, Aeolian Islands, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

D'Addezio, G.; Carapezza, M. L.; Riposati, D.; Team, L.

2008-12-01

Vulcano and Stromboli are the most active volcanoes of the Aeolian Islands. Vulcano is quiescent since the eruption of 1888-90 but in the last decades it experienced several crises with huge increase of gas output and temperature of the crater fumaroles, and variations in the magmatic gas components. Stromboli is characterized by a permanent mild explosive activity, episodically interrupted by major explosions, lava effusions, or paroxystic explosive events (October 2001: a tourist killed; December 2002: lava effusion, tsunami generated by flank collapse; April 2003: explosive paroxysm, block fallout on Ginostra village; February-March 2007: lava effusion and paroxysm). These islands are renowned tourist sites for the marvelous sea and the fascination that the volcanoes evoke. In fact, during summer risk increases as there are 10,000-15,000 persons per island (only a few hundreds in winter). Starting from the 1990 the INGV and the Civil Protection established a Volcanological Information Centre on each island with the main goal to inform population and tourists on the risks related to each volcano. During the year the two centres are visited by 8000-10,000 visitors coming from different countries. Researchers and trained students are involved in the educational activity devoted to inform visitors on the scientific aspects of volcano monitoring and hazard assessment and to ensure that tourists, willing to climb the summit crater area, will behave properly. In 2008 the Vulcano exhibition has been totally restyled. The INGV Laboratorio Grafica e Immagini has created for the project a composite and innovative graphic study. This includes a series of products (logos, brochures, panels ecc) with the intent to create new effective information means. The logo creation has been the first step for all the communications: an image with strong impact on volcano information distributed in strategic zones of the village to stimulate interest in the INGV centre and its exhibition.

THE TYRRHENIAN SECTION OF SAN GIOVANNI DI SINIS (SARDINIA:STRATIGRAPHIC RECORD OF AN IRREGULAR SINGLE HIGH STAND

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LUCIANO LECCA

2007-11-01

Full Text Available A new analysis of the most representative Upper Pleistocene (Tyrrhenian, MIS 5e section of San Giovanni di Sinis (Oristano, Sardinia has provided a more detailed genetic stratigraphy of a low wave energy beach and temperate lagoon up to emerged peri-lagoonal facies deposits. These peri-lagoonal facies contain remains of fossil vertebrates, which, though few and fragmentary, bear witness to an at least temporary freshwater palaeoenvironment and the presence of deers and terrapins. Besides, the stratigraphy of this outcrop shows shoreface-backshore sandstones overlaying an erosion surface cut on the vertebrate-bearing layers. Facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of the succession have provided support to a new eustatic interpretation significance. In fact, there appears to be evidence of one irregular single eustatic highstand, rather than two eustatic peaks as previously believed. The facies evolution and the local stratigraphic disconformities are interpreted as being associated with a lateral shift of the depositional environment within the same system formed during the MIS 5e sea level variations. As sea water level continued to rise so an erosional unconformity, caused by wave ravinement, formed between the low wave energy beach-lagoon sequence and the successive wave dominated beach facies sequence. This interpretation is supported by comparison with other sections of the Tyrrhenian in western Sardinia. The maximum sea level attained during the Tyrrhenian stage is a clear indication of a warm-temperate climate which can be correlated to the well known orbital interglacial configuration when the eustatic signal of Greenland's ice sheet melting occurred. SHORT NOTES

Bulk rock composition and geochemistry of olivine-hosted melt inclusions in the Grey Porri Tuff and selected lavas of the Monte dei Porri volcano, Salina, Aeolian Islands, southern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Doherty, Angela L.; Bodnar, Robert J.; De Vivo, Benedetto; Bohrson, Wendy A.; Belkin, Harvey E.; Messina, Antonia; Tracy, Robert J.

2012-01-01

The Aeolian Islands are an arcuate chain of submarine seamounts and volcanic islands, lying just north of Sicily in southern Italy. The second largest of the islands, Salina, exhibits a wide range of compositional variation in its erupted products, from basaltic lavas to rhyolitic pumice. The Monte dei Porri eruptions occurred between 60 ka and 30 ka, following a period of approximately 60,000 years of repose. The bulk rock composition of the Monte dei Porri products range from basaltic-andesite scoria to andesitic pumice in the Grey Porri Tuff (GPT), with the Monte dei Porri lavas having basaltic-andesite compositions. The typical mineral assemblage of the GPT is calcic plagioclase, clinopyroxene (augite), olivine (Fo72−84) and orthopyroxene (enstatite) ± amphibole and Ti-Fe oxides. The lava units show a similar mineral assemblage, but contain lower Fo olivines (Fo57−78). The lava units also contain numerous glomerocrysts, including an unusual variety that contains quartz, K-feldspar and mica. Melt inclusions (MI) are ubiquitous in all mineral phases from all units of the Monte dei Porri eruptions; however, only data from olivine-hosted MI in the GPT are reported here. Compositions of MI in the GPT are typically basaltic (average SiO2 of 49.8 wt %) in the pumices and basaltic-andesite (average SiO2 of 55.6 wt %) in the scoriae and show a bimodal distribution in most compositional discrimination plots. The compositions of most of the MI in the scoriae overlap with bulk rock compositions of the lavas. Petrological and geochemical evidence suggest that mixing of one or more magmas and/or crustal assimilation played a role in the evolution of the Monte dei Porri magmatic system, especially the GPT. Analyses of the more evolved mineral phases are required to better constrain the evolution of the magma.

Anomalies in VLF radio signals prior the Abruzzo earthquake (M=6.3) on 6 April 2009

OpenAIRE

Rozhnoi, A.; Solovieva, M.; Molchanov, O.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Boudjada, M.; Biagi, P. F.; Maggipinto, T.; Castellana, L.; Ermini, A.; Hayakawa, M.

2009-01-01

The VLF/LF radio signals method for studying preseimic activity is applied to the Abruzzo earthquake (M=6.3, 6 April 2009). The data collected by three receivers located in Moscow (Russia), Graz (Austria) and Bari (Italy) at about 3000 km, 1000 km and 500 km from the epicenter were used. The signals received from the Sardinia (20.27 kHz) and the Sicily (45.9 kHz) transmitters, both located in Italy, were compared with those received from the Iceland (37.5 kHz), the Great Bri...

Final Report to the Department of Energy on the 1994 International Accelerator School: Frontiers of Accelerator Technology; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, F.A.

1998-01-01

The international accelerator school on Frontiers of Accelerator Technology was organized jointly by the US Particle Accelerator School (Dr. Mel Month and Ms. Marilyn Paul), the CERN Accelerator School, and the KEK Accelerator School, and was hosted by the University of Hawaii. The course was held on Maui, Hawaii, November 3-9, 1994 and was made possible in part by a grant from the Department of Energy under award number DE-FG03-94ER40875, AMDT M006. The 1994 program was preceded by similar joint efforts held at Santa Margherita di Pula, Sardinia in February 1985, South Padre Island, Texas in October 1986, Anacapri, Italy in October 1988, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in October 1990, and Benalmedena, Spain in October/November 1992. The most recent program was held in Montreux, Switzerland in May 1998. The purpose of the program is to disseminate knowledge on the latest ideas and developments in the technology of particle accelerators by bringing together known world experts and younger scientists in the field. It is intended for individuals with professional interest in accelerator physics and technology, for graduate students, for post-docs, for those interested in accelerator based sciences, and for scientific and engineering staff at industrial firms, especially those companies specializing in accelerator components

Final Report to the Department of Energy on the 1994 International Accelerator School: Frontiers of Accelerator Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, F.A.

1998-01-01

The international accelerator school on Frontiers of Accelerator Technology was organized jointly by the US Particle Accelerator School (Dr. Mel Month and Ms. Marilyn Paul), the CERN Accelerator School, and the KEK Accelerator School, and was hosted by the University of Hawaii. The course was held on Maui, Hawaii, November 3-9, 1994 and was made possible in part by a grant from the Department of Energy under award number DE-FG03-94ER40875, AMDT M006. The 1994 program was preceded by similar joint efforts held at Santa Margherita di Pula, Sardinia in February 1985, South Padre Island, Texas in October 1986, Anacapri, Italy in October 1988, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in October 1990, and Benalmedena, Spain in October/November 1992. The most recent program was held in Montreux, Switzerland in May 1998. The purpose of the program is to disseminate knowledge on the latest ideas and developments in the technology of particle accelerators by bringing together known world experts and younger scientists in the field. It is intended for individuals with professional interest in accelerator physics and technology, for graduate students, for post-docs, for those interested in accelerator based sciences, and for scientific and engineering staff at industrial firms, especially those companies specializing in accelerator components

LE OSSIDIANE DI PALMAROLA I MARKER DI PROVENIENZA

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Andrea Macchia

2012-04-01

Full Text Available

Le tracce di ossidiane e la caratterizzazione delle componenti chimiche presenti nei luoghi oggetto di indagini archeologiche, permettono l'individuazione delle antiche rotte commerciali. In Italia le aree individuate sono Monte Arci in Sardegna, Lipari e Pantelleria in Sicilia e Palmarola nel Lazio.

Obsidian  from  Palmarola:  source  markers

A  chemical  characterization  of  the  main  components  and  traces  of  obsidian  allows identifi cation  of  commercial  routes  in  antiquity.  Obsidian  sources in Prehistoric Italy were mainly four: Monte Arci in Sardinia, the islands of Lipari and Pantelleria in Sicily and the island of Palmarola in Lazio. A survey methodology on samples of obsidian from several Neolithic sites in Lazio has been developed, comparing three different analytical techniques: SEM-EDS, XRF and LA-ICP-MS, in order to obtain a wider range of data to be compared with literature records and processed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA, to defi ne relationships between samples and to assign each finding its origin.

A revision of Meladema diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae, with the description of a new species from the central Mediterranean based on molecules and morphology

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David T. Bilton

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Meladema Laporte, 1835 are relatively large, stream-dwelling diving beetles, distributed widely in the Western Palaearctic, from the Atlantic Islands to Turkey, and from southern France and the Balkans to the central Sahara. In addition to the three previously recognised taxa (M. coriacea Laporte, 1835, M. imbricata (Wollaston, 1871 and M. lanio (Fabricius, 1775 we describe a new, cryptic, species from the central Mediterranean area, which can be distinguished from M. coriacea on both DNA sequence data and morphology, and provide a key to known species of the genus. Based on the study of genotyped material, both recent and archival, as well as the examination of a large number of museum specimens, we show that M. lepidoptera sp. n. occurs to the apparent exclusion of M. coriacea on Corsica, Sardinia and islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, but that both taxa are found in peninsular Italy, where they may occasionally hybridize. In the absence of the original type series, we designate a neotype for M. coriacea, and take the opportunity to designate a lectotype for M. lanio. Morphological variation in Meladema species is discussed, including that seen in known and presumed hybrids. Our study highlights the incomplete state of knowledge of Mediterranean biodiversity, even in relatively large, supposedly well-studied taxa.

Gravitational slope-deformation of a resurgent caldera: New insights from the mechanical behaviour of Mt. Nuovo tuffs (Ischia Island, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Marmoni, G. M.; Martino, S.; Heap, M. J.; Reuschlé, T.

2017-10-01

Ischia Island (Italy) is an impressive example of the rare phenomenon of caldera resurgence. The emplacement and replenishment of magmas at shallow depth resulted in a vertical uplift of about 900 m, concentrated in the western portion of Mt. Epomeo (789 m a.s.l.). As a consequence of this uplift, the island has experienced several slope instabilities at different scales since the Holocene, from shallow mass movements to large rock and debris avalanches. These mass wasting events, which mobilised large volumes of greenish alkali-trachytic tuff (the Mt. Epomeo Green Tuff, MEGT), were strictly related to volcano-tectonic activity and the interaction between the volcanic slopes and the hydrothermal system beneath the island. Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformation (DSGSD) at Mt. Nuovo, located adjacent to densely populated coastal villages, is an ongoing process that covers an area of 1.6 km2. The Mt. Nuovo DSGSD involves a rock mass volume of 190 Mm3 and is accommodated by a main shear zone and a series of sub-vertical fault zones associated with high-angle joint sets. To improve our understanding of this gravity-induced process, we performed a physical (porosity and permeability) and mechanical (uniaxial and triaxial deformation experiments) characterisation of two ignimbrite deposits - both from the MEGT - that form a significant component of the NW sector of Mt. Epomeo. The main conclusions drawn from our experiments are twofold. First, the presence of water dramatically reduces the strength of the tuffs, suggesting that the movement of fluids within the hydrothermal system could greatly impact slope stability. Second, the transition from brittle (dilatant) to ductile (compactant) behaviour in the tuffs of the MEGT occurs at a very low effective pressure, analogous to a depth of a couple of hundred metres, and that this transition is likely moved closer to the surface in the presence of water. We hypothesise that compactant (porosity decreasing) behaviour at

Productive Reintegration of Return Emigrants and Rural Tourism: Life and Work Experiences in Sardinia (Italy and in a Mountain Area in the Province of Marrakech (Morocco

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Maria Luisa Gentileschi

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The paper provides a contribution to the formulation of return migration policies that seek to harness the skills gained by emigrants and channel their savings into the creation of small businesses within a local development scheme. We have drawn from experiences described by return emigrants, gathered in Sardinia and in the Marrakech province in Morocco, to formulate measures capable of generating positive opportunities for encouraging the return of migrants to their home areas, utilizing the skills gained in the hospitality industry in Europe and investing their savings in their country. The measures are also designed to offer return migrants an alternative to settling in urban destinations. The case study is concerned with a rural tourism initiative in subcoastal and interior areas as an alternative to marine and coastal tourism. Based on the premise that only those areas with a natural and cultural heritage offer good potential for the development of rural tourism, the following conclusions are presented: a one seemingly useful form of action is for the authorities in the host countries to organise training courses for migrant workers, within the cooperation framework for assisting migrants to return to their home countries; b it is essential for local authorities in the migrants’ home countries to improve transportation systems, facilities and tourist services in general; c equally important in the home countries is the adoption of measures aimed at the recognition, rehabilitation and enhancement of the archaeological heritage, material culture and of traditions in general, together with the natural/ environmental resources for an integrated tourist product.

Nurnet- A case of crowdsourcing for geographic knowledge production.

Science.gov (United States)

Spanu, Valentina; Demontis, Roberto; Lorrai, Eva; Muscas, Laura

2015-04-01

Nurnet - The net of the Nuraghes (http://www.nurnet.it) is a Foundation of Participation aiming to promote the culture of the Pre-Nuragical (3200-2700 BC) and Nuragical period (up to the 2nd century AD) in the island of Sardinia (Italy). It is fed by a net of conventional social connections or through social web- networks empowered by private citizens, agents and public administrations sharing the same goals and interests. CRS4 (Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia), in collaboration with Nurnet Foundation, developed a geoportal (http://nurnet.crs4.it/nurnetgeo/) on the web, at the moment as a beta version, enable the users to access and share information. The application is based on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) and it manages several types of information like archaeological sites, artifacts and museum information. Such information comes from the users of the portal and from other sources that make the data available, according to the "open data" philosophy: free data accessible to anyone. The users are encouraged to generate and manage information of archaeological sites in the Italian island of Sardinia about location, history, preservation of the archaeological patrimony, pictures and videos to enrich a wide geo-database pertaining the big heritage of this region in every place there are nuraghes, dolmens domus de janas, menhirs, villages and sacred pits. A specific data model has been created, the geo-attribute is in WGS84 and it can be a point, a line or a polygon. There are three types of actors: viewers, editors and validators. The viewer can query data with a map or a form; the editor can insert and update data through maps using Google or Open Street Map as base layer; the validators are the experts working behind the geoportal: they evaluate and validate the data quality (archaeologists for example). To implement the geoportal, open source software has been used and

Stratigraphy of two conjugate margins (Gulf of Lion and West Sardinia): modeling of vertical movements and sediment budgets

Science.gov (United States)

Leroux, Estelle; Gorini, Christian; Aslanian, Daniel; Rabineau, Marina; Blanpied, Christian; Rubino, Jean-Loup; Robin, Cécile; Granjeon, Didier; Taillepierre, Rachel

2016-04-01

The post-rift (~20-0 Ma) vertical movements of the Provence Basin (West Mediterranean) are quantified on its both conjugate (the Gulf of Lion and the West Sardinia) margins. This work is based on the stratigraphic study of sedimentary markers using a large 3D grid of seismic data, correlations with existing drillings and refraction data. The post-rift subsidence is measured by the direct use of sedimentary geometries analysed in 3D [Gorini et al., 2015; Rabineau et al., 2014] and validated by numerical stratigraphic modelling. Three domains were found: on the platform (1) and slope (2), the subsidence takes the form of a seaward tilting with different amplitudes, whereas the deep basin (3) subsides purely vertically [Leroux et al., 2015a]. These domains correspond to the deeper crustal domains respectively highlighted by wide angle seismic data. The continental crust (1) and the thinned continental crust (2) are tilted, whereas the intermediate crust, identified as lower continental exhumed crust [Moulin et al., 2015, Afhilado et al., 2015] (3) sagged. The post-break-up subsidence re-uses the initial hinge lines of the rifting phase. This striking correlation between surface geologic processes and deep earth dynamic processes emphasizes that the sedimentary record and sedimentary markers is a window into deep geodynamic processes and dynamic topography. Pliocene-Pleistocene seismic markers enabled high resolution quantification of sediment budgets over the past 6 Myr [Leroux et al., in press]. Sediment budget history is here completed on the Miocene interval. Thus, the controlling factors (climate, tectonics and eustasy) are discussed. Afilhado, A., Moulin, M., Aslanian, D., Schnürle, P., Klingelhoefer, F., Nouzé, H., Rabineau, M., Leroux, E. & Beslier, M.-O. (2015). Deep crustal structure across a young 1 passive margin from wide-angle and reflection seismic data (The SARDINIA Experiment) - II. Sardinia's margin. Bull. Soc. géol. France, 186, ILP Spec. issue, 4

Evaluating alternative fuel treatment strategies to reduce wildfire losses in a Mediterranean area

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Michele Salis; Maurizio Laconi; Alan A. Ager; Fermin J. Alcasena; Bachisio Arca; Olga Lozano; Ana Fernandes de Oliveira; Donatella Spano

2016-01-01

The goal of this work is to evaluate by a modeling approach the effectiveness of alternative fuel treatment strategies to reduce potential losses from wildfires in Mediterranean areas. We compared strategic fuel treatments located near specific human values vs random locations, and treated 3, 9 and 15% of a 68,000 ha study area located in Sardinia, Italy. The...

A high temperature superconductor notch filter for the Sardinia Radio Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Bolli, Pietro; Cresci, Luca; Huang, Frederick; Mariotti, Sergio; Panella, Dario

2018-04-01

A High Temperature Superconductor filter operating in the C-band between 4200 and 5600 MHz has been developed for one of the radio astronomical receivers of the Sardinia Radio Telescope. The motivation was to attenuate an interference from a weather radar at 5640 MHz, whose power level exceeds the linear region of the first active stages of the receiver. A very sharp transition after the nominal maximum passband frequency is reached by combining a 6th order band-pass filter with a 6th order stop-band. This solution is competitive with an alternative layout based on a cascaded triplet filter. Three units of the filter have been measured with two different calibration approaches to investigate pros and cons of each, and data repeatability. The final performance figures of the filters are: ohmic losses of the order of 0.15-0.25 dB, matching better than -15 dB, and -30 dB attenuation at 5640 MHz. Finally, a more accurate model of the connection between external connector and microstrip shows a better agreement between simulations and experimental data.

Remote Sensing and Geodetic Measurements for Volcanic Slope Monitoring: Surface Variations Measured at Northern Flank of La Fossa Cone (Vulcano Island, Italy

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Alessandro Bonforte

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Results of recent monitoring activities on potentially unstable areas of the NW volcano flank of La Fossa cone (Vulcano Island, Italy are shown here. They are obtained by integration of data by aerial photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS and GPS taken in the 1996–2011 time span. A comparison between multi-temporal models built from remote sensing data (photogrammetry and TLS highlights areas characterized by ~7–10 cm/y positive differences (i.e., elevation increase in the upper crown of the slope. The GPS measurements confirm these results. Areas characterized by negative differences, related to both mass collapses or small surface lowering, also exist. The higher differences, positive and negative, are always observed in zones affected by higher fumarolic activity. In the 2010–2012 time span, ground motions in the northern part of the crater rim, immediately above the upper part of observed area, are also observed. The results show different trends for both vertical and horizontal displacements of points distributed along the rim, with a magnitude of some centimeters, thus revealing a complex kinematics. A slope stability analysis shows that the safety factors estimated from these data do not indicate evidence of possible imminent failures. Nevertheless, new time series are needed to detect possible changes with the time of the stability conditions, and the monitoring has to go on.

Temporal evolution of the Western and Central volcanism of the Aeolian Island Arc (Italy, southern Tyrhhenian Sea)

Science.gov (United States)

Leocat, E.; Gillot, P.-Y.; Peccerillo, A.

2009-04-01

The Aeolian Archipelago is a volcanic arc in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea located on the continental margin of the Calabro-Peloritan basement. The Aeolian volcanism occurs in a very complex geodynamic setting linked to the convergence of the European and African plates. For that reason, it is strongly related to regional tectonic lineaments, such as the NW-SE trending Tindari-Letojani (TL) fault. The archipelago consists of seven main islands and several seamounts, which extend around the Marsili Basin, forming a ring-like shape, typical for an island arc. While the seamounts began their activities around 1 Ma , the emerged part is active since about 400 ka. The magmatic products of the whole arc range from typical island arc calc-alkaline (CA) and shoshonitic series, to slightly silica undersaturated potassic alkaline series that are typical of post-collisional settings. Furthermore, the TL fault, along which the Lipari and Vulcano islands are developed, separates a calc-alkaline western sector (Alicudi, Filicudi and Salina islands) from the calc-alkaline to potassic eastern system (Panarea and Stromboli islands) (Peccerillo,1999). This makes of the Aeolian Islands a complex volcanism, with a still controversial origin. In this context, the aim of this work is to constrain the sources and spatio-temporal evolution of this magmatism. We present here new K-Ar ages based on the accurate Cassignol-Gillot technique devoted to the dating of very young rocks (Gillot et Cornette, 1986). These geochronological data were used together with new geochemical data on the same samples. In this study, we attempt to understand the origin of those magmatic events and the relationship between the deep processes and the shallow structures. Our results allow us to define specific periods of very quick geomechemical changes. In the case of Filicudi island, the first rocks range in composition from CA basalts to andesites. This period ended with the edification of the Mte Guardia at 189�

Hydrogeological and multi-isotopic approach to define nitrate pollution and denitrification processes in a coastal aquifer (Sardinia, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Pittalis, Daniele; Carrey, Raul; Da Pelo, Stefania; Carletti, Alberto; Biddau, Riccardo; Cidu, Rosa; Celico, Fulvio; Soler, Albert; Ghiglieri, Giorgio

2018-02-01

Agricultural coastal areas are frequently affected by the superimposition of various processes, with a combination of anthropogenic and natural sources, which degrade groundwater quality. In the coastal multi-aquifer system of Arborea (Italy)—a reclaimed morass area identified as a nitrate vulnerable zone, according to Nitrate Directive 91/676/EEC—intensive agricultural and livestock activities contribute to substantial nitrate contamination. For this reason, the area can be considered a bench test for tuning an appropriate methodology aiming to trace the nitrate contamination in different conditions. An approach combining environmental isotopes, water quality and hydrogeological indicators was therefore used to understand the origins and attenuation mechanisms of nitrate pollution and to define the relationship between contaminant and groundwater flow dynamics through the multi-aquifer characterized by sandy (SHU), alluvial (AHU), and volcanic hydrogeological (VHU) units. Various groundwater chemical pathways were consistent with both different nitrogen sources and groundwater dynamics. Isotope composition suggests a mixed source for nitrate (organic and synthetic fertilizer), especially for the AHU and SHU groundwater. Moreover, marked heterotrophic denitrification and sulfate reduction processes were detected; although, for the contamination related to synthetic fertilizer, the attenuation was inefficient at removing NO3 - to less than the human consumption threshold of 50 mg/L. Various factors contributed to control the distribution of the redox processes, such as the availability of carbon sources (organic fertilizer and the presence of lagoon-deposited aquitards), well depth, and groundwater flow paths. The characterization of these processes supports water-resource management plans, future actions, and regulations, particularly in nitrate vulnerable zones.

Adaptation strategies to water scarcity in the Mediterranean induce a complexification of hydrosystems

Science.gov (United States)

La Jeunesse, Isabelle; Cirelli, Claudia; Larrue, Corinne; Aubin, David

2013-04-01

The Mediterranean and neighboring countries are already experiencing broad range of natural and man-made threats to water security. According to the latest reports of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, the region is at risk due to its pronounced susceptibility to changes in the hydrological budget and extremes. Such changes are expected to have strong impacts on the management of water resources and security from an ecological, economic and social angle. This communication asks the question of the relevance of the comparison of the solutions implemented to face water scarcity in two cases a priori not comparable: (i) the Thau coastal lagoon and its catchment in the South of France, (ii) the Rio Mannu catchment in Sardinia, the second Island in the South of Italia. The Thau coastal lagoon on the French coast is caracterised by intensive shellfish farming production in the lagoon waters and summer tourism with regard to the mediterranean coast. Its territory is also supporting industrial and commercial activities concentrated around Frontignan and Sète ports and the expansion of the small villages of the catchment as the consequence of the connexion with the city of Montpellier. The catchment of the Rio Mannu in South Sardinia is part of the Campidano plain of the Sardinia Island in Italy and is located 30 km close to the city of Cagliari, the capital of the Island. The basin is mainly covered by agricultural fields and grassland, while only a small percentage of its area is occupied by forests in the south-east of the basin. The communication aims, by presenting results of the FP7 EU CLIMB project, to think about the degree of complexity of the dynamic of the stakeholders system for water allocation in the Mediterranean Region in the context of climate change. After the presentation of the case studies and the perception of the water uses by stakeholders, a reflexion on the capacity of stakeholders to represent the new hydrosystems limits is carried out

Using Haines Index coupled with fire weather model predicted from high resolution LAM forecasts to asses wildfire extreme behaviour in Southern Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaetani, Francesco; Baptiste Filippi, Jean; Simeoni, Albert; D'Andrea, Mirko

2010-05-01

Haines Index (HI) was developed by USDA Forest Service to measure the atmosphere's contribution to the growth potential of a wildfire. The Haines Index combines two atmospheric factors that are known to have an effect on wildfires: Stability and Dryness. As operational tools, HI proved its ability to predict plume dominated high intensity wildfires. However, since HI does not take into account the fuel continuity, composition and moisture conditions and the effects of wind and topography on fire behaviour, its use as forecasting tool should be carefully considered. In this work we propose the use of HI, predicted from HR Limited Area Model forecasts, coupled with a Fire Weather model (i.e., RISICO system) fully operational in Italy since 2003. RISICO is based on dynamic models able to represent in space and in time the effects that environment and vegetal physiology have on fuels and, in turn, on the potential behaviour of wildfires. The system automatically acquires from remote databases a thorough data-set of input information both of in situ and spatial nature. Meteorological observations, radar data, Limited Area Model weather forecasts, EO data, and fuel data are managed by a Unified Interface able to process a wide set of different data. Specific semi-physical models are used in the system to simulate the dynamics of the fuels (load and moisture contents of dead and live fuel) and the potential fire behaviour (rate of spread and linear intensity). A preliminary validation of this approach will be provided with reference to Sardinia and Corsica Islands, two major islands of the Mediterranean See frequently affected by extreme plume dominated wildfires. A time series of about 3000 wildfires burnt in Sardinia and Corsica in 2007 and 2008 will be used to evaluate the capability of HI coupled with the outputs of the Fire Weather model to forecast the actual risk in time and in space.

Extensive Genome Rearrangements and Multiple Horizontal Gene Transfers in a Population of Pyrococcus Isolates from Vulcano Island, Italy▿ †

Science.gov (United States)

White, James R.; Escobar-Paramo, Patricia; Mongodin, Emmanuel F.; Nelson, Karen E.; DiRuggiero, Jocelyne

2008-01-01

The extent of chromosome rearrangements in Pyrococcus isolates from marine hydrothermal vents in Vulcano Island, Italy, was evaluated by high-throughput genomic methods. The results illustrate the dynamic nature of the genomes of the genus Pyrococcus and raise the possibility of a connection between rapidly changing environmental conditions and adaptive genomic properties. PMID:18723649

A contribution to the knowledge of the cetological fauna in the waters of Western Sardinia

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Alexandre Gannier

1998-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract A 10 day survey was carried out off Western Sardinia during summer 1997. Conventional observation methods were used onboard a 12 meter motorsailer. A zig-zag sampling of 584 kilometers and 65 hours of observation were done, during which 21 groups of cetaceans were sighted. Five species were observed: the fin whale (3 sightings, the striped dolphin (10 sightings, the common dolphin (6 sightings, the bottlenose dolphin and the sperm whale (1 sighting each. High sighting frequencies were obtained for the striped dolphin in the pelagic area and for the common dolphin in the slope area, suggesting that each species favours a distinct habitat. This study is in reasonable concordance with the few results already published on the subject. However more research must be done in this area.

Selected Abstracts of the 8th International Workshop on Neonatology; Cagliari (Italy; October 24-27, 2012

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--- Various Authors

2012-10-01

non epileptic: a metabolomics point of view • C. Serci et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 12. Early cessation and derangement of nephrogenesis in the preterm human kidney following ibuprofen treatment • C. Gerosa et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 13. Thymosin beta-4 translocation from the trans-Golgi network to the nucleus in kidney proximal tubule cell line LLC-PK1 under starvation • P. Coni et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 14. hCTR1 expression in the developing kidney: how copper is involved in human nephrogenesis • E. Di Felice et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 15. Ultrastructural analysis of the early stages that characterize cap mesenchymal induction and ureteric bud growing in the developing NOD mouse kidney • M. Piludu et al.; Athens (Greece, Cagliari (Italy ABS 16. The syndrome of the Emilatus • S. Vendemmia et al.; Aversa, Caserta (Italy ABS 17. Birth in Italy: 2011 trends and 2012 forecasts • I. Farnetani et al.; Milan, Rome (Italy ABS 18. Neonatal transport in Italian regions • I. Farnetani et al.; Milan, Rome (Italy ABS 19. Grandparents in eight provinces in Sardinia • I. Farnetani et al.; Milan, Rome (Italy ABS 20. Ibuprofen versus indomethacin for patent ductus arteriosus: practice attitude variations among Europe and United States • M.A. Marcialis et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 21. Fast recovery following severe acetaminophen-induced liver disease in a newborn: a case report • A.P. Pinna et al.; Rome, Cagliari (Italy ABS 22. Immunoreactivity for S100B: a new marker of hypoxia-related cardiac damage in newborn piglets • A. Faa et al.; Athens (Greece, Cagliari (Italy ABS 23. Coping and parental role competence of mothers of the preterm infant • G. Perricone et al.; Palermo (Italy ABS 24. Rehabilitative training of preterm children’s attention: a study on sustainability • G. Perricone et al.; Palermo (Italy ABS 25. Interindividual variability in oocyte burden at birth • S. Soddu et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 26. Undifferentiated neuroblastoma with

The late Pleistocene to Holocene palaeogeographic evolution of the Porto Conte area: Clues for a better understanding of human colonization of Sardinia and faunal dynamics during the last 30 ka

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palombo, M.R.; Antonioli, F.; Lo Presti, V.; Mannino, M.A.; Melis, R.T.; Orru, P.; Stocchi, P.; Talamo, S.; Quarta, G.; Calcagnile, L.; Deiana, G.; Altamura, S.

2017-01-01

The timing of the colonization of Sardinia by mammalian fauna and anatomically modern humans (AMH) is currently under debate. The understanding of the geological and palaeoclimatological conditions that characterized the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene is essential to investigate colonization

Detection by Sardinia Radio Telescope of radio pulses at 7 GHz from the Magnetar PSR J1745-2900 in the Galactic center region

Science.gov (United States)

Buttu, Marco; D'Amico, Nichi; Egron, Elise; Iacolina, Maria Noemi; Marongiu, Pasqualino; Migoni, Carlo; Pellizzoni, Alberto; Poppi, Sergio; Possenti, Andrea; Trois, Alessio; Vargiu, Gian Paolo

2013-05-01

During the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) science verification phase, we observed PSR J1745-2900, firstly detected as an X-ray flare from Sgr A* by Swift and then identified as a 3.76 s X-ray magnetar with NuSTAR telescope (ATels #5006, #5020, #5027, #5032, #5033, #5035), at a central frequency of 7.30 GHz. We used a Beam Wave Guide focus cryogenically cooled receiver (system temperature ~25 K).

Re-evaluation of the Helichrysum italicum complex (Compositae: Gnaphalieae: A new species from Majorca (Balearic Islands

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S. Herrando-Moraira

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Helichrysum italicum is a widely distributed species in the Mediterranean Basin, which has received controversial taxonomic treatments at infraspecific level owing to its morphological variability. In this paper we perform a detailed multivariate analysis of morphological characters using an exhaustive sampling of H. italicum. Integrating previously published molecular, chorological and newly obtained morphological data, a revised taxonomic treatment for the whole H. italicum complex is provided. On the one hand, the results obtained suggest that the Majorcan mountain populations of H. italicum subsp. microphyllum need to be considered an independent species, newly described here as Helichrysum massanellanum. On the other hand, H. italicum subspecies are recircumscribed. A new combination is proposed, H. italicum subsp. tyrrhenicum, a taxon that comprises populations from Corsica, Sardinia, Majorca coastline and Dragonera islet, whereas subsp. microphyllum is restricted to the island of Crete. With those substantial classification modifications, a complete new taxonomic treatment is presented for this group, including an identification key, synonyms, morphological descriptions, distribution areas and habitat characterization.

King Solomon's Silver? Southern Phoenician Hacksilber Hoards and the Location of Tarshish

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Christine M. Thompson

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Evidence from silver hoards found in Phoenicia is linking Tarshish, the legendary source of King Solomon's silver, to ores in the western Mediterranean. Biblical passages sometimes describe this lost land as a supplier of metals (especially silver to Phoenician sailors who traded in the service of Solomon and Hiram of Tyre in the 10th century BC. Classical authors similarly attribute the mercantile supremacy of the Phoenicians to their command of lucrative supplies of silver in the west, before they colonised the coasts and islands of its metalliferous regions around 800 BC. Conservative rejections of such reports have correctly emphasised a lack of evidence from silver. Lead isotope analyses of silver hoards found in Phoenicia now provide the initial evidence for pre-colonial silver-trade with the west; ore-provenance data correlate with the ancient documents that indicate both Sardinia and Spain as suppliers, and Sardinia as the island of Tarshish.

Defense Energy Support Center Fact Book FY 2007

Science.gov (United States)

2008-03-21

3 M 21 years Fort Monmouth, NJ Lighting Upgrade, HVAC Renovation , UESC Implementation, GHP, Cogeneration System Site Preparation/Feasibility Ameresco...behalf of Navy Installations in the Sicily, Sardinia and Campania regions of Italy . Awards were made to two companies, ENEL Energia and Energia y...funded $333 million for SRM projects to maintain and renovate military Services owned fuels facilities worldwide . This amount was nearly double the

Naturalizing Alterity: Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy and Lady Morgan's Italy

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Donatella Abbate Badin

2011-08-01

Full Text Available In the nineteenth century the image of Italy appealed also to Irish Romantic writers. But the way in which they naturalized the Italian alterity is quite ambivalent. On the one hand they filtered their images of the southern country through their relationship with England and thus ended up mirroring stereotypes common to the English-speaking world, and on the other hand they established a special, personal relationship with it shaped by their ideological and cultural differences from the British. This essay tackles the representations of Italy in two texts, namely Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy, published in 1852, and in the earlier Italy (1821 by Lady Morgan. Both these works show that at that time there was a certain awareness, in Ireland, of the special historical and political conditions of Italy and of possible similarities with Ireland. Italy, oppressed by foreign domination yet aspiring to freedom, became a yardstick for gauging issues of subjugation, injustice, and national identity and invited sympathy from the citizens of a colonized country. Therefore, Italy was perceived as a mirror in which to reflect the Irish identity torn by aspirations which were hard to confess publicly or even to oneself. Keywords: Maturin, Lady Morgan, alterity, Italy, Irish Romanticism

Geochronological {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar data on the submarine fault-scarps in the Sardinia channel (western mediterranean); Donnees geochronologiques {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar sur les socles sarde et kabylo-peloritain submerges dans le canal de Sardaigne (mediterranee occidentale)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouillin, J.P.; Tricart, P.; Mascle, G. [Grenoble-1 Univ., 38 - Grenoble (France). Laboratoire de Geodynamique des Chaines Alpines, CNRS UPRES-A5025; Monie, P. [Montpellier-2 Univ., 34 (France). Laboratoire de Geochronologie, Geochimie et de petrologie, UMR 5567; Rolfo, F. [Universita Torino, (Italy). Dipt. di Scienze Mineralogiche et Petrologiche; Torelli, L. [Parma Univ. (Italy). Ditp. di Scienze della Terra

1999-04-01

Granite and gneiss have been sampled on the submarine fault scarps of the Sardinia Channel and have been dated using the {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar method. The majority of rocks partially preserve Hercynian ages. Some of them display Lower Cretaceous ages. In addition, Upper Eocene-Oligocene argon resetting is recorded only in rocks from the southeast sector of the Channel. We thus propose that the basement of the Sardinia Channel occupied a shallow position within the stack of the Alpine tectonic units, behind the more deformed front of the internal zones of the Maghrebide Chain. (authors) 20 refs.

The stones and historic mortars of the Santissima Trinità di Saccargia Romanesque Basilica (Sardinia, Italy): a multi-analytical techniques' approach for the study of their features and provenance

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Columbu, Stefano; Palomba, Marcella; Sitzia, Fabio

2015-04-01

A research project devoted to the study of building materials of the Romanesque churches in Sardinia is currently underway. One of the objectives of the project is to focus the mineral, chemical-physical and petrographic characterisation of the construction materials, as well as the alteration processes. To make a contribution to the preservation of Sardinian monuments, we suggests a new approach to define the different alteration-modes of rocks in function of their local exposure to the weather, studying: 1) the changes of physical properties on surface of stone (porosity, water absorption, micro-morphology) determined through laboratory tests and photogrammetry observations, 2) the alteration phases present on surface (e.g., secondary minerals, soluble salts) determined by mineralogical and chemical investigations. This methodological approach will allow to select appropriate, suitable and compatible materials for replacing the original altered one's, and to plan appropriate strategies devoted to the restoration work. In this paper the geomaterials used for construct the Santissima Trinità di Saccargia Basilica have been investigated. The church, finished in 1116 over the ruins of a pre-existing monastery, is the most important Romanesque site in the island. Have been studied the chemical alterations and physical decay of two different stones, as volcanic rocks (i.e., basalt) and sedimentary rocks (i.e., limestones) used in bichromy on the Basilica. The main purpose is to observe the different modes of alteration of these two lithologies with different petrophysical characteristics, placed in the same conditions of weathering. Macroscopic evidences show that the limestones, while not having a high porosity, they were strongly affected by alteration phenomena, especially in the outer surface of ashlars, due to the solubilization of the carbonate matrix. The basalt rocks show no obvious physical alteration. Occasionally, in some ashlar located in basal zone of the

Morphology and genetic variability within Taenia multiceps in ruminants from Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Varcasia, Antonio; Pipia, Anna Paola; Dessì, Giorgia; Zidda, Antonella; Tamponi, Claudia; Pau, Marco; Scala, Antonio; Boufana, Belgees

2016-06-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic variability and population structure of Taenia multiceps, and to correlate morphological features of individual coenuri with haplotypes. A total of 92 animals (86 sheep; 4 goats; 1 cattle; 1 mouflon, Ovis musimon) aged between 6-36 months showing clinical symptoms of cerebral coenurosis were included in this study. T. multiceps coenuri (n=118) sampled from live animals during routine surgery procedures or at post-mortem inspections were examined morphologically and molecularly identified. Morphological features of the 52 coenuri selected for this study (number and size of large and small hooks) were within the range reported in the literature. Fifty-two of the molecularly confirmed T. multiceps coenuri harboured by 47 animals (sheep=41; cattle=1; goats=4; mouflon=1) were used to determine gene genealogies and population genetic indices and were compared to the 3 T. multiceps genetic variants, Tm1-Tm3 previously described from Sardinia, Italy. For the 379 bp cox1 dataset we identified 11 polymorphic sites of which 8 were parsimony informative. A high haplotype diversity (0.664±0.067) was recorded for the cox1 sequences defining 10 haplotypes (TM01-TM10). The comparison of haplotypes generated in this study with published T. multiceps Tm1 variant pointed to the possible existence of a common lineage for T. multiceps. No correlation was detected between the size of the small and large hooks and the cox 1 haplotypes. Polycystic infestation (2-9 coenuri) was recorded in 27.7% of animals (13/47). No statistical correlation between polycystic T. multiceps infection and haplotypes was detected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temperature and heat flow measurements in a fumarolic area: Vulcano Island (Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guern, F.L. (Centre des Faibles Radioactivites C.N.R.S., Gifsur Yvette, France); Carbonnelle, J.; D' Amore, F.

1980-01-01

Vulcano, the southern Aeolian Island, is in fumarolic activity. The possibilities of measurements are limited by the field conditions as well as by the technological feasibility. In the present work different tests were made in the field to measure temperature continuously: only the measurements made in dry steam gave good results because they avoid corrosion, and solution of the acid gases in the condensed steam in the ground. Field measurements show that the heat transfer is mainly due to convection. The values obtained in the field can be used to quantify the remote sensing of heat transfer.

Schmidtea mediterranea phylogeography: an old species surviving on a few Mediterranean islands?

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Pala Maria

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Schmidtea mediterranea (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola is found in scattered localities on a few islands and in coastal areas of the western Mediterranean. Although S. mediterranea is the object of many regeneration studies, little is known about its evolutionary history. Its present distribution has been proposed to stem from the fragmentation and migration of the Corsica-Sardinia microplate during the formation of the western Mediterranean basin, which implies an ancient origin for the species. To test this hypothesis, we obtained a large number of samples from across its distribution area. Using known and new molecular markers and, for the first time in planarians, a molecular clock, we analysed the genetic variability and demographic parameters within the species and between its sexual and asexual populations to estimate when they diverged. Results A total of 2 kb from three markers (COI, CYB and a nuclear intron N13 was amplified from ~200 specimens. Molecular data clustered the studied populations into three groups that correspond to the west, central and southeastern geographical locations of the current distribution of S. mediterranea. Mitochondrial genes show low haplotype and nucleotide diversity within populations but demonstrate higher values when all individuals are considered. The nuclear marker shows higher values of genetic diversity than the mitochondrial genes at the population level, but asexual populations present lower variability than the sexual ones. Neutrality tests are significant for some populations. Phylogenetic and dating analyses show the three groups to be monophyletic, with the west group being the basal group. The time when the diversification of the species occurred is between ~20 and ~4 mya, although the asexual nature of the western populations could have affected the dating analyses. Conclusions S. mediterranea is an old species that is sparsely distributed in a harsh habitat

Italy in Postcolonial Discourse

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Concilio, Carmen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this essay, I would like to explore the representations of Italy through the eyes of three outstanding postcolonial writers: Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Ondaatje and Nuruddin Farah. Even though Italy is an oasis of art and culture, Jhumpa Lahiri looks at it with a profound sense of both admiration and sadness in Hema and Kaushik (2008. Her scrutiny of the ancient, pre-imperial ruins of the Etruscan period leads her characters to question life, death and marital life. Similarly, Ondaatje opposes an Italian Renaissance villa to the debris left behind by war in his well-known The English Patient (1992. His Punjabi character Kirpal Singh mentions Gabicce Mare, a place that soon after World War II will become a memorial and cemetery for the Indian troops who fought and died for the liberation of Italy. This discourse is picked up by Helena Janaczeck, a Polish-Italian writer who combines a narrative on Polish migration in Italy with an elegiac narrative about the cemetery and memorial in Cassino, where a Maori goes to visit the tombs of his ancestor, who also participated with the Commonwealth troops in World War II. Nuruddin Farah too, who provides a reportage on Somali immigrants to Italy, seems to consider the country as a springboard either to other North European destinations or to a possible destiny back home. All three writers present Italy according to varied and unusual perspectives.

Acidophiles of saline water at thermal vents of Vulcano, Italy.

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Simmons, Susan; Norris, R

2002-06-01

DNA was extracted from samples taken from close to acidic hydrothermal vents on shore of the Aeolian Island of Vulcano (Italy). RNA gene sequences were amplified by PCR, cloned, and sequenced. A sequence with an origin in samples at 35 degrees and 45 degrees C corresponded to that of a novel Acidithiobacillus species that was isolated from water close to the vents. Novel, iron-oxidizing mesophilic acidophiles were isolated through enrichment cultures with ferrous iron but were not represented in the clone banks of environmental rDNA. These acidophiles were related to Thiobacillus prosperus, which was isolated previously from Vulcano. The archaeal sequences that comprised a clone bank representing a high-temperature sample (75 degrees C) corresponded to those of Acidianus brierleyi and of thermophiles previously isolated from Vulcano, Thermoplasma volcanium and Acidianus infernus.

On the road of dung: hypothetical dispersal routes of dung beetles in the circum–Sicilian volcanic islands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonelli, M.; Agoglitta, R.; Dawson, H.; Zunino, M.

2016-07-01

We analysed dung beetle communities on ten volcanic islands located around Sicily (Italy) to identify the most probable dispersal routes in the colonization of these islands. Assuming two scenarios, we analysed the dung beetle communities through the coefficient of dispersal direction DD2. Our results suggest that dispersal fluxes do not strictly follow the ‘stepping stone’ dynamic. Lipari and Vulcano are the likely core source areas for the north–of–Sicily area. In the Sicily Channel, Linosa appears to have been the main target area with three equivalent fluxes from Tunisia, Sicily, and Malta, while the fauna of Pantelleria resulted from their interchange and proximity to Tunisian fauna. In light of the congruence of our results with the known history of human movements and colonization, we propose a likely human contribution to the genesis of the dung beetle fauna of the circum–Sicilian volcanic islands. (Author)

The Impact of Albedo Increase to Mitigate the Urban Heat Island in Terni (Italy Using the WRF Model

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Elena Morini

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The impacts of the urban heat island (UHI phenomenon on energy consumption, air quality, and human health have been widely studied and described. Mitigation strategies have been developed to fight the UHI and its detrimental consequences. A potential countermeasure is the increase of urban albedo by using cool materials. Cool materials are highly reflective materials that can maintain lower surface temperatures and thus can present an effective solution to mitigate the UHI. Terni’s proven record of high temperatures along with related environmental and comfort issues in its urban areas have reflected the local consequences of global warming. On the other hand, it promoted integrated actions by the government and research institutes to investigate solutions to mitigate the UHI effects. In this study, the main goal is to investigate the effectiveness of albedo increase as a strategy to tackle the UHI, by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF mesoscale model to simulate the urban climate of Terni (Italy. Three different scenarios through a summer heat wave in the summer of 2015 are analyzed. The Base Scenario, which simulates the actual conditions of the urban area, is the control case. In the Albedo Scenario (ALB Scenario, the albedo of the roof, walls and road of the whole urban area is increased. In the Albedo-Industrial Scenario (ALB-IND Scenario, the albedo of the roof, walls and road of the area occupied by the main industrial site of Terni, located in close proximity to the city center, is increased. The simulation results show that the UHI is decreased up to 2 °C both at daytime and at nighttime in the ALB and in ALB-IND Scenarios. Peak temperatures in the urban area can be decreased by 1 °C at daytime, and by about 2 °C at nighttime. Albedo increase in the area of interest might thus represent an opportunity to decrease the UHI effect and its consequences.

Israeli Spotted Fever in Sicily. Description of two cases and minireview

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Claudia Colomba

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF is endemic in Italy, where Rickettsia conorii subsp. conorii was thought to be the only pathogenic rickettsia and Rhipicephalus sanguineus the vector and main reservoir. R. conorii subsp. israelensis, which belongs to the R. conorii complex, is the agent of Israeli spotted fever (ISF; apart from Israel, it has also been found in Italy (Sicily and Sardinia and in different regions of Portugal. We describe here two severe cases of ISF which occurred in otherwise healthy Italian adults. Their characteristics are analyzed and discussed in the light of other 91 cases found through a systematic review of international literature.

Mendelian breeding units versus standard sampling strategies: mitochondrial DNA variation in southwest Sardinia

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Daria Sanna

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We report a sampling strategy based on Mendelian Breeding Units (MBUs, representing an interbreeding group of individuals sharing a common gene pool. The identification of MBUs is crucial for case-control experimental design in association studies. The aim of this work was to evaluate the possible existence of bias in terms of genetic variability and haplogroup frequencies in the MBU sample, due to severe sample selection. In order to reach this goal, the MBU sampling strategy was compared to a standard selection of individuals according to their surname and place of birth. We analysed mitochondrial DNA variation (first hypervariable segment and coding region in unrelated healthy subjects from two different areas of Sardinia: the area around the town of Cabras and the western Campidano area. No statistically significant differences were observed when the two sampling methods were compared, indicating that the stringent sample selection needed to establish a MBU does not alter original genetic variability and haplogroup distribution. Therefore, the MBU sampling strategy can be considered a useful tool in association studies of complex traits.

Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and the Five-Factor Model of Personality

OpenAIRE

Sutin, Angelina R.; Terracciano, Antonio; Deiana, Barbara; Uda, Manuela; Schlessinger, David; Lakatta, Edward G.; Costa, Paul T.

2010-01-01

Unhealthy lipid levels are among the leading controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease. To identify the psychological factors associated with dyslipidemia, this study investigates the personality correlates of cholesterol (total, LDL, and HDL) and triglycerides. A community-based sample (N=5,532) from Sardinia, Italy, had their cholesterol and triglyceride levels assessed and completed a comprehensive personality questionnaire, the NEO-PI-R. All analyses controlled for age, sex, BM...

Il Benessere dei cani ospitati nei canili: valutazione dei parametri comportamentali e fisiologici anche ai fini dell’adottabilita’ e del contenimento del fenomeno del randagismo

OpenAIRE

Spissu, Nicoletta

2010-01-01

The present study evaluates the welfare of shelter dogs in Sardinia using physiologic and ethologic parameters like ematochemical analysis on blood samples and ethogram to assess the adoptability index of each dog . In Italy animal shelters suffer different problems like overpopulation, lack of human and economic resources. It is important to test the welfare of shelter dogs and to evaluate their ethologic characteristics and personality traits to evidence any behavioral disorder....

Hydrography and circulation west of Sardinia in June 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Knoll, Michaela; Borrione, Ines; Fiekas, Heinz-Volker; Funk, Andreas; Hemming, Michael P.; Kaiser, Jan; Onken, Reiner; Queste, Bastien; Russo, Aniello

2017-11-01

In the frame of the REP14-MED sea trial in June 2014, the hydrography and circulation west of Sardinia, observed by means of gliders, shipborne CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) instruments, towed devices, and vessel-mounted ADCPs (acoustic doppler current profilers), are presented and compared with previous knowledge. So far, the circulation is not well-known in this area, and the hydrography is subject to long-term changes. Potential temperature, salinity, and potential density ranges as well as core values of the observed water masses were determined. Modified Atlantic Water (MAW), with potential density anomalies below 28.72 kg m-3, showed a salinity minimum of 37.93 at 50 dbar. Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW), with a salinity maximum of about 38.70 at 400 dbar, was observed within a range of 28.72ADCP measurements. Within the MAW, northward currents were observed over the shelf and offshore, while a southward transport of about 1.5 Sv occurred over the slope. A net northward transport of 0.38 Sv across the southern transect decreased to zero in the north. Within the LIW, northward transports of 0.6 Sv across the southern transects were mainly observed offshore, and decreased to 0.3 Sv in the north where they were primarily located over the slope. This presentation of the REP14-MED observations helps to further understand the long-term evolution of hydrography and circulation in the Western Mediterranean, where considerable changes occurred after the Eastern Mediterranean Transient and the Western Mediterranean Transition.

Interconnection France-Italy; Interconnexion France-Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

These documents presents the rules, defined by RTE, of the attribution of electric power transportation capacity between France and Italy. The contract form and the general principles are given in annexes. A guide to the application form is provided. (A.L.B.)

Crustal stress regime in Italy

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M. Cesaro

1997-06-01

Full Text Available In order to obtain a reliable map of the present-day stress field in Italy, needed to better understand the active tectonic processes and to contribute to the assessment of seismic hazard, in 1992 we started to collect and analyze new data from borehole breakouts in deep oil and geothermal wells and focal mechanisms of earthquakes (2.5 < M <5 occurred in Italy between 1988 and 1995. From about 200 deep wells and 300 focal mechanisms analyzed to date, we infer that: the internal (SW sector of the Northern Apenninic arc is extending with minimum compressional stress (Shmin oriented ? ENE, while the external front is thrusting over the Adriatic foreland (Shmin ? NW-SE. The entire Southern Apennine is extending in NE direction (from the Tyrrhenian margin to the Apulian foreland and compression (in the foredeep is no longer active at the outer (NE thrust front. Between these two arcs, an abrupt change in the tectonic regime is detected with directions of horizontal stress changing by as much as 90º in the external front, around latitude 430N. Along the Ionian side of the Calabrian arc the stress directions inferred from breakouts and focal mechanisms are scattered with a hint of rotation from N-S Shmin close to the Southern Apennines, to ~ E-W directions in the Messina Strait. In Sicily, a NW-SE direction of SHmax is evident in the Hyblean foreland, parallel to the direction of plate motion between Africa and Europe. A more complex pattern of stress directions is observed in the thrust belt zone, with rotations from the regional trend (NW í directed SHmax to NE oriented SHmax. A predominant NW direction of SHmax is also detected in mainland Sicily from earthquake focal mechanisms, but no well data are available in this region. In the northern part of Sicily (Aeolian Islands a ~N-S direction of SHmax is observed.

Underwater itineraries at Egadi Islands: Marine biodiversity protection through actions for sustainable tourism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cocito, Silvia; Delbono, Ivana; Barsanti, Mattia; Di Nallo, Giuseppina; Lombardi, Chiara; Peirano, Andrea

2015-01-01

Sustainable tourism is recognized as a high priority for environmental and biological conservation. Promoting protection of local biological and environmental resources is a useful action for conservation of marine biodiversity in Marine Protected Areas and for stimulating awareness among residents and visitors. The publication of two books dedicated to the description of 28 selected underwater itineraries, for divers and snorkelers, and a web site with underwater videos represent concrete actions by ENEA for the promotion of sustainable tourism at the Marine Protected Area of Egadi Islands (Sicily, Italy). 177 species were recorded at Favignana, and around the same number at Marettimo and Levanzo islands: among those species, some of them are important for conservation and protection (e.g. Astrospartus mediterraneus), some of them are rare (i.e. Anthipatella subpinnata) and with a high aesthetic value (e.g. Paramuricea clavata, Savalia savaglia), while others are invasive (e.g. Caulerpa cylindracea) [it

Towards a Proactive Risk Mitigation Strategy at La Fossa Volcano, Vulcano Island

Science.gov (United States)

Biass, S.; Gregg, C. E.; Frischknecht, C.; Falcone, J. L.; Lestuzzi, P.; di Traglia, F.; Rosi, M.; Bonadonna, C.

2014-12-01

A comprehensive risk assessment framework was built to develop proactive risk reduction measures for Vulcano Island, Italy. This framework includes identification of eruption scenarios; probabilistic hazard assessment, quantification of hazard impacts on the built environment, accessibility assessment on the island and risk perception study. Vulcano, a 21 km2 island with two primary communities host to 900 permanent residents and up to 10,000 visitors during summer, shows a strong dependency on the mainland for basic needs (water, energy) and relies on a ~2 month tourism season for its economy. The recent stratigraphy reveals a dominance of vulcanian and subplinian eruptions, producing a range of hazards acting at different time scales. We developed new methods to probabilistically quantify the hazard related to ballistics, lahars and tephra for all eruption styles. We also elaborated field- and GIS- based methods to assess the physical vulnerability of the built environment and created dynamic models of accessibility. Results outline the difference of hazard between short and long-lasting eruptions. A subplinian eruption has a 50% probability of impacting ~30% of the buildings within days after the eruption, but the year-long damage resulting from a long-lasting vulcanian eruption is similar if tephra is not removed from rooftops. Similarly, a subplinian eruption results in a volume of 7x105 m3 of material potentially remobilized into lahars soon after the eruption. Similar volumes are expected for a vulcanian activity over years, increasing the hazard of small lahars. Preferential lahar paths affect critical infrastructures lacking redundancy, such as the road network, communications systems, the island's only gas station, and access to the island's two evacuation ports. Such results from hazard, physical and systemic vulnerability help establish proactive volcanic risk mitigation strategies and may be applicable in other island settings.

Diffuse volcanic emissions of carbon dioxide from Vulcano Island, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baubron, J C; Allard, P; Toutain, J P

1990-03-01

RECENT investigations on Mount Etna (Sicily)(1-3) have revealed that volcanoes may release abundant carbon dioxide not only from their active craters, but also from their flanks, as diffuse soil emanations. Here we present analyses of soil gases and air in water wells on Vulcano Island which provide further evidence of such lateral degassing. Nearly pure carbon dioxide, enriched in helium and radon, escapes from the slopes of the Fossa active cone, adding a total output of 30 tonnes per day to the fumarolic crater discharge ( 180 tonnes CO(2) per day). This emanation has similar He/CO(2) and (13)C/(12)C ratios to those of the crater fumaroles (300%ndash;500 degrees C) and therefore a similar volcanic origin. Gases rich in carbon dioxide also escape at sea level along the isthmus between the Fossa and Vulcanello volcanic cones, but their depletion in both He and (13)C suggests a distinct source. Diffuse volcanic gas emanations, once their genetic link with central fumarole degassing has been demonstrated, can be used for continuous volcano monitoring, at safe distances from active craters. Such monitoring has been initiated at Vulcano, where soil and well emanations of nearly pure CO(2) themselves represent a threat to the local population.

Analyses of TIMS and AVIRIS data, integrated with field and laboratory spectra, for lithological and mineralogical interpretation of Vulcano Island, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Buongiorno, M. Fabrizia; Bogliolo, M. Paola; Salvi, Stefano; Pieri, David C.; Geneselli, Francesco

1995-01-01

Vulcano Island is part of the Eolian archipelago, located about 25 km from the northeast coast of Sicily. The archipelago comprises seven major volcanic islands, two of which are active volcanoes (Vulcano and Stromboli). Vulcano covers an area of about 50 square km, and is about 10 km long. Explosive volcanic activity has predominated in the geological evolution of Vulcano Island, and there is no evidence that this pattern has ceased. Rather, the current situation is one of unrest, so a strict regimen of continuous geophysical and geochemical monitoring has been undertaken over the last decade. Though the year-round population of Vulcano is small (under 1000), during the summer the island becomes a very popular resort, and has thousands of additional tourists at any time throughout the high season, thus substantially increasing the number of people potentially at risk from an explosive eruption or other hazards such as noxious gas emissions (e.g., CO2, H2S, SO2). During the past ten years, remote sensing data have been repetitively acquired with optical and microwave airborne sensors. The present work shows the preliminary results of a study based on the integration of various remote sensing data sets with field spectroscopy, and other laboratory analyses, for the geological and geomorphological mapping of the island. It is hoped that such work will also usefully contribute to the evaluation of the volcanic hazard potential of the islands as well as to the evaluation of the status of its current activity.

Can Structural Timber Foster Short Procurement Chains within Mediterranean Forests? A Research Case in Sardinia

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Massimo Fragiacomo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present the idea of a timber short procurement chain as a means to provide an increased value to Mediterranean forests. It is based on the evidence that timber buildings are increasingly used for a number of reasons including sustainability, the speed of erection, and excellent structural and seismic performance. However, most of the timber currently used around the Mediterranean is imported from outside this area. Materials and Methods: The idea is to use the best part of the tree to produce timber boards, while all the remaining part of the tree including the production waste is used for energy production. Important issues to address are the generally low mechanical properties of locally-grown timber such as maritime pine in Sardinia, which would make some wood-based products such as glue-laminated timber not technically viable. Cross-laminated timber panels are a possible solution to this problem because this wood-based product is manufactured in such a way that even with low-quality timber boards it is possible to obtain a medium quality panel. The panel is made of layers of timber boards with the adjacent layers glued under pressure at a right angle. Another issue is the need to grade the local timber, for which a number of specimens must be tested to destruction in order to identify a visual or a machine-stress grading procedure. Last but not least, the panels must be tested to destruction to correlate their mechanical properties to the properties of the boards. Results: The preliminary mechanical tests carried out on Sardinia maritime pine confirm that the material is low-grade because it is characterized by large knots and a significant grain deviation. Nevertheless, when used in the cross-laminated panels, the properties are significantly improved due to the layout of the panel which reduces the influence of defects in the boards on the mechanical properties of the panel. Conclusions

Strain typing with IS200 fingerprints in Salmonella abortusovis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schiaffino, A; Beuzón, C R; Uzzau, S; Leori, G; Cappuccinelli, P; Casadesús, J; Rubino, S

1996-07-01

A collection of Salmonella abortusovis isolates was examined for the presence of insertion element IS200. All proved to contain three or four copies of the element. One IS200 hybridization band of approximately 9 kb was found in all isolates, indicating that all S. abortusovis strains carry an IS200 element in similar or identical locations; this band can be potentially useful for serovar identification. S. abortusovis collection isolates from distinct geographic areas were highly polymorphic, suggesting that IS200 fingerprints might provide information on the geographic origin of S. abortusovis strains. Isolates obtained from the same geographic area (the island of Sardinia, Italy) were less polymorphic: all shared three constant IS200 hybridization bands, indicating that they derive from a single ancestor. Most strains analyzed contained an additional copy of IS200 in the variable region of the virulence plasmid. Certain Sardinian flocks proved to be infected by only one S. abortusovis strain, while others harbored two strains. Strain typing with IS200 fingerprints proved to be more reliable than plasmid analysis, because the latter yielded a high degree of polymorphism, even among isolates from the same flock.

Level of neurotoxic metals in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A population-based case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bocca, Beatrice; Forte, Giovanni; Oggiano, Riccardo; Clemente, Simonetta; Asara, Yolande; Peruzzu, Angela; Farace, Cristiano; Pala, Salvatore; Fois, Alessandro Giuseppe; Pirina, Pietro; Madeddu, Roberto

2015-12-15

The association between exposure to toxic metals and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was explored in a population-based case-control study in the Sardinia island (Italy), a region characterized by elevated rates of ALS cases. In 34 patients with ALS (mean age, 62 ± 10 years) and 30 controls (mean age, 65 ± 11 years), Al, Cd, Hg, Mn and Pb were determined in blood, hair and urine by sector field inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Results indicated that, in blood, concentrations of Al (p=0.045) and Pb were higher (p=0.026) in ALS patients than in control subjects. In hair, a depletion of Al (p=0.006) and Mn (p=0.032) concentrations in ALS subjects respect to controls was found. In urine, no significant differences between cases and controls were observed. Thus, some metals seemed to be associated with ALS degeneration, but a definitive conclusion is still far considering the multiple risk factors (genetic mutations, environmental toxicants and stressors) involved in the disease. Finally, the interpretation that deregulated metal concentrations can be a consequence of the degenerative process, rather than a cause, is also valid. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fatto in Italia: Refashioning Italy

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Tiziana Ferrero-Regis

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This article discusses how the Made in Italy brand helped Italy to recover from economic recession in the 1980s, but also how it redefined the country's identity after the traumatic years of terrorism and especially after the murder of the Christian Democratic Party Secretary, Aldo Moro, at the hands of the Red Brigades. In this period cinema as a form of artistic achievement declined, while fashion and industrial design moved at the centre stage of economic and creative success. The rampant consumerism of the 1980s, fuelled by tax reforms that favoured a wider urban middle class, the retreat of unionism, the abandonment of collective bargaining in many industrial sectors, industrial restructuring with the consequent growth of black market economy in the provincial areas of the so-called Third Italy first and the South later, were all factors that contributed to a social and economic shift within Italy itself. Commercial consumption, propagated by the proliferation of local commercial television networks, hedonism and a re-articulation of identity through appearance replaced the 1970s' political activism and ideological opposition to fashion. Ultimately, 'Made in Italy' was a multidimensional phenomenon that presented itself as a new cultural model for the country’s political tribes of the 1970s.

Renewables in residential development. An integrated GIS-based multicriteria approach for decentralized micro renewable energy production in new settlement development. A case study of the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmas, Claudia [Cagliari Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Land Engineering; Abis, Emanuela [Cagliari Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Architecture; Haaren, Christina von [Leibniz Univ. of Hannover (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Planning; Lovett, Andrew [East Anglia Univ., Norwich (United Kingdom). School of Environmental Sciences

2011-07-01

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in using micro renewable energy sources to heat and power homes. However, planning has not yet developed methodological approaches for integrating such objectives of optimized energy efficiency with other environmental requirements and concerns of sustainable residential development. This study addresses such integration by first presenting an approach to assess the different potentials of the landscape for generating renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermic, biomass). Subsequently, optimized locations for residential development according to other sustainability criteria are identified and the two sets of results integrated by systematic GIS operations. The methodological approach for evaluating spatial variations in energy potential and producing the energy potential maps was based on existing methods for assessing the energy potential of the landscape which were adapted to the local scale and data availability. In the case of bioenergy potential a new method was developed. Other environmental criteria for deciding about sustainable locations for residential areas with different types of micro generation were identified through a survey of more than 100 expert respondents. This survey involved pairwise comparisons of relevant factors, which were then translated using the Analytical Hierarchy Process into relative weights. Subsequently these weights were applied to factor maps in a GIS via a weighted linear combination method to obtain suitable areas for new settlements and preferred locations for micro renewable technologies in the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia. (orig.)

Renewables in residential development. An integrated GIS-based multicriteria approach for decentralized micro-renewable energy production in new settlement development. A case study of the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmas, Claudia; Haaren, Christina von [Hannover Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Planning; Abis, Emanuela [Cagliari Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Civil, Environmental Engineering and Architecture; Lovett, Andrew [East Anglia Univ., Norwich (United Kingdom). School of Environmental Sciences

2012-12-15

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using micro-renewable energy sources. However, planning has not yet developed methodological approaches (1) for spatially optimizing residential development according to the different renewable energy potentials and (2) for integrating objectives of optimized energy efficiency with other environmental requirements and concerns. This study addresses these topics by firstly presenting a new concept for the regional planning. The methodological approach for the evaluation of spatial variations in the available energy potential was based on the combination of existing methods adapted to the local scale and data availability. For assessing the bioenergy potential, a new method was developed. Other environmental criteria for deciding about sustainable locations were identified through a survey of more than 100 expert respondents. This survey involved pairwise comparisons of relevant factors, which were then translated into relative weights using the Analytical Hierarchy Process. Subsequently, these weights were applied to factor maps in a Geographical Information System using a weighted linear combination method. In the test region, the eastern metropolitan area of Cagliari, Sardinia, this analysis resulted in the designation of suitable areas for new settlements and preferred locations for microrenewable technologies. Based on expert preferences, a number of alternatives for future housing development were identified, which can be integrated in the early stages of land use or development plans. The method proposed can be an effective tool for planners to assess changes and to identify the best solution in terms of sustainable development. (orig.)

GHG emissions quantification at high spatial and temporal resolution at urban scale: the case of the town of Sassari (NW Sardinia - Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Sanna, Laura; Ferrara, Roberto; Zara, Pierpaolo; Duce, Pierpaolo

2014-05-01

The European Union has set as priorities the fight against climate change related to greenhouse gas releases. The largest source of these emissions comes from human activities in urban areas that account for more than 70% of the world's emissions and several local governments intend to support the European strategic policies in understanding which crucial sectors drive GHG emissions in their city. Planning for mitigation actions at the community scale starts with the compilation of a GHG inventories that, among a wide range of measurement tools, provide information on the current status of GHG emissions across a specific jurisdiction. In the framework of a regional project for quantitative estimate of the net exchange of CO2 (emissions and sinks) at the municipal level in Sardinia, the town of Sassari represents a pilot site where a spatial and temporal high resolution GHG emissions inventory is built in line with European and international standard protocols to establish a baseline for tracking emission trends. The specific purpose of this accurate accounting is to obtain an appropriate allocation of CO2 and other GHG emissions at the fine building and hourly scale. The aim is to test the direct measurements needed to enable the construction of future scenarios of these emissions and for assessing possible strategies to reduce their impact. The key element of the methodologies used to construct this GHG emissions inventory is the Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GPC) (March 2012) that identifies four main types of emission sources: (i) Stationary Units, (ii) Mobile Units, (iii) Waste, and (iv) Industrial Process and Product Use Emissions. The development of the GHG emissions account in Sassari consists in the collection of a range of alternative data sources (primary data, IPCC emission factors, national and local statistic, etc.) selected on the base on relevance and completeness criteria performed for 2010, as baseline year, using

From Prenatal to Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis of β-Thalassemia. Prevention Model in 8748 Cases: 40 Years of Single Center Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Monni

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The incidence of β-thalassemia in Sardinia is high and β-39 is the most common mutation. The prevention campaign started in 1977 and was performed in a single center (Microcitemico Hospital, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. It was based on educational programs, population screening by hematological and molecular identification of the carriers. Prenatal and pre-implantation diagnosis was offered to couples at risk. 8564 fetal diagnosis procedures using different invasive approaches and analysis techniques were performed in the last 40 years. Trans-abdominal chorionic villous sampling was preferred due to lower complication risks and early diagnosis. Chorionic villous DNA was analyzed by PCR technique. 2138 fetuses affected by β-thalassemia were diagnosed. Women opted for termination of the pregnancy (TOP in 98.2% of these cases. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD was proposed to couples at risk to avoid TOP. A total of 184 PGD were performed. Initially, the procedure was exclusively offered to infertile couples, according to the law in force. The success rate of pregnancies increased from 11.1% to 30.8% when, crucial law changes were enacted, and PGD was offered to fertile women as well. Forty years of β-thalassemia prevention programs in Sardinia have demonstrated the important decrease of this severe genetic disorder.

From Prenatal to Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis of β-Thalassemia. Prevention Model in 8748 Cases: 40 Years of Single Center Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Monni, Giovanni; Peddes, Cristina; Iuculano, Ambra; Ibba, Rosa Maria

2018-02-20

The incidence of β-thalassemia in Sardinia is high and β-39 is the most common mutation. The prevention campaign started in 1977 and was performed in a single center (Microcitemico Hospital, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy). It was based on educational programs, population screening by hematological and molecular identification of the carriers. Prenatal and pre-implantation diagnosis was offered to couples at risk. 8564 fetal diagnosis procedures using different invasive approaches and analysis techniques were performed in the last 40 years. Trans-abdominal chorionic villous sampling was preferred due to lower complication risks and early diagnosis. Chorionic villous DNA was analyzed by PCR technique. 2138 fetuses affected by β-thalassemia were diagnosed. Women opted for termination of the pregnancy (TOP) in 98.2% of these cases. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was proposed to couples at risk to avoid TOP. A total of 184 PGD were performed. Initially, the procedure was exclusively offered to infertile couples, according to the law in force. The success rate of pregnancies increased from 11.1% to 30.8% when, crucial law changes were enacted, and PGD was offered to fertile women as well. Forty years of β-thalassemia prevention programs in Sardinia have demonstrated the important decrease of this severe genetic disorder.

Development, characterization and shelf life of craft wheat beer

OpenAIRE

Mascia, Ilaria

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the production of beers brewed using raw materials of local origin. Many micro-breweries have been established in Italy, particularly in Sardinia, where some have started to use Sardinian wheat to produce a beer that has a regional connection. In an attempt to make this product more original, new strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, isolated from sourdoughs, were selected. Beer aging influences the characteristics of beers and is usually ...

A new multi-disciplinary model for the assessment and reduction of volcanic risk: the example of the island of Vulcano, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Simicevic, Aleksandra; Bonadonna, Costanza; di Traglia, Federico; Rosi, Mauro

2010-05-01

is the starting point of the identification of suitable mitigation measures which will be analyzed through a cost-benefit analysis to assess their financial feasibility. Information about public networks is also recorded in order to give an overall idea of the built environment condition of the island. The vulnerability assessment of the technical systems describes the potential damages that could stress systems like electricity supply, water distribution, communication networks or transport systems. These damages can also be described as function disruption of the system. The important aspect is not only the physical capacity of a system to resist, but also its capacity to continue functioning. The model will be tested on the island of Vulcano in southern Italy. Vulcano is characterized by clear signs of volcanic unrest and is the type locality for a deadly style of eruption. The main active system of Vulcano Island (La Fossa cone) is known to produce a variety of eruption styles and intensities, each posing their own hazards and threats. Six different hazard scenarios have been identified based on a detailed stratigraphic work. The urbanization on Vulcano took place in the 1980s with no real planning and its population mostly subsists on tourism. Our preliminary results show that Vulcano is not characterized by a great variability of architectural typologies and construction materials. Three main types of buildings are present (masonry with concrete frame, masonry with manufactured stone units, masonry with hollow clay bricks) and no statistically significant trends were found between physical and morphological characteristics. The recent signs of volcanic unrest combined with a complex vulnerability of the island due to an uncontrolled urban development and a significant seasonal variation of the exposed population in summer months result in a high volcanic risk. As a result, Vulcano represents the ideal environment to test a multi-hazard based risk model and to

Explosive eruptive history of Pantelleria, Italy: Repeated caldera collapse and ignimbrite emplacement at a peralkaline volcano

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Nina J.; Rotolo, Silvio G.; Williams, Rebecca; Speranza, Fabio; McIntosh, William C.; Branney, Michael J.; Scaillet, Stéphane

2018-01-01

A new, pre-Green Tuff (46 ka) volcanic stratigraphy is presented for the peralkaline Pantelleria Volcano, Italy. New 40Ar/39Ar and paleomagnetic data are combined with detailed field studies to develop a comprehensive stratigraphic reconstruction of the island. We find that the pre-46 ka succession is characterised by eight silica-rich peralkaline (trachyte to pantellerite) ignimbrites, many of which blanketed the entire island. The ignimbrites are typically welded to rheomorphic, and are commonly associated with lithic breccias and/or pumice deposits. They record sustained radial pyroclastic density currents fed by low pyroclastic fountains. The onset of ignimbrite emplacement is typically preceded (more rarely followed) by pumice fallout with limited dispersal, and some eruptions lack any associated pumice fall deposit, suggesting the absence of tall eruption columns. Particular attention is given to the correlation of well-developed lithic breccias in the ignimbrites, interpreted as probable tracers of caldera collapses. They record as many as five caldera collapse events, in contrast to the two events reported to date. Inter-ignimbrite periods are characterised by explosive and effusive eruptions with limited dispersal, such as small pumice cones, as well as pedogenesis. These periods have similar characteristics as the current post-Green Tuff activity on the island, and, while not imminent, it is reasonable to postulate the occurrence of another ignimbrite-forming eruption sometime in the future.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN ITALY

OpenAIRE

Voitkāne, Vita

2017-01-01

European member States implement Inclusive Education policies thus contributing to a sustainable, inclusive society, although each country is at a different stage in this process. Italy, one of the first countries to launch integrative learning, has set an example since the 1970s, although the quality of inclusive education is unpredictable due to many issues. Authors Cantoni and Panetta (2006) emphasize that, although the culture of integration in Italy exists, much needs to be done to impro...

Landscape Planning and Ecological Networks. Part B. A Rural System in Nuoro, Sardinia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea De Montis

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper represents the continuation, i.e. Part B, of an homonymous paper aiming at designing an ecological network for the periurban area on the town of Nuoro in central Sardinia. While in Part A we illustrate the methodological premises and introduce a spatial network analysis-based study of a pilot ecological network, in this paper we apply a complex network analysis approach to the construction and characterization of the dynamics of the ecological network of Nuoro.  We are interested in monitoring the performance of the ecological network evolving from a real to a hypothetical scenario, where the two target vegetal species (holm oak and cultivated or wild olive are present in each patch. We focus on global network properties and on three different centrality measures: degree, clustering coefficient, and betweenness centrality. We also take into account the influence of the intensity of the connection (i.e. the weight by introducing the corresponding weighted centrality measures. Through thematic mapping we illustrate the pattern of each centrality indicator throughout the entire pilot set of patches. In this way, we demonstrate how spatial network analysis is useful to monitor the performance of the network and to support decision-making, management, and planning.

Wine tourism in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cinelli Colombini D

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Donatella Cinelli Colombini Orcia Doc Wine Consortium, Rocca d’Orcia , Italy Abstract: This text includes the history of wine tourism in Italy since 1993, when the first edition of the event “Cantine Aperte” (Open Cellars, Wine Day, took place. The movement grew from the initial 25 wineries to the 21,000 that participate today in opening their doors to the public, while visitors grew in numbers from a couple of hundred, 20 years ago, to the current 4 to 6 million. Wine tourists can be divided into four main groups: wine tourists by chance, classic wine tourists, talent scouts, and lovers of luxury. Each group is examined according to its consumption, its conduct, and its expectations. Wine tourism in Italy boasts around 170 territorial networks: “Strade del Vino” (wine routes regulated by law. After an initial pioneer phase during which preexisting wineries adapted to the growing number of tourists, modern-day wineries were created with bespoke areas for the welcoming of visitors. Wineries in Italy can be classified into the following main types: “functional wineries” that concentrate on productive efficiency; “cathedrals” – renovated historic buildings or modern “starchitecture” designs in which esthetics play an important role; wineries with a “strong identity” linked to the owner or wine producer with the special imprint of his or her personal wine making passion. Other features of Italian wine territories such as food and wellness centers not to speak of the ever present cultural heritage also play a part in attracting wine tourists. Lastly, an evaluation is made of business and communication aspects with a specific reference to the use of the web. Keywords: wine tourism, Italian wineries, winery tours, wine roads of Italy

Geochemical, petrographic and physical characterizations and associated alterations of the volcanic rocks of the Romanesque San Nicola Church (Ottana, central Sardinia, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Columbu, Stefano; Palomba, Marcella; Sitzia, Fabio

2015-04-01

In this research, the volcanic rocks belonging to the Sardinia Oligo-Miocene volcanic cycle (32 - 11 Ma) and building up the structure of the San Nicola church, one of the most representative churches of the Romanesque architecture, were studied. These stones were widely used in medieval architecture for the excellent workability, but they present some disadvantages, since they are greatly affected by alteration phenomena. The main objectives of this research are i) to focus the mineral, chemical and petrographic compositions of the San Nicola stones, ii) the chemical and physical alteration processes affecting these materials, and iii) to establish the exactly provenance of the volcanic rocks. Furthermore, a comparative study between the rocks from the ancient quarries and those forming the structure of the church was performed. In the ancient quarries, where presumably a more advanced alteration occurs due to the vertical alteration gradient, different facies of the same volcanic lithology, characterized by macroscopical evidences of chemical-physical degradation degree, were sampled. Petrographic, geochemical (both major elements that the traces) and physical-mechanical features of the collected samples were determined to highlight the compositional differences (density, porosity, water-absorption kinetics, mechanical resistance) as a function of the different alteration degree. Moreover, chemical-mineralogical analysis of the sample surfaces from the church, was performed, to highlight possible presence and nature of secondary newly-formed phases (e.g., salt efflorescence). Several methodologies were applied to carry out physical-chemical and petrographic analysis: X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD) for chemical and mineral composition; Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for textures, mineral assemblages and microstructures studies; He-picnometry, water-absorption and mechanical

Review and meta-analysis of trends in precipitation regime in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Caporali, Enrica; Chiarello, Valentina; Defina, Ilaria; Fatichi, Simone

2017-04-01

Research to detect changes in climatic variables has become a topic of particular interest to observe signals of climate change as well as to understand drivers of modifications in water resources availability and suggest management adaptations. We specifically focus on Italy, outlining the "state of the art" of the Italian precipitation regime through a review of 46 published studies on rainfall trend analyses. The aim is to combine a large body of knowledge in a single review and to explain the main patterns of rainfall changes occurred in the last decades. The review results are analyzed for the entire Italian peninsula and separately for three macro areas: North, Central and South&Islands. The attention is focused on three indexes at the annual and seasonal scale: mean Total Precipitation (TP), number of Wet Days (WDs) and Precipitation Intensity (PI). Two other aspects are briefly investigated: drought and extreme rainfall events. Different geographic areas, time series length and number of stations, are taken into account using a "weight factor Fi". Subsequently, for each index, findings in terms of increasing or decreasing trends are collected into five principal categories: Negative (N), Negative Significant (NS), Positive (P), Positive Significant (PS), and No Trend (NT). Overall, there is an agreement about the tendency of the WDs that are decreasing on the whole Italy, with some discrepancies regarding the spring and the summer seasons. This is substantially in agreement with the tendency of the TP, especially at annual scale where the presence of a decreasing trend is detected. An opposite behavior is detected for PI, which increases both on an annual and on a seasonal basis. It is worth to point out that PI is analyzed just in few studies and it is strongly influenced on the classification in precipitation intensity intervals. A general finding is that signal to noise ratio on precipitation metrics is quite low, which hampers a clear definition of

Heat Islands

Science.gov (United States)

EPA's Heat Island Effect Site provides information on heat islands, their impacts, mitigation strategies, related research, a directory of heat island reduction initiatives in U.S. communities, and EPA's Heat Island Reduction Program.

Nuclear decommissioning in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripputi, I.

2005-01-01

Italy is in a unique position. Italy has been in the past among the leading countries in the pacific use of nuclear energy, but, as a consequence of the 1987 referendum decided to shutdown all operating power plants, to leave uncompleted the plants under construction and to stop all related research and industrial activities declaring a 5 years moratorium on any future initiative. The moratorium ended unnoticed in 1992, since there was no political move to restart nuclear power in Italy and, in practice, it is still acting. Therefore, now the major efforts in the nuclear field are focused on the closure of past liabilities assuring safety and security highest levels. This is a duty to be carried out by the generation that used this form of energy, but, at least for somebody, also a precondition for the acceptance of any future renaissance of nuclear energy in Italy. SOGIN is a Company carrying out a service for the country and fully committed to solve the liabilities left by the interrupted nuclear industry in Italy. To this aim SOGIN is managed as a private company to assure the highest possible efficiency, but, at the same time, is driven by moral and ethical objectives and the vision of protecting the environment and health and safety of the public. SOGIN blends in a synergic way the various ENEL experiences (design and operation of NPP's) and ENEA experiences (engineering and operation of R and D and industrial facilities supporting NPP's). Such a comprehensive combination of technical competences should not be dispersed in the medium and long term and the management is committed to facilitate the technical growth of the impressing number of motivated young people joining the Company, whose enthusiasm is contaminating every day also the 'veterans', to assure for the country an asset and a presidium of very specialized multi-disciplinary nuclear competences. Speaking of possible scenarios for the future, we should mention that the current international situation

Outstanding accumulation of Sphagnum palustre in central-southern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Casella, Laura; Zaccone, Claudio

2017-04-01

Lake Fibreno is a site where some outstanding anomalies for the flora and vegetation of the wetlands of peninsular Italy are concentrated. Here one the southernmost European population of Sphagnum palustre occurs, and is restricted on the surface of a free-floating island, i.e., a round-shaped portion of fen (with a core of Sphagnum), erratically floating on the surface of a submerged sinkhole. Geological evidences point out the existence in the area of a large lacustrine basin since Late Pleistocene. The progressive filling of the lake, caused by changing in climatic conditions and neotectonic events, resulted in the formation of peat deposits in the area, following different depositional cycles in a swampy environment. So that, the studied free-floating island, probably originated around lake margins in the waterlogged area, was somehow isolated from the bank and started to float. Once the separation occurred, sedge peat stopped to accumulate, thus enhancing the role of S. palustre as the main peat-forming plant. The vegetation occurring at the moment of the isolation of the island was a coverage of Salix cinerea/Populus tremula stands below which cushions of moss and, in a lower extent, Thelypteris palustris/Equisetum palustre accumulated resulting in the formation of 2-3 meters of peat dominated by reeds and sedges. This vegetation has been partially degraded by grazing until 1970s, while in 1980s the lake became a nature reserve. Since then, the succession could resume in a spontaneous and natural way and it was possible for the vegetation to recover to natural dynamics and growing rate. The Sphagnum tussocks were measured in an empirical way at a distance of about 60 years after the last signaling and the result was a measurement of an accretion open to about 70 cm thick. Moreover, in a recent study, a 4-m deep peat core was collected from the centre of the island and results were surprising. In fact, 14C age dating, confirmed using 210Pb and 137Cs, showed

Island biogeography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whittaker, Robert James; Fernández-Palacios, José María; Matthews, Thomas J.

2017-01-01

Islands provide classic model biological systems. We review how growing appreciation of geoenvironmental dynamics of marine islands has led to advances in island biogeographic theory accommodating both evolutionary and ecological phenomena. Recognition of distinct island geodynamics permits gener...

Tenarife Island, Canary Island Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

1991-01-01

Tenarife Island is one of the most volcanically active of the Canary Island archipelago, Atlantic Ocean, just off the NW coast of Africa, (28.5N, 16.5W). The old central caldera, nearly filled in by successive volcanic activity culminating in two stratocones. From those two peaks, a line of smaller cinder cones extend to the point of the island. Extensive gullies dissect the west side of the island and some forests still remain on the east side.

A new chromosomal race of the house mouse, Mus musculus domesticus, in the Vulcano Island-Aeolian Archipelago, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Solano, Emanuela; Castiglia, Riccardo; Corti, Marco

2007-07-01

In this paper we describe a new Robertsonian (Rb) race of the house mouse from Vulcano (Aeolian archipelago) through the identification of the metacentric chromosomes. We analysed fifteen mice. All the specimens were found to have the same karyotype 2n=26. This karyotype is characterized by Rb(1.2), Rb(3.9), Rb(4.13), Rb(5.14), Rb(8.12), Rb(10.16) and Rb(15.17). The differences between the race of Vulcano and the races in a neighbour island (Lipari) consist in the presence of Rb(10.16) and Rb(15.17) in the former and Rb(6.16) and Rb(10.15) in the latter. We discuss the possible hypotheses regarding the origin between these two races including the possible occurrence of a whole arm reciprocal translocation (WART) on the Vulcano island.

Plastic litter in sediments from a marine area likely to become protected (Aeolian Archipelago's islands, Tyrrhenian sea).

Science.gov (United States)

Fastelli, Paolo; Blašković, Andrea; Bernardi, Giulia; Romeo, Teresa; Čižmek, Hrvoje; Andaloro, Franco; Russo, Giovanni F; Guerranti, Cristiana; Renzi, Monia

2016-12-15

This research aims to define for the first time levels and patterns of different litter groups (macro, meso and microplastics) in sediments from a marine area designed for the institution of a new marine protected area (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). Microplastics resulted the principal group and found in all samples analyzed, with shape and colours variable between different sampling sites. MPs levels measured in this study are similar to values recorded in harbour sites and lower than reported in Adriatic Sea, while macroplastics levels are notably lower than in harbor sites. Sediment grain-size and island extent resulted not significant in determining levels and distribution of plastic debris among islands. In the future, following the establishment of the MPA in the study area, these basic data will be useful to check for potential protective effects on the levels and distribution of plastic debris. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canary Islands

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

This easterly looking view shows the seven major volcanic islands of the Canary Island chain (28.0N, 16.5W) and offers a unique view of the islands that have become a frequent vacation spot for Europeans. The northwest coastline of Africa, (Morocco and Western Sahara), is visible in the background. Frequently, these islands create an impact on local weather (cloud formations) and ocean currents (island wakes) as seen in this photo.

Late magmatic controls on the origin of schorlitic and foititic tourmalines from late-Variscan peraluminous granites of the Arbus pluton (SW Sardinia, Italy): Crystal-chemical study and petrological constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Bosi, Ferdinando; Naitza, Stefano; Skogby, Henrik; Secchi, Francesco; Conte, Aida M.; Cuccuru, Stefano; Hålenius, Ulf; De La Rosa, Nathaly; Kristiansson, Per; Charlotta Nilsson, E. J.; Ros, Linus; Andreozzi, Giovanni B.

2018-05-01

Tourmalines from the late-Variscan Arbus pluton (SW Sardinia) and its metamorphic aureole were structurally and chemically characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron and nuclear microprobe analysis, Mössbauer, infrared and optical absorption spectroscopy, to elucidate their origin and relationships with the magmatic evolution during the pluton cooling stages. The Arbus pluton represents a peculiar shallow magmatic system, characterized by sekaninaite (Fe-cordierite)-bearing peraluminous granitoids, linked via AFC processes to gabbroic mantle-derived magmas. The Fe2+-Al-dominant tourmalines occur in: a) pegmatitic layers and pods, as prismatic crystals; b) greisenized rocks and spotted granophyric dikes, as clots or nests of fine-grained crystals in small miaroles locally forming orbicules; c) pegmatitic veins and pods close to the contacts within the metamorphic aureole. Structural formulae indicate that tourmaline in pegmatitic layers is schorl, whereas in greisenized rocks it ranges from schorl to fluor-schorl. Tourmalines in thermometamorphosed contact aureole are schorl, foitite and Mg-rich oxy-schorl. The main substitution is Na + Fe2+ ↔ □ + Al, which relates schorl to foitite. The homovalent substitution (OH) ↔ F at the O1 crystallographic site relates schorl to fluor-schorl, while the heterovalent substitution Fe2+ + (OH, F) ↔ Al + O relates schorl/fluor-schorl to oxy-schorl. Tourmaline crystallization in the Arbus pluton was promoted by volatile (B, F and H2O) enrichment, low oxygen fugacity and Fe2+ activity. The mineralogical evolutive trend is driven by decreasing temperature, as follows: sekaninaite + quartz → schorl + quartz → fluor-schorl + quartz → foitite + quartz. The schorl → foitite evolution represents a distinct trend towards (Al + □) increase and unit-cell volume decrease. These trends are typical of granitic magmas and consistent with Li-poor granitic melts, as supported by the absence of elbaite and other

Long-term variations of fumarole temperatures on Vulcano Island (Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iole Serena Diliberto

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Fumarole temperatures are the ultimate results of many processes that are encountered by deep fluids during their passage to the surface. Here, the time variations of high-temperature fumaroles acquired by continuous monitoring are presented, to show the effects of the forces that act on the system. Data acquired by continuous monitoring of fumaroles and the time relationships with the different parameters related to the activity of the volcanic system are discussed. From 1998 to 2010, the temperature and compositional changes of fumarolic gases were monitored at the same time as variations in the number of volcano-seismic events, which indicate frequent variations of energy release (heat and mass flow, and seismic strain release. Geochemical modeling applied to the volcanic system of Vulcano Island suggests that the overall expansion of magmatic gas through the fractured system is an almost iso-enthalpic process at depth, which shifts to an adiabatic process at shallow depth, where the rock permeability increases. Thus, the time variations of the fumarole temperatures reflect various physical variations of the system that can either occur at depth or close to the surface. The temperature monitoring performed in the fumarolic area of La Fossa Cone showed short-term effects related to rain events, and negligible effects related to other external agents (ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure variations. At the same time, the long-term monitoring highlighted some mean-term and long-term variations. These last are the main characters observed in the time-series, and they both appear to be related to endogenous forces that perturb the equilibrium of this complex geochemical system.

Electric-powered vehicles in Italy; Les vehicules electriques en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bordel, St.; Carles, R.

2003-09-01

The aim of this study is to make a synthesis about the development of electric-powered vehicles, in particular in Italy. After a brief historical review of this type of propulsion system, a state-of-the-art review is made which allows to show up the different existing architectures and their characteristic specificities. This review allows to identify the key scientific and technical domains in the existing research programs in progress in order to make these 'alternative' transportation systems economically viable. The second part of the study explains the situation of Italy with respect to these propulsion systems. The political commitments are analyzed first and then some of the university and industry centers of competences for these key domains are presented. Finally, some trans-national collaborations in progress are shown. (J.S.)

Rembrandt in Italie. Receptie en verzamelgeschiedenis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutgers, J.

2008-01-01

This dissertation sets out to investigate if and to what extent Rembrandt's work was appreciated in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. From approximately 1650 onwards paintings, drawings and prints by Rembrandt could be found in Italy, he is mentioned in several written sources and a few Italian

Group Psychotherapy in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannone, Francesca; Giordano, Cecilia; Di Blasi, Maria

2015-10-01

This article describes the history and the prevailing orientations of group psychotherapy in Italy (psychoanalytically oriented, psychodrama, CBT groups) and particularly group analysis. Provided free of charge by the Italian health system, group psychotherapy is growing, but its expansion is patchy. The main pathways of Italian training in the different group psychotherapy orientations are also presented. Clinical-theoretical elaboration on self development, psychopathology related to group experiences, and the methodological attention paid to objectives and methods in different clinical groups are issues related to group therapy in Italy. Difficulties in the relationship between research and clinical practice are discussed, as well as the empirical research network that tries to bridge the gap between research and clinical work in group psychotherapy. The economic crisis in Italy has led to massive cuts in health care and to an increasing demand for some forms of psychological treatment. For these reasons, and because of its positive cost-benefit ratio, group psychotherapy is now considered an important tool in the national health care system to expand the clinical response to different forms of psychological distress.

The methane sink associated to soils of natural and agricultural ecosystems in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Castaldi, Simona; Costantini, Massimo; Cenciarelli, Pietro; Ciccioli, Paolo; Valentini, Riccardo

2007-01-01

In the present work, the CH4 sink associated to Italian soils was calculated by using a process-based model controlled by gas diffusivity and microbial activity, which was run by using a raster-based geographical information system. Georeferenced data included land cover CLC2000, soil properties from the European Soil Database, climatic data from the MARS-STAT database, plus several derived soils properties based on published algorithms applied to the above mentioned databases. Overall CH4 consumption from natural and agricultural sources accounted for a total of 43.3 Gg CH4 yr(-1), with 28.1 Gg CH4 yr(-1) removed in natural ecosystems and 15.1 Gg CH4 yr(-1) in agricultural ecosystems. The highest CH4 uptake rates were obtained for natural areas of Southern Apennines and islands of Sardinia and Sicily, and were mainly associated to areas covered by sclerophyllous vegetation (259.7+/-30.2 mg CH4 m(-2) yr(-1)) and broad-leaved forest (237.5 mg CH4 m(-2) yr(-1)). In terms of total sink strength broad-leaved forests were the dominant ecosystem. The overall contribution of each ecosystem type to the whole CH4 sink depended on the total area covered by the specific ecosystem and on its exact geographic distribution. The latter determines the type of climate present in the area and the dominant soil type, both factors which showed to have a strong influence on CH4 uptake rates. The aggregated CH4 sink, calculated for natural ecosystems present in the Italian region, is significantly higher than previously reported estimates, which were extrapolated from fluxes measured in other temperate ecosystems.

Robotic surgery in Italy national survey (2011).

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Eugenio; Pansadoro, Vito

2013-03-01

Robotic surgery in Italy has become a clinical reality that is gaining increasing acceptance. As of 2011 after the United States, Italy together with Germany is the country with the largest number of active Robotic centers, 46, and da Vinci Robots installed, with at least 116 operators already trained. The number of interventions performed in Italy in 2011 exceeded 6,000 and in 2010 were 4,784, with prevalence for urology, general surgery and gynecology, however these interventions have also begun to be applied in other fields such as cervicofacial, cardiothoracic and pediatric surgery. In Italy Robotic centers are mostly located in Northern Italy, while in the South there are only a few centers, and four regions are lacking altogether. Of the 46 centers which were started in 1999, the vast majority is still operational and almost half handle over 200 cases a year. The quality of the work is also especially high with large diffusion of radical prostatectomy in urology and liver resection and colic in general surgery. The method is very well accepted among operators, over 80 %, and among patients, over 95 %. From the analysis of world literature and a survey carried out in Italy, Robotic surgery, which at the moment could be better defined as telesurgery, represents a significant advantage for operators and a consistent gain for the patient. However, it still has important limits such as high cost and non-structured training of operators.

Soil Water Balance and Vegetation Dynamics in two Water-limited Mediterranean Ecosystem on Sardinia under past and future climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Corona, R.; Montaldo, N.; Albertson, J. D.

2016-12-01

Water limited conditions strongly impacts soil and vegetation dynamics in Mediterranean regions, which are commonly heterogeneous ecosystems, characterized by inter-annual rainfall variability, topography variability and contrasting plant functional types (PFTs) competing for water use. Historical human influences (e.g., deforestation, urbanization) further altered these ecosystems. Sardinia island is a representative region of Mediterranean ecosystems. It is low urbanized except some plan areas close to the main cities where main agricultural activities are concentrated. Two contrasting case study sites are within the Flumendosa river basin (1700 km2). The first site is a typical grassland on an alluvial plan valley (soil depth > 2m) while the second is a patchy mixture of Mediterranean vegetation species (mainly wild olive trees and C3 herbaceous) that grow in a soil bounded from below by a rocky layer of basalt, partially fractured (soil depth 15 - 40 cm). In both sites land-surface fluxes and CO2 fluxes are estimated by the eddy correlation technique while soil moisture was continuously estimated with water content reflectometers, and periodically leaf area index (LAI) was estimated. The following objectives are addressed:1) pointing out the dynamics of land surface fluxes, soil moisture, CO2 and vegetation cover for two contrasting water-limited ecosystems; 2) assess the impact of the soil depth and type on the CO2 and water balance dynamics; 3) evaluate the impact of past and future climate change scenarios on the two contrasting ecosystems. For reaching the objectives an ecohydrologic model that couples a vegetation dynamic model (VDM), and a 3-component (bare soil, grass and woody vegetation) land surface model (LSM) has been used. Historical meteorological data are available from 1922 and hydro-meteorological scenarios are then generated using a weather generator. The VDM-LSM model predict soil water balance and vegetation dynamics for the generated

Natural {gamma}-radiation of rocks and soils from Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Mediteranean Sea)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brai, M. [Palermo Univ. (Italy). Ist. della Biocomunicazione; Hauser, S.; Bellia, S. [Palermo Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Mineralogia, Petrografia e Geochimica; Puccio, P.; Rizzo, S. [Palermo Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Ingegneria Nucleare

1995-04-01

Gamma-ray spectra of the main lithotypes and soils from Vulcano island (Mediterranean Sea) have been carried out in order to quantify the natural radioactivity. The {sup 238}U, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 40}K contents obtained are in agreement with the genesis of the rock formation. In fact, basaltic rocks showed the lowest content of radionuclides whereas the rhyolitic rocks showed the highest concentrations. The results are comparable with other volcanic areas of southern Italy. Measurements of absorbed dose in air by TL dosimeters were also performed. The values ranged between 0.5 and 2.0 mGy y{sup -1}. Comparison between these values and those computed from {gamma}-ray spectra showed a good correlation. (author).

Natural γ-radiation of rocks and soils from Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Mediteranean Sea)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brai, M.; Hauser, S.; Bellia, S.; Puccio, P.; Rizzo, S.

1995-01-01

Gamma-ray spectra of the main lithotypes and soils from Vulcano island (Mediterranean Sea) have been carried out in order to quantify the natural radioactivity. The 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K contents obtained are in agreement with the genesis of the rock formation. In fact, basaltic rocks showed the lowest content of radionuclides whereas the rhyolitic rocks showed the highest concentrations. The results are comparable with other volcanic areas of southern Italy. Measurements of absorbed dose in air by TL dosimeters were also performed. The values ranged between 0.5 and 2.0 mGy y -1 . Comparison between these values and those computed from γ-ray spectra showed a good correlation. (author)

Multidecadal shoreline changes of atoll islands in the Marshall Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, M.

2012-12-01

Atoll islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of continued sea level rise. One of the most commonly predicted outcomes of continued sea level rise is widespread and chronic shoreline erosion. Despite the widespread implications of predicted erosion, the decadal scale changes of atoll island shorelines are poorly resolved. The Marshall Islands is one of only four countries where the majority of inhabited land is comprised of reef and atoll islands. Consisting of 29 atolls and 5 mid-ocean reef islands, the Marshall Islands are considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise. A detailed analysis of shoreline change on over 300 islands on 10 atolls was undertaken using historic aerial photos (1945-1978) and modern high resolution satellite imagery (2004-2012). Results highlight the complex and dynamic nature of atoll islands, with significant shifts in shoreline position observed over the period of analysis. Results suggest shoreline accretion is the dominant mode of change on the islands studied, often associated with a net increase in vegetated island area. However, considerable inter- and intra-atoll variability exists with regards to shoreline stability. Findings are discussed with respect to island morphodynamics and potential hazard mitigation and planning responses within atoll settings.

The burden of rare cancers in Italy: the surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) project.

Science.gov (United States)

Trama, Annalisa; Mallone, Sandra; Ferretti, Stefano; Meduri, Francesca; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Gatta, Gemma

2012-01-01

The project Surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) provides, for the first time, estimates of the burden of rare cancers in Italy based on the list of rare cancers proposed in collaboration with the European project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE). RITA analyzed data from Italian population-based cancer registries (CR). The period of diagnosis was 1988 to 2002, and vital status information was available up to December 31, 2003. Incidence rates were estimated for the period 1995-2002, survival for the years 2000-2002 (with the period method of Brenner), and complete prevalence at January 1, 2003. Rare cancers are those with an incidence <6/100,000/year. In Italy, every year there are 60,000 new diagnoses of rare cancers corresponding to 15% of all new cancer diagnoses. Five-year relative survival was on the average worse for rare cancers (53%) than for common cancers (73%). A total of 770,000 patients were living in Italy in 2008 with a diagnosis of a rare cancer, 22% of the total cancer prevalence. Our estimates constitute a useful base for further research and support the idea that rare cancers are a public health problem that deserves attention. Centers of expertise for rare cancers that pool cases, expertise and resources could ensure an adequate clinical management for these diseases. Our data also showed that cancer registries are suitable sources of data to estimate incidence, prevalence and survival for rare cancers and should continue to monitoring rare cancers in Italy.

A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy;Projet de relance de l'electronucleaire en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2009-07-15

Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

Foundation Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project-Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands

Science.gov (United States)

1990-04-01

iL_ COPY MISCELLANEOUS PAPER GL-90-5 i iFOUNDATION INVESTIGATION FOR GROUND BASED RADAR PROJECT--KWAJALEIN ISLAND, MARSHALL ISLANDS by Donald E...C!assification) Foundatioa Investigation for Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Yule, Donald E...investigation for the Ground Based Radar Project -- Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands , are presented.- eophysical tests comprised of surface refrac- tion

Country policy profile - Italy. December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co-exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

Italy's recurrent energy dependency dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ippolito, F.

1993-01-01

This paper first critically assesses the objectives of Italy's 1988 National Energy Plan which, in light of the moratorium on nuclear energy, called for moderate but steady reductions in imported energy supplies through the implementation of energy conservation programs and the development of available domestic conventional and renewable energy sources. The economics and energy analyses evidence that, in view this nation's current troubled economic situation, the Energy Plan's target for the year 2000 of a 76% dependency on foreign oil is just not good enough and not in line with stricter European environmental normatives limiting carbon dioxide emissions. It is argued that in order to effectively reduce the nation's excessively high energy costs, keep pace with other industrialized countries in a highly competitive market (Italy's energy tariffs are almost 55% greater than those of Germany and France), and to respect new European anti-pollution laws, Italy must restart its nuclear program and take advantage of the recent advances being made in passive reactor safety systems

Genesis of fumarolic emissions as inferred by isotope mass balances: CO 2 and water at Vulcano Island, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Paonita, A.; Favara, R.; Nuccio, P. M.; Sortino, F.

2002-03-01

We have developed a quantitative model of CO2 and H2O isotopic mixing between magmatic and hydrothermal gases for the fumarolic emissions of the La Fossa crater (Vulcano Island, Italy). On the basis of isotope balance equations, the model takes into account the isotope equilibrium between H2O and CO2 and extends the recent model of chemical and energy two-end-member mixing by Nuccio et al. (1999). As a result, the H2O and CO2 content and the δD, δ18O, and δ13C isotope compositions for both magmatic and hydrothermal end-members have been assessed. Low contributions of meteoric steam, added at a shallow depth, have been also recognized and quantified in the fumaroles throughout the period from 1988 to 1998. Nonequilibrium oxygen isotope exchange also seems to be occurring between ascending gases and wall rocks along some fumarolic conduits. The δ13CCO2 of the magmatic gases varies around -3 to 1‰ vs. Peedee belemnite (PDB), following a perfect synchronism with the variations of the CO2 concentration in the magmatic gases. This suggests a process of isotope fractionation because of vapor exsolution caused by magma depressurization. The hydrogen isotopes in the magmatic gases (-1 to -‰ vs. standard mean ocean water [SMOW]), as well as the above δ13CCO2 value, are coherent with a convergent tectonic setting of magma generation, where the local mantle is widely contaminated by fluids released from the subducted slab. Magma contamination in the crust probably amplifies this effect. The computed isotope composition of carbon and hydrogen in the hydrothermal vapors has been used to calculate the δD and δ13C of the entire hydrothermal system, including mixed H2O-CO2 vapor, liquid water, and dissolved carbon. We have computed values of about 10‰ vs. SMOW for water and -2 to -6.5‰ vs. PDB for CO2. On these grounds, we think that Mediterranean marine water (δDH2O ≈ 10‰) feeds the hydrothermal system. It infiltrates at depth throughout the local rocks

Coal use in Italy and environmental compatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Fossil fuels have in Italy great importance. In Italy, in terms of environmental protection and for social acceptance, coal has had a real opposition not verified in other countries. Environmental compatibility of coal cycle and related technologies are discussed also consequently at the Kyoto protocol [it

Geothermal energy in Italy - its importance, potential and projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, W.

2005-01-01

This article discusses the perspectives for the use of geothermal energy in Italy. Starting with an overview of the principles of the use of geothermal energy in general, the article goes on to review Italy's geothermal resources and their relevance to energy supply. Figures are given on the political situation in Italy concerning energy and the rapidly increasing demands made on electricity supply. Political support for renewable energy in Italy is looked at and models for financing projects are examined. Examples of geothermal energy projects are given and the perspectives for further developments in this industry are looked at

The Strategic Plan for Tourism Development in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia ANGELONI

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Conceptual works on tourism destination competitiveness affirm the central importance of planning the process of value creation within destination. Italy is an emblematic case of why and how a leading tourism destination may lose competitiveness along the years. Up to the 1980s Italy was in fact the top international tourism destination, but then such ranking gradually decreased, because of more complexity of sector and, over all, because of marginality of tourism in the government agenda and more in general of the country. After years of strategic myopia, Italy finally has a tool that formalizes its vision and indicates the key factors that can be leveraged in order to regain ground. In 2013, Italy adopted a National Strategic Plan. Therefore, this paper aims to describe an important turning point in tourism policies for the economic and cultural development of Italy. The research highlights the problematic areas of Italy’s tourism industry and explains how a new approach should make the Italian destination able to successfully compete on the international tourism market.

75 FR 67105 - Granular Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Italy and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

... Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Italy and Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... resin from Italy and Japan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted reviews... revocation of the antidumping duty orders on granular polytetrafluoroethylene resin from Italy and Japan...

Island in an island – The suggestions for transportation improvement plan for Haidian Island, Haikou, Hainan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sia Rosalind Juo Ling

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Haidian Island, which situated at the Northern part of Haikou City of Hainan Province, is an island within a city. Haidian Island is unique in term of it's development which centered around an university, the Hainan University, besides some others important landmarks, such as Haikou city hospital, Baishamen municipal park, Golf Driving Range etc. All commercials, residential, recreational activities etc are planned to serve Hainan University in particular. The study, taking ‘Haidian Island Area Development Control Plan’ as case study, would like to look into the importance of transportation and traffic planning. The study used observation, site investigation and traffic study methods to gather data needed. Firstly the study analyzed the current state of transportation system for Haidian Island in accordance to the Island Development Control plan and Haikou master plan and identified the problems. Then, the study made some recommendations for these problems. The study highlighted the important of non-motorized, cycling and walking as the main transportation system for an education-based island and as supportive to domestic tourism activities found. The transportation planning suggested by the study took ‘green and low-carbon’ approaches considered the role of University as the core activity in the island.

Further observations on associations between the ADA gene and past malaria morbidity in Sardinia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gloria-Bottini, Fulvia; Saccucci, Patrizia; Meloni, Gianfranco; Bottini, Egidio

2014-01-01

Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) contributes to the regulation of adenosine concentration and in turn to T cell activation. Genetic variability of ADA activity may have, therefore, an important role in resistance to malaria. Indeed, previous studies in Sardinia have shown a lower frequency of ADA1 *2 allele (associated with low ADA activity) in areas, where malaria was heavily endemic compared to areas where malaria was not endemic. We have now studied the ADA2 locus, another polymorphic site with two alleles ADA2 *1 and ADA2 *2 within the ADA gene. In the area of Oristano (where malaria was endemic in the past) 51 consecutive newborns and in the area of Nuoro (where malaria was not as endemic) 48 consecutive newborns were examined. ADA1 and ADA2 genotypes were determined by DNA analysis. The low frequency of the ADA1 *2 allele in the area where malaria was endemic is confirmed. The frequency of the ADA2 *2 allele is higher in Oristano than in Nuoro resulting in a higher frequency of the ADA1 *1/ADA2 *2 haplotype in Oristano as compared to Nuoro. This suggests a selective advantage of this haplotype in a malarial environment. The ADA gene shows other polymorphic sites further studies on their role in human adaptation to malaria could be rewarding. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Indications and organisational methods for autologous blood transfusion procedures in Italy: results of a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Catalano, Liviana; Campolongo, Alessandra; Caponera, Maurizio; Berzuini, Alessandra; Bontadini, Andrea; Furlò, Giuseppe; Pasqualetti, Patrizio; Liumbruno, Giancarlo M

2014-10-01

Pre-operative donation of autologous blood is a practice that is now being abandoned. Alternative methods of transfusing autologous blood, other than predeposited blood, do however play a role in limiting the need for transfusion of allogeneic blood. This survey of autologous blood transfusion practices, promoted by the Italian Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology more than 2 years after the publication of national recommendations on the subject, was intended to acquire information on the indications for predeposit in Italy and on some organisational aspects of the alternative techniques of autotransfusion. A structured questionnaire consisting of 22 questions on the indications and organisational methods of autologous blood transfusion was made available on a web platform from 15 January to 15 March, 2013. The 232 Transfusion Services in Italy were invited by e-mail to complete the online survey. Of the 232 transfusion structures contacted, 160 (69%) responded to the survey, with the response rate decreasing from the North towards the South and the Islands. The use of predeposit has decreased considerably in Italy and about 50% of the units collected are discarded because of lack of use. Alternative techniques (acute isovolaemic haemodilution and peri-operative blood salvage) are used at different frequencies across the country. The data collected in this survey can be considered representative of national practice; they show that the already very limited indications for predeposit autologous blood transfusion must be adhered to even more scrupulously, also to avoid the notable waste of resources due to unused units.Users of alternative autotransfusion techniques must be involved in order to gain a full picture of the degree of use of such techniques; multidisciplinary agreement on the indications for their use is essential in order for these indications to have an effective role in "patient blood management" programmes.

Islands and non-islands in native and heritage Korean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boyoung eKim

2016-02-01

Full Text Available To a large extent, island phenomena are cross-linguistically invariable, but English and Korean present some striking differences in this domain. English has wh-movement and Korean does not, and while both languages show sensitivity to wh-islands, only English has island effects for adjunct clauses. Given this complex set of differences, one might expect Korean/English bilinguals, and especially heritage Korean speakers (i.e. early bilinguals whose L2 became their dominant language during childhood to be different from native speakers, since heritage speakers have had more limited exposure to Korean, may have had incomplete acquisition and/or attrition, and may show significant transfer effects from the L2. Here we examine islands in heritage speakers of Korean in the U.S. Through a series of four formal acceptability experiments comparing these heritage speakers with native speakers residing in Korea, we show that the two groups are remarkably similar. Both show clear evidence for wh-islands and an equally clear lack of adjunct island effects. Given the very different linguistic environment that the heritage speakers have had since early childhood, this result lends support to the idea that island phenomena are largely immune to environmental influences and stem from deeper properties of the processor and/or grammar. Similarly, it casts some doubt on recent proposals that islands are learned from the input.

Class renormalization: islands around islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meiss, J.D.

1986-01-01

An orbit of 'class' is one that rotates about a periodic orbit of one lower class with definite frequency. This contrasts to the 'level' of a periodic orbit which is the number of elements in its continued fraction expansion. Level renormalization is conventionally used to study the structure of quasi-periodic orbits. The scaling structure of periodic orbits encircling other periodic orbits in area preserving maps is discussed here. Fixed points corresponding to the accumulation of p/q bifurcations are found and scaling exponents determined. Fixed points for q > 2 correspond to self-similar islands around islands. Frequencies of the island boundary circles at the fixed points are obtained. Importance of this scaling for the motion of particles in stochastic regions is emphasized. (author)

A multicriteria approach to evaluate wind energy plants on an Italian island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavallaro, Fausto; Ciraolo, Luigi

2005-01-01

The decision-making process regarding the choice of alternative energy is multidimensional, made up of a number of aspects at different levels--economic, technical, environmental, and social. In this respect multicriteria analysis appears to be the most appropriate tool to understand all the different perspectives involved and to support those concerned with the decision making process by creating a set of relationships between the various alternatives. The main aim of this paper is to make a preliminary assessment regarding the feasibility of installing some wind energy turbines in a site on the island of Salina (Aeolian islands-Italy). Thus, a multicriteria method will be applied in order to support the selection and evaluation of one or more of the solutions proposed. Having analysed the local environmental conditions and its energy profile, four wind turbine configurations were postulated as options. These options were then appraised by comparison against a family of criteria and calculations were performed using a multicriteria algorithm to rank the solutions, from the best to worst. The option at the top of the ranking refers to the installation of a plant of 150 kW and this emerged as the right compromise between the costs of realization, local energy requirements and the need to conserve the area and the environment especially in view of the high/medium-bracket tourism business on the island. The sensitivity analysis performed subsequently backed up the findings. As this work demonstrates, multicriteria analysis can provide a valid tool to aid decision making for achieving targets relating to more sustainable green energy

Study of a metallurgical site in Tuscany (Italy) by radiocarbon dating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartocci, A.; Fedi, M.E.; Taccetti, F.; Benvenuti, M.; Chiarantini, L.; Guideri, S.

2007-01-01

Tuscany represents one of the most important ancient mining districts of Italy. Metalworking activities have been present in the area since ancient times and several mining centres have been active in the region since the Etruscan period. Two of the more notable mining locations are the island of Elba and the towns of Populonia and Massa Marittima. In order to reconstruct the development of metallurgical techniques in the past, a multi-disciplinary approach is required, involving both archaeological study and archaeometric analysis of the sites of interest. One of the most complex problems is establishing the chronological history of metallurgical exploitation in ancient sites: archaeological remains are sometimes incomplete and the stratigraphy of archaeological horizons might have been deeply altered. Thus, direct dating of metallurgical slags and other remains of mining and metalworking activities using radiocarbon measurements is particularly useful for developing site chronologies. Charcoal samples from a recent excavation in Populonia were dated by AMS radiocarbon in order to reconstruct the chronological evolution of ancient metallurgical production; results reported here are consistent with archaeological observations

Study of a metallurgical site in Tuscany (Italy) by radiocarbon dating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cartocci, A. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita e I.N.F.N. Sezione di Firenze, via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Fedi, M.E. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita e I.N.F.N. Sezione di Firenze, via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy)]. E-mail: fedi@fi.infn.it; Taccetti, F. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita e I.N.F.N. Sezione di Firenze, via Sansone 1, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence (Italy); Benvenuti, M. [Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell' Universita di Firenze, via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Chiarantini, L. [Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra dell' Universita di Firenze, via La Pira 4, 50121 Florence (Italy); Guideri, S. [Societa Parchi Val di Cornia S.p.a., via G. Lerario, Piombino, Livorno (Italy)

2007-06-15

Tuscany represents one of the most important ancient mining districts of Italy. Metalworking activities have been present in the area since ancient times and several mining centres have been active in the region since the Etruscan period. Two of the more notable mining locations are the island of Elba and the towns of Populonia and Massa Marittima. In order to reconstruct the development of metallurgical techniques in the past, a multi-disciplinary approach is required, involving both archaeological study and archaeometric analysis of the sites of interest. One of the most complex problems is establishing the chronological history of metallurgical exploitation in ancient sites: archaeological remains are sometimes incomplete and the stratigraphy of archaeological horizons might have been deeply altered. Thus, direct dating of metallurgical slags and other remains of mining and metalworking activities using radiocarbon measurements is particularly useful for developing site chronologies. Charcoal samples from a recent excavation in Populonia were dated by AMS radiocarbon in order to reconstruct the chronological evolution of ancient metallurgical production; results reported here are consistent with archaeological observations.

Caractérisation de nouvelles molécules et variabilité chimique de trois plantes du continuum Corse-Sardaigne: Chamaemelum mixtum, Anthemis maritima et Eryngium maritimum.

OpenAIRE

Darriet , Florent

2011-01-01

Corsica is a Mediterranean mountain island which displays many aromatic and medicinal plants liable to produce essential oils potentially used in different domains. For their valorization, the knowledge of the oil chemical compositions is an essential challenge. This thesis deals with the chemical compositions of the essential oils and the volatile fractions of three coastal plants from Corsica and Sardinia: Chamaemelum mixtum, Anthemis maritima and Erygium maritimum. There are two aims: (i) ...

Landslide hazard and land management in high-density urban areas of Campania region, Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Di Martire

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Results deriving from a research focused on the interplay between landslides and urban development are presented here, with reference to two densely populated settings located in the Campania region, Italy: the city of Naples and the island of Ischia. Both areas suffer adverse consequences from various types of landslides since at least 2000 yr. Our study evidences that, despite the long history of slope instabilities, the urban evolution, often illegal, disregarded the high landslide propensity of the hillsides; thus, unsafe lands have been occupied, even in recent years, when proper and strict rules have been enacted to downgrade the landslide risk. It is finally argued that future guidelines should not be entirely based upon physical countermeasures against mass movements. On the contrary, national and local authorities should enforce the territorial control, obliging citizens to respect the existing regulations and emphasizing the role of alternative, non-structural solutions.

Magmatic control along a strike-slip volcanic arc: The central Aeolian arc (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Ruch, J.; Vezzoli, L.; De Rosa, R.; Di Lorenzo, R.; Acocella, V.

2016-02-01

The regional stress field in volcanic areas may be overprinted by that produced by magmatic activity, promoting volcanism and faulting. In particular, in strike-slip settings, the definition of the relationships between the regional stress field and magmatic activity remains elusive. To better understand these relationships, we collected stratigraphic, volcanic, and structural field data along the strike-slip central Aeolian arc (Italy): here the islands of Lipari and Vulcano separate the extensional portion of the arc (to the east) from the contractional one (to the west). We collected >500 measurements of faults, extension fractures, and dikes at 40 sites. Most structures are NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE oriented, eastward dipping, and show almost pure dip-slip motion, consistent with an E-W extension direction, with minor dextral and sinistral shear. Our data highlight six eruptive periods during the last 55 ka, which allow considering both islands as a single magmatic system, in which tectonic and magmatic activities steadily migrated eastward and currently focus on a 10 km long × 2 km wide active segment. Faulting appears to mostly occur in temporal and spatial relation with magmatic events, supporting that most of the observable deformation derives from transient magmatic activity (shorter term, days to months), rather than from steady longer-term regional tectonics (102-104 years). More in general, the central Aeolian case shows how magmatic activity may affect the structure and evolution of volcanic arcs, overprinting any strike-slip motion with magma-induced extension at the surface.

Magmatic control along a strike-slip volcanic arc: The central Aeolian arc (Italy)

KAUST Repository

Ruch, Joel

2016-01-23

The regional stress field in volcanic areas may be overprinted by that produced by magmatic activity, promoting volcanism and faulting. In particular, in strike-slip settings, the definition of the relationships between the regional stress field and magmatic activity remains elusive. To better understand these relationships, we collected stratigraphic, volcanic and structural field data along the strike-slip Central Aeolian arc (Italy): here the islands of Lipari and Vulcano separate the extensional portion of the arc (to the east) from the contractional one (to the west). We collected >500 measurements of faults, extension fractures and dikes at 40 sites. Most structures are NNE-SSW to NNW-SSE oriented, eastward dipping, and show almost pure dip-slip motion; consistent with an E-W extension direction, with minor dextral and sinistral shear. Our data highlight six eruptive periods during the last 55 ka, which allow considering both islands as a single magmatic system, in which tectonic and magmatic activity steadily migrated eastward and currently focus on a 10 km long x 2 km wide active segment. Faulting appears to mostly occur in temporal and spatial relation with magmatic events, supporting that most of the observable deformation derives from transient magmatic activity (shorter-term, days to months), rather than from steady longer-term regional tectonics (102-104 years). More in general, the Central Aeolian case shows how magmatic activity may affect the structure and evolution of volcanic arcs, overprinting any strike-slip motion with magma-induced extension at the surface.

Selected Abstracts of the 9th International Workshop on Neonatology; Cagliari (Italy; October 23-26, 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

--- Various Authors

2013-06-01

. Xanthos, A. Papalois, E. d’Aloja, G. Finco, A. Noto, A. Dessì, V. Fanos; Cagliari (Italy and Athens (Greece ABS 10. Combined oral Sildenafil and Bosentan in a ex-preterm infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension refractory to inhaled nitric oxide • E. Gitto, L. Marseglia, S. Aversa, M.P. Calabrò, I. Barberi; Messina (Italy ABS 11. The importance of the National Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Modena for the history of Pediatrics • I. Farnetani, F. Farnetani; Milan, Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy ABS 12. Alternative use of paracetamol in PDA closure: three case reports • C. Fanni, R. Irmesi, M. Testa, M.A. Marcialis, M.C. Pintus, F. Cioglia, S. Puddu, C. Loddo, V. Fanos; Cagliari (Italy ABS 13. Males in Sardinia are the healthiest of Italy • I. Farnetani, F. Farnetani; Milan, Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy ABS 14. Renal pelvis perforation: a rare complication of long line in a premature infant • L. Marseglia, S. Manti, G. D’Angelo, E. Gitto, G. Quartarone, I. Barberi; Messina (Italy ABS 15. The chair of childcare in Florence was established by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta • I. Farnetani, M.C. Gallorini Farnetani, F. Farnetani; Milan, Arezzo, Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy ABS 16. Nurse Led Clinic: wellbeing for mother and son • C. Ennas, A. Dessì, A. Fenu, E. Pilloni, D. Pireddu, M. Crisafulli, V. Fanos; Cagliari (Italy ABS 17. Emotional states of mothers of premature babies three months after discharge • P. Paladini, A. Frisenna, L. Valletta, A. Paladini; Lecce and Rome (Italy ABS 18. Recurrent benign pneumoperitoneum in a moderately preterm newborn infant • F. Zaglia, F. Doro, S. Spaggiari, A. Coghi, L. Lubrano, E. Andreatta, P. Biban; Verona (Italy ABS 19. Dosimetric issues in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit • A. Bernardini, V. Fanti, L. Satta, M. Puddu, V. Fanos; Cagliari (Italy ABS 20. Self-healing Langerhans cell histio-cytosis (Hashimoto-Pritzker disease in a 5-month

Cogeneration at FIAT AVIO (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantoni, A.

1991-01-01

Brief notes are provided on the FIAT (Italy) - Foster Wheeler joint venture to equip about 20 FIAT manufacturing plants with 50 MW(e) combined cycle cogeneration plants which will make use of a gas turbine whose design is based on that of the successful General Electric aeronautic LM 6000 engine. The paper also discusses solutions, e.g., wet and dry methods, being considered for nitrogen ox des control, and cites the need in Italy for the optimization of Government licensing procedures for small and medium sized manufacturing firms opting for on-site power generation through cogeneration plants

Reappraisal of paleomagnetic data from Gargano (South Italy)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vandenberg, J.

1983-01-01

VandenBerg, J., 1983. Reappraisal of paleomagnetic data from Gargano (South Italy). In: E. McClelland Brown and J. VandenBerg (Editors), Palaeomagnetism of Orogenic Belts. Tectonophysics, 98: 29-41. The platform limestones of Apulia (Italy) outcropping in the Gargano peninsula have been

Chemical and isotopic compositions of water and dissolved sulfate from shallow wells on Vulcano Island, Aeolian Archipelago, Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cortecci, G.; Dinelli, E.; Boschetti, T. [University of Bologna (Italy). Dept. of Earth and Geological Environmental Sciences; Bolognesi, L. [International Institute for Geothermal Research, Pisa (Italy); Ferrara, G. [University of Pisa (Italy). Dept. of Earth Sciences

2001-02-01

Twenty-two cold and thermal waters from shallow wells sampled in June 1995 in the Vulcano Porto area, Vulcano Island, were analyzed for major and minor chemical constituents, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes and tritium contents, and sulfur isotopes in the dissolved sulfate. The sulfur isotopic composition of the dissolved sulfate ranges between + 0.6 and + 6.5 per mille (mean + 3.7{+-}1.7 per mille), and is interpreted as deriving mainly from fumarolic SO{sub 2} undergoing oxidation in deep and shallow aquifers, with possible minor contributions from oxidation of H{sub 2}S. Dissolution of secondary anhydrite may have been a minor source of the isotopically heavy aqueous sulfate in the cold groundwaters. The chemical and isotopic features of the waters support previous interpretative hydrologic models of Vulcano Porto, which comprise a number of aquifers fed basically by two major end-members, i.e. meteoric water and crater-type fumarolic inputs, the latter in the form of absorbed emissions or condensate. These data, along with the sulfur isotopes of aqueous sulfate, exclude involvement of seawater in the recharge of the groundwater system of the island. (author)

Induced abortion and contraception in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli, A; Grandolfo, M E

1991-09-01

This article discusses the legal and epidemiologic status of abortion in Italy, and its relationship to fertility and contraception. Enacted in May 1978, Italy's abortion law allows the operation to be performed during the 1st 90 days of gestation for a broad range of health, social, and psychological reasons. Women under 18 must receive written permission from a parent, guardian, or judge in order to undergo an abortion. The operation is free of charge. Health workers who object to abortion because of religious or moral reasons are exempt from participating. Regional differences exist concerning the availability of abortion, easy to procure in some places and difficult to obtain in others. After an initial increase following legalization, the abortion rate was 13.5/1000 women aged 15-44 and the abortion ratio was 309/1000 live births -- an intermediate rate and ratio compared to other countries. By the time the Abortion Act of 1978 was adopted, Italy already had one of the lowest fertility levels in Europe. Thus, the legalization of abortion has had no impact on fertility trends. Contrary to initial fears that the legalization of abortion would make abortion a method of family planning, 80% of the women who sought an abortion in 1983-88 were using birth control at the time (withdrawal being the most common method used by this group). In fact, most women who undergo abortions are married, between the ages of 25-34, and with at least one child. Evidence indicates widespread ignorance concerning reproduction. In a 1989 survey, only 65% of women could identify the fertile period of the menstrual cycle. Italy has no sex education in schools or national family planning programs. Compared to most of Europe, Italy still has low levels of reliable contraceptive usage. This points to the need to guarantee the availability of abortion.

EVALUATION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE INFECTION STATUS OF UDDER AND THE MICROBIOLOGICAL MILK QUALITY IN SOME EXTENSIVE GOAT HERDS OF SARDINIA - PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Mulas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sub clinical mastitis may cause more losses than clinical mastitis. Farmers can take advantage of employing several tools, California Mastitis Test (CMT and Somatic Cell Count (SCC among the others, to determine the presence of a sub clinical mastitis in their herds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of milk produced in some extensive goat herds in Sardinia through a clinical check to determine the infection status of the udder, CMT, SCC and microbiological milk tests. CMT has been confirmed to be a useful, practical and economical tool to detect sub clinical mastitis in goats. Farmers should be encouraged to use this as a first step in order to avoid prospective losses in their herds.

Italy's green party: on the road to success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenbaum, A.

1988-01-01

Italy's Green Party (Lista Verde) does not consider itself a political party but it is changing the environmental consciousness of the nation. There are new eight popular television shows covering environmental problems and a national weekly newspaper devotes a regular column to ecology. Environmental associations, including the Environmental League, have been started in the 1980s. The Greens have also succeeded in halting Italy's nuclear power programme. In a national referendum held in 1987 almost 80% of the voters agreed with the Greens' views. No fewer than 14 more popular referenda are planned throughout Italy on environmental issues. (UK)

The dialect in Italy after the union

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Anna Grochowska

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Italian dialects occupy an important position in the history of Italian linguistics and are still present and relevant in the linguistic panorama of modern Italy. The purpose of this article is to outline the linguistic image of Italy by drawing attention to its dialects. Through analysis of the situation after unification in Italy in 1861, the author attempts to mark off functions and roles which dialects used to serve. In the second part of the article she concentrates on the phenomena of nuova dialettalità, or the new perspective and collocation of dialect in the Italian linguistic panorama of the 21st century. This article is a part of a research project dedicated to functions and uses of dialects in the Italian cinematography.

Geothermometry, geochronology, and mass transfer associated with hydrothermal alteration of a rhyolitic hyaloclastite from Ponza Island, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Altaner, S.P.; Ylagan, R.F.; Savin, S.M.; Aronson, J.L.; Belkin, H.E.; Pozzuoli, A.

2003-01-01

A rhyolitic hyaloclastite from Ponza Island, Italy, was hydrothermally altered, producing four distinct alteration zones based on X-ray diffraction mineralogy and field textures: (1) nonpervasive argillic zone; (2) propylitic zone; (3) silicic zone; and (4) sericitic zone. The unaltered hyaloclastite is volcanic breccia with clasts of vesiculated obsidian in a matrix of predominantly pumice lapilli. Incomplete alteration of the hyaloclastite resulted in the nonpervasive argillic zone, characterized by smectite and disordered opal-CT. The other three zones exhibit more complete alteration of the hyaloclastite. The propylitic zone is characterized by mixed-layer illite-smectite (I-S) with 10 to 85% I, mordenite, opal-C, and authigenic K-feldspar (akspar). The silicic zone is characterized by I-S with ???90% I, pure illite, quartz, akspar, and occasional albite. The sericitic zone consists primarily of I-S with ???66% I, pure illite, quartz, and minor akspar and pyrite. K/Ar dates of I-S indicate hydrothermal alteration occurred at 3.38 ?? 0.08 Ma. Oxygen isotope compositions of I-S systematically decrease from zones 1 to 4. In the argillic zone, smectite has ??18 O values of 21.7 to 22.0??? and I-S from the propylitic, silicic, and sericitic zones ranges from 14.5 to 16.3???, 12.5 to 14.0???, and 8.6 to 11.9???, respectively. ??18 O values for quartz from the silicic and sericitic zones range from 12.6 to 15.9???. By use of isotope fractionation equations and data from authigenic quartz-hosted primary fluid inclusions, alteration temperatures ranged from 50 to 65 ??C for the argillic zone, 85 to 125 ??C for the propylitic zone, 110 to 210 ??C for the silicic zone, and 145 to 225 ??C for the sericitic zone. Fluid inclusion data and calculated ??18 O water values indicate that hydrothermal fluids were seawater dominated. Mass-transfer calculations indicate that hydrothermal alteration proceeded in a relatively open chemical system and alteration in the sericitic zone

Socioeconomic dimensions of changes in the agricultural landscape of the Mediterranean basin: a case study of the abandonment of cultivation terraces on Nisyros Island, Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Petanidou, Theodora; Kizos, Thanasis; Soulakellis, Nikolaos

2008-02-01

Agricultural landscapes illustrate the impact of human actions on physical settings, and differential human pressures cause these landscapes to change with time. Our study explored changes in the terraced landscapes of Nisyros Island, Greece, focusing on the socioeconomic aspects during two time periods using field data, cadastral research, local documents, and published literature, as well as surveys of the islanders. Population increases during the late 19th to early 20th centuries marked a significant escalation of terrace and dry stone wall construction, which facilitated cultivation on 58.4% of the island. By the mid-20th century, the economic collapse of agricultural activities and consequent emigration caused the abandonment of cultivated land and traditional management practices, dramatically reducing farm and field numbers. Terrace abandonment continued in recent decades, with increased livestock grazing becoming the main land management tool; as a result, both farm and pasture sizes increased. Neglect and changing land use has led to deterioration and destruction of many terraces on the island. We discuss the socioeconomic and political backgrounds responsible for the land-use change before World War II (annexation of Nisyros Island by the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and Greece; overseas migration opportunities; and world transportation changes) and after the war (social changes in peasant societies; worldwide changes in agricultural production practices). The adverse landscape changes documented for Nisyros Island appear to be inevitable for modern Mediterranean rural societies, including those on other islands in this region. The island's unique terraced landscapes may qualify Nisyros to become an archive or repository of old agricultural management techniques to be used by future generations and a living resource for sustainable management.

Tuppiap Qeqertaa (Tobias Island): a newly discovered island off northeast Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, O.; Mikkelsen, N.; Forsberg, René

2006-01-01

The small island of Tuppiap Qeqertaa, formerly known as Tobias circle divide or Tobias Island, is situated 80 km off the northeast Greenland coast. The island was discovered in 1993 and is approximately 2 km long and 1.5 km wide. Most of the island is covered by an ice cap that rises to 35 in abo...

Diomede Islands, Bering Straight

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

The Diomede Islands consisting of the western island Big Diomede (also known as Imaqliq, Nunarbuk or Ratmanov Island), and the eastern island Little Diomede (also known as Krusenstern Island or Inaliq), are two rocky islands located in the middle of the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska. The islands are separated by an international border and the International Date Line which is approximately 1.5 km from each island; you can look from Alaska into tomorrow in Russia. At the closest land approach between the United States, which controls Little Diomede, and Russia, which controls Big Diomede, they are 3 km apart. Little Diomede Island constitutes the Alaskan City of Diomede, while Big Diomede Island is Russia's easternmost point. The first European to reach the islands was the Russian explorer Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. The text of the 1867 treaty finalizing the sale of Alaska uses the islands to designate the border between the two nations. The image was acquired July 8, 2000, covers an area of 13.5 x 10.8 km, and is located at 65.8 degrees north latitude, 169 degrees west longitude. The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

The submarine hydrothermal system of Panarea (Southern Italy: biogeochemical processes at the thermal fluids - sea bottom interface

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T. Maugeri

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Among the submarine hydrothermal systems located offshore the volcanic archipelago of the Aeolian Islands (Southern Italy, the most active is located off the coasts of Panarea island. Thermal waters, gases and sulfur deposits coexist at the sea bottom where hydrothermal fluids are released from both shallow and deep vents. The chemical and isotopic composition of the fluid phase shows the presence of a significant magmatic component and the physico-chemical conditions of the geothermal reservoir allow the release of reduced chemical species that are microbially mediated towards the production of organic carbon as a form of biochemical energy. Microorganisms inhabiting this environment possess nutritional requirements and overall metabolic pathways ideally suited to such ecosystem that represents a clear example of the close connection between geosphere and biosphere. Microscopic examination of the white mat attached to rock surfaces showed the presence of Thiothrix-like filamentous bacteria. Moderately thermophilic heterotrophic isolates were identified as strains of the genus Bacillus. Although the hydrothermal system of Panarea has to be considered a “shallow” system, it shows many characteristics that make it similar to the “deep” oceanic systems, giving a unique opportunity for improving our knowledge on such an unexplored world by working at this easily accessible site.

Sociodemographic Factors Influencing Island Food Consumption in the Pacific Islander Health Study

OpenAIRE

Baumhofer, Nicole Kau'i

2016-01-01

This dissertation explores the relationships between island food consumption, sociodemographic variables, and cardiovascular risk using data from the Pacific Islander Health Study (PIHS). Chapter 1 explores the associations between self-reported level of island food consumption and key covariates. Island food consumption was modeled using Poisson regression and adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics. Increased Pacific Island cultural affinity was the strongest p...

Paradise Islands? Island States and Environmental Performance

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Sverker C. Jagers

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Island states have been shown to outperform continental states on a number of large-scale coordination-related outcomes, such as levels of democracy and institutional quality. The argument developed and tested in this article contends that the same kind of logic may apply to islands’ environmental performance, too. However, the empirical analysis shows mixed results. Among the 105 environmental outcomes that we analyzed, being an island only has a positive impact on 20 of them. For example, island states tend to outcompete continental states with respect to several indicators related to water quality but not in aspects related to biodiversity, protected areas, or environmental regulations. In addition, the causal factors previously suggested to make islands outperform continental states in terms of coordination have weak explanatory power in predicting islands’ environmental performance. We conclude the paper by discussing how these interesting findings can be further explored.

Randomised controlled trials for evaluating the prescribing impact of information meetings led by pharmacists and of new information formats, in General Practice in Italy

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Magnano Lucia

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Suboptimal translation of valid and relevant information in clinical practice is a problem for all health systems. Lack of information independent from commercial influences, limited efforts to actively implement evidence-based information and its limited comprehensibility are important determinants of this gap and may influence an excessive variability in physicians' prescriptions. This is quite noticeable in Italy, where the philosophy and methods of Evidence-Based Medicine still enjoy limited diffusion among practitioners. Academic detailing and pharmacist outreach visits are interventions of proven efficacy to make independent and evidence-based information available to physicians; this approach and its feasibility have not yet been tested on a large scale and, moreover, they have never been formally tested in Italy. Methods/Design Two RCTs are planned: 1 a two-arm cluster RCT, carried out in Emilia-Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia, will evaluate the effectiveness of small group meetings, randomising about 150 Primary Care Groups (corresponding to about 2000 GPs to pharmacist outreach visits on two different topics. Physicians' prescriptions (expressed as DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day, knowledge and attitudes (evaluated through the answers to a specific questionnaire will be compared for target drugs in the two groups (receiving/not receiving each topic. 2 A three-arm RCT, carried out in Sardinia, will evaluate both the effectiveness of one-to-one meetings (one pharmacist visiting one physician per time and of a 'new' information format (compared to information already available on changing physicians' prescription of specific drugs. About 900 single GPs will be randomised into three groups: physicians receiving a visit supported by "traditional" information material, those receiving a visit with "new" information material on the same topic and those not receiving any visit/material. Discussion The two proposed RCTs aim

a Simulation Tool Assisting the Design of a Close Range Photogrammetry System for the Sardinia Radio Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Buffa, F.; Pinna, A.; Sanna, G.

2016-06-01

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is a 64 m diameter antenna, whose primary mirror is equipped with an active surface capable to correct its deformations by means of a thick network of actuators. Close range photogrammetry (CRP) was used to measure the self-load deformations of the SRT primary reflector from its optimal shape, which are requested to be minimized for the radio telescope to operate at full efficiency. In the attempt to achieve such performance, we conceived a near real-time CRP system which requires the cameras to be installed in fixed positions and at the same time to avoid any interference with the antenna operativeness. The design of such system is not a trivial task, and to assist our decision we therefore developed a simulation pipeline to realistically reproduce and evaluate photogrammetric surveys of large structures. The described simulation environment consists of (i) a detailed description of the SRT model, included the measurement points and the camera parameters, (ii) a tool capable of generating realistic images accordingly to the above model, and (iii) a self-calibrating bundle adjustment to evaluate the performance in terms of RMSE of the camera configurations.

Investigation into Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalve mollusks farmed in Sardinia region and destined for human consumption

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Tiziana Tedde

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites transmitted by fecal-oral ingestion of (oocysts, and are responsible for enteritis in several animal species and humans worldwide. These (oocysts can survive for over a year in aquatic environments and can accumulate in bivalve mollusks, which filter large volumes of water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the natural occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination in different specimens of edible bivalves mollusks from farming sites of the western and north-eastern coasts of Sardinia. From April 2011 to February 2012, 1095 specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis and 240 of Crassostrea gigas were sampled from Olbia and Oristano gulf and San Teodoro pond. Hepatopancreas and gills, including the labial palp, were examined for oocysts and cysts after pooling and homogenisation using different techniques: i staining for light and fluorescence microscopy; ii direct immunofluorescence (IF Merifluor® test Cryptosporidium/ Giardia (Meridian Bioscience Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA; and iii molecular procedures. However, in the context under study, all mollusks examined with the three main diagnostic techniques were negative for both parasites pointing out the hypothetically low zoonotic risk related to Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalves, especially Mytilus galloprovincialis and Crassostrea gigas.

Landscape Planning and Ecological Networks. Part A. A Rural System in Nuoro, Sardinia

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Andrea De Montis

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Urban-rural landscape planning research is nowadays focusing on strategies and tools that support practitioners in designing integrated spaces starting from the analysis of local areas, where human and natural pressures interfere. A prominent framework is provided by the ecological networks, whose design regards the combination of a set of green areas or patches (the nodes interconnected through environmental corridors (the edges. Ecological networks are useful for biodiversity protection and enhancement, as they are able to counteract fragmentation, and to create or strengthen relations and exchanges among otherwise isolated elements. Biodiversity evolution, indeed, depends on the quantity and quality of spatial cohesion of natural areas.  In this paper, we aim at designing an ecological network for the periurban area on the town of Nuoro in central Sardinia. The narrative unfolds in two parts. Part A is presented in this paper and includes its methodological premises, i.e. biodiversity conservation and ecological network analysis and design, and the introductory elements of a spatial analysis on a pilot ecological network of one hundred patches. We locate patches by focusing on the ecosystems supported by the target vegetal species holm oak (Quercus ilex and cultivated or wild olive (Olea europaea var. sativa, O. europaea var. sylverstis. These are very common plants species in the municipality and some animal species are active as seed dispersal. The reminder, i.e. Part B, of the essay is presented in an homonymous paper that focuses on the illustration of the network analysis conceived as a monitoring system and, in future perspective, as a planning support system.

Rainfall thresholds for the possible occurrence of landslides in Italy

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M. T. Brunetti

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In Italy, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides that frequently cause fatalities and large economic damage. Using a variety of information sources, we have compiled a catalogue listing 753 rainfall events that have resulted in landslides in Italy. For each event in the catalogue, the exact or approximate location of the landslide and the time or period of initiation of the slope failure is known, together with information on the rainfall duration D, and the rainfall mean intensity I, that have resulted in the slope failure. The catalogue represents the single largest collection of information on rainfall-induced landslides in Italy, and was exploited to determine the minimum rainfall conditions necessary for landslide occurrence in Italy, and in the Abruzzo Region, central Italy. For the purpose, new national rainfall thresholds for Italy and new regional rainfall thresholds for the Abruzzo Region were established, using two independent statistical methods, including a Bayesian inference method and a new Frequentist approach. The two methods proved complementary, with the Bayesian method more suited to analyze small data sets, and the Frequentist method performing better when applied to large data sets. The new regional thresholds for the Abruzzo Region are lower than the new national thresholds for Italy, and lower than the regional thresholds proposed in the literature for the Piedmont and Lombardy Regions in northern Italy, and for the Campania Region in southern Italy. This is important, because it shows that landslides in Italy can be triggered by less severe rainfall conditions than previously recognized. The Frequentist method experimented in this work allows for the definition of multiple minimum rainfall thresholds, each based on a different exceedance probability level. This makes the thresholds suited for the design of probabilistic schemes for the prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. A scheme based on four

Environmental applications based on GIS and GRID technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Demontis, R.; Lorrai, E.; Marrone, V. A.; Muscas, L.; Spanu, V.; Vacca, A.; Valera, P.

2009-04-01

, Southern Sardinia, Italy), the soil database is managed at the DISTER node (Cagliari, southern Sardinia, Italy), and the geochemical database is managed at the DIGITA node (Cagliari, southern Sardinia, Italy). The input data are files (raster ASCII format) and database tables. The raster files have been zipped and stored in iRods. The tables are imported into a PostgreSQL database and accessed by the Rule-oriented Database Access (RDA) system available for PostgreSQL in iRODS 1.1. From the EnginFrame portal it is possible to view and use the applications through three services: "Upload Data", "View Data and Metadata", and "Execute Application". The Land Suitability application, based on the FAO framework for land evaluation, produces suitability maps (at the scale 1:10,000) for 11 different possible alternative uses. The maps, with a ASCII raster format, are downloadable by the user and viewable by Mapserver. This application has been implemented in an area of southern Sardinia (Monastir) and may be useful to direct municipal urban planning towards a rational land use. The Desertification Risk Assessment application produces, by means of biophysical and socioeconomic key indicators, a final combined map showing critical, fragile, and potential Environmentally Sensitive Areas to desertification. This application has been implemented in an area of south-west Sardinia (Muravera). The final index for the sensitivity is obtained by the geometric mean among four parameters: SQI (Soil Quality Index), CQI (Climate Quality Index), VQI (Vegetation Quality Index) e MQI (Management Quality Index). The final result (ESAs = (SQI * CQI * VQI * MQI)1•4) is a map at the scale 1:50,000, with a ASCII raster format, downloadable by the user and viewable by Mapserver. This type of map may be useful to direct land planning at catchment basin level. The Georesources and Environmental Geochemistry application, whose test is in progress in the area of Muravera (south-west Sardinia) through stream

Bangladeshi immigrants in Italy: from geopolitics to micropolitics.

Science.gov (United States)

Knights, M

1996-01-01

"Bangladeshis are one of a wide variety of recently established immigrant groups in Italy, analysed here as an example of the interaction of geopolitics, employment and survival strategies, and the micropolitics of the community's organization in Italy. The geopolitics involves events in Bangladesh (change of government), Italy (the Martelli Law and other legislation), Europe (EU and other European policies, and the opening of eastern Europe as a routeway) and the Gulf. The micropolitics concerns mechanisms of immigration, migration sponsorship, connections to Italian political groups and clientelistic relationships within the community. Micropolitics also governs to a large extent the types of mostly informal work done by Bangladeshis in Rome." excerpt

Selected Abstracts of the 11th International Workshop on Neonatology; Cagliari (Italy; October 26-31, 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

--- Various Authors

2015-10-01

management of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm neonates • G. Errico, G. D’Amato, C. Franco, A. Del Vecchio • Bari (Italy ABS 108. Metabolic profile in adolescents and young adults born at different gestational age • F. Proietti, M. Calderisi, S. Perrone, M. Longini, S. Negro, A. Vivi, M. Tassini, G. Buonocore • Pisa and Siena (Italy ABS 109. Differences and similarities among stem cell niches in multiple organs of the human fetus • G. Mura, D. Fanni, M. Angiolucci, A. Sanna, V. Pibiri, P. Van Eiken, C. Gerosa • Cagliari (Italy and Leuven (Belgium ABS 110. Post-natal catch-up growth in sardinian infants with intrauterine growth retardation • M.G. Clemente, P.M. Galasso, G. Capobianco, M.G. Sanna, L. Argiolas, M.G. Olzai, R. Antonucci • Sassari (Italy ABS 111. Metabolomic study of amniotic fluid in gestational diabetes • F. Palmas, L. Barberini, A. Noto, C. Fattuoni, V. Fanos, A. Dessì, M. Albanesi, M. Zaffanello • Cagliari and Verona (Italy ABS 112. Immunology: from theory to clinical practice. Immune-modulated responses from neonatology to adolescence • D. Trabattoni • Milan (Italy ABS 113. News on pediatric urology • G. Masnata, V. Manca, L. Chia, F. Esu • Cagliari (Italy ABS 114. Pediatric tuberculosis in North Sardinia, 2009-2014 • M.G. Clemente, E. Dore, L. Abis, P. Olmeo R. Antonucci • Sassari (Italy ABS 115. SOX2, a marker for neural stem cells in the developing human cerebellum at different gestational ages • V. Pibiri, A. Ravarino, G. Naccarato, G. Mura, M.A. Marcialis, M. Piras, L. Vinci, R. Ambu • Cagliari and Pisa (Italy ABS 116. NEC and transfusions • C. Franco, A. Del Vecchio • Bari (Italy ABS 117. Snoring in obese children and its clinical significance in ambulatory setting • M. Zaffanello, G. Piacentini, C. Maffeis, E. Gasperi, L. Lubrano, C. Fava, S. Bonafini, A. Tagetti, F. Antoniazzi • Verona (Italy ABS 118. Biomarkers for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD • L.J.I. Zimmermann • Maastricht (the Netherlands

Study of the matrimonial structure of the population of central Sardinia (Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Vona, G; Francalacci, P; Paoli, G; Latini, V; Salis, M

1996-12-01

Temporal changes in the matrimonial structure of four Sardinian populations (Bitti, Lula, Lodè and Gavoi) have been studied. The endogamy rates and the average marriage distances indicate that the four villages experienced a long period of isolation. Only in recent decades endogamous marriages have fallen shortly. The trends of marital isonymy and inbreeding, evaluated both from isonymy and dispensation for consanguineous marriages, are similar to those of endogamy. The kinship values between pairs of populations show some preferential relationship (Bitti-Lodè, Lodè-Lula) and an evident differentiation between Gavoi and Bitti. The results also indicate that the values of kinship are not associated with the geographic distances. The possible impact of the matrimonial structure on the genetic structure and the relationships among the studied populations will be examined in further investigations, in which the genetic markers will be considered.

Researching Pacific island livelihoods:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egelund Christensen, Andreas; Mertz, Ole

2010-01-01

on contemporary theories of nissology and conceptual analytical frameworks for island research. Through a review of selected case-study-based island literature on changing livelihoods coming out of the South Pacific, we wish to illustrate and discuss advantages of finding common grounds for small island studies....... The focus is on two dimensions of island livelihood, migration and natural resource management, both of which are significant contributors in making island livelihoods and shaping Pacific seascapes. We argue that there is still a substantial lack of studies targeting small island dynamics that are empirical...

The US Mission in Italy's "Partnership for Growth"

Science.gov (United States)

Spogli, Ronald P.; Truhn, J. Patrick

2008-01-01

This paper first examines key differences between the traditional approaches of the USA and Italy in relation to innovation and entrepreneurship. The authors then turn to the specific example of southern Italy, which has experienced higher rates of unemployment, lower US investment and fewer educational and cultural exchanges than the rest of the…

Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Italy [Italian Version, Executive Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

This review analyses the energy challenges facing Italy and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide Italy towards a more sustainable energy future. The Italian government has made substantial progress in a number of sectors since the last IEA in-depth energy policy review in 2003. The success of the green certificate and white certificate schemes and continued reform of the electricity and natural gas supply markets are just a few examples and build on the recommendations contained in the previous review. Nonetheless, many challenges remain. Italy recognises the need to diversify its energy supply portfolio to reduce its heavy dependence on fossil fuels and electricity imports, and to decrease its growing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, the government announced its intention to recommence the countrys nuclear power program and start building a new nuclear power plant by 2013. To do so, Italy must first develop an efficient process for identifying critical energy infrastructure, including nuclear power, and subjecting it to an effective, streamlined siting and permitting process. Italy will face another major challenge in complying with Europe’s new climate and energy package, particularly in relation to renewable energy and emissions targets. Italy must step up efforts to comply with its new responsibilities, specifically by developing and putting in place a comprehensive climate change strategy for the years until 2020. In mid-2009, the legislature enacted a comprehensive new law that will facilitate the emergence of a robust long-term energy policy. The government must respond to this opportunity and elaborate, with industry, a comprehensive long-term strategy for the development of the energy sector. This review analyses the energy challenges facing Italy and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide Italy towards a more

78 FR 63860 - Amendment of Class D Airspace; Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-25

...This action amends the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description by amending the geographic coordinates for Bucholz Army Airfield (AAF), Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI. The Bucholz AAF geographic coordinates information was updated in the Kwajalein Island Class E airspace descriptions in 2011, but was inadvertently overlooked in the Kwajalein Island Class D airspace description. This action ensures the safety of aircraft operating in the Kwajalein Island airspace area. This is an administrative action and does not affect the operating requirements of the airspace.

Stepping-stones to the Edge: Artistic Expressions of Islandness in an Ocean of Islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie Brinklow

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Since the earliest of times, islands have captured the artistic imagination—and, often, for the artist who finds his or her muse in being ‘islanded’, the smaller the island the better. Archipelagos offer an ideal setting for artists who take their inspiration from place: on small islands off islands they can experience an intensity of island living they might not otherwise have on a main island: boundedness and connection, isolation and community. This paper examines expressions of islandness by artists who live on islands off islands that are poles apart—‘archipelagos’ of the Canadian North Atlantic and the Great Southern Ocean. It draws upon interviews with those artists and writers to consider the nature of humans’ attachment and attraction to islands, exploring through the lens of phenomenology what Stratford et al. call the “entanglement between and among islands”.

Modeling the distribution of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus on offshore islands in the Falkland Islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael A. Tabak

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Non-native rats (Rattus spp. threaten native island species worldwide. Efforts to eradicate them from islands have increased in frequency and become more ambitious in recent years. However, the long-term success of some eradication efforts has been compromised by the ability of rats, particularly Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus which are good swimmers, to recolonize islands following eradications. In the Falkland Islands, an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, the distance of 250 m between islands (once suggested as the minimum separation distance for an effective barrier to recolonization has shown to be insufficient. Norway rats are present on about half of the 503 islands in the Falklands. Bird diversity is lower on islands with rats and two vulnerable passerine species, Troglodytes cobbi (the only endemic Falkland Islands passerine and Cinclodes antarcticus, have greatly reduced abundances and/or are absent on islands with rats. We used logistic regression models to investigate the potential factors that may determine the presence of Norway rats on 158 islands in the Falkland Islands. Our models included island area, distance to the nearest rat-infested island, island location, and the history of island use by humans as driving variables. Models best supported by data included only distance to the nearest potential source of rats and island area, but the relative magnitude of the effect of distance and area on the presence of rats varied depending on whether islands were in the eastern or western sector of the archipelago. The human use of an island was not a significant parameter in any models. A very large fraction (72% of islands within 500 m of the nearest potential rat source had rats, but 97% of islands farther than 1,000 m away from potential rat sources were free of rats.

33 CFR 80.717 - Tybee Island, GA to St. Simons Island, GA.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Island. (j) An east-west line from the southernmost extremity of Sea Island across Goulds Inlet to St... Tybee Island 255° true across Tybee Inlet to the shore of Little Tybee Island south of the entrance to... shoreline across Cabretta Inlet. (g) A north-south line (longitude 81°16.9′ W.) drawn from the south...

Energy Transition Initiative: Island Energy Snapshot - U.S. Virgin Islands (Fact Sheet)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-03-01

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The Virgin Islands archipelago makes up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles and the western island group of the Leeward Islands, forming the border between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Biofuels in Italy: obstacles and development opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pignatelli, Vito; Clementi, Chiara

2006-01-01

Today biofuels are the sole realistically practical way to reduce CO 2 emissions in the transportation sector. In many countries, including Italy, biofuel production and use are already a reality corresponding to a large agro-industrial production system that uses essentially mature technologies. To significantly lower production costs and optimise land use, Italy needs to develop new, second-generation biofuel production operations that can offer significant opportunities to the nation's agro-industrial sector [it

Socioeconomic Dimensions of Changes in the Agricultural Landscape of the Mediterranean Basin: A Case Study of the Abandonment of Cultivation Terraces on Nisyros Island, Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Petanidou, Theodora; Kizos, Thanasis; Soulakellis, Nikolaos

2008-02-01

Agricultural landscapes illustrate the impact of human actions on physical settings, and differential human pressures cause these landscapes to change with time. Our study explored changes in the terraced landscapes of Nisyros Island, Greece, focusing on the socioeconomic aspects during two time periods using field data, cadastral research, local documents, and published literature, as well as surveys of the islanders. Population increases during the late 19th to early 20th centuries marked a significant escalation of terrace and dry stone wall construction, which facilitated cultivation on 58.4% of the island. By the mid-20th century, the economic collapse of agricultural activities and consequent emigration caused the abandonment of cultivated land and traditional management practices, dramatically reducing farm and field numbers. Terrace abandonment continued in recent decades, with increased livestock grazing becoming the main land management tool; as a result, both farm and pasture sizes increased. Neglect and changing land use has led to deterioration and destruction of many terraces on the island. We discuss the socioeconomic and political backgrounds responsible for the land-use change before World War II (annexation of Nisyros Island by the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and Greece; overseas migration opportunities; and world transportation changes) and after the war (social changes in peasant societies; worldwide changes in agricultural production practices). The adverse landscape changes documented for Nisyros Island appear to be inevitable for modern Mediterranean rural societies, including those on other islands in this region. The island’s unique terraced landscapes may qualify Nisyros to become an archive or repository of old agricultural management techniques to be used by future generations and a living resource for sustainable management.

Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4 Outbreak, Italy, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Garbuglia, Anna R.; Scognamiglio, Paola; Petrosillo, Nicola; Mastroianni, Claudio Maria; Sordillo, Pasquale; Gentile, Daniele; La Scala, Patrizia; Girardi, Enrico

2013-01-01

During 2011, 5 persons in the area of Lazio, Italy were infected with a monophyletic strain of hepatitis E virus that showed high sequence homology with isolates from swine in China. Detection of this genotype in Italy parallels findings in other countries in Europe, signaling the possible spread of strains new to Western countries. PMID:23260079

46 CFR 7.70 - Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. 7.70 Section... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.70 Folly Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the...′ W. (Port Royal Sound Lighted Whistle Buoy “2PR”); thence to the easternmost extremity of Hilton Head...

The nuclear in Italy - state of the art; Le nucleaire en Italie - etat des lieux

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schifano, F.; Ziller, T

2007-02-15

This report aims to evaluate the italian situation in matter of the nuclear, following the referendum of 1987 which decided to stop the nuclear power plants in the country. The first part is devoted to the historical aspects of the nuclear sector in Italy. The second chapter presents the institutional and legislative framework. The third chapter discusses the today situation and the italian actors of the nuclear, from the radioactive wastes management and the dismantling of nuclear installations to the engineering service realized in other countries. It discusses also the research and development programs. The last chapter proposes perspectives of the debate around a possible restart of the nuclear activity in Italy.

Genesis and evolution of the fumaroles of vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy): a geochemical model

Science.gov (United States)

Carapezza, M.; Nuccio, P. M.; Valenza, M.

1981-09-01

A geochemical model explaining the presence of fumaroles having different gas composition and temperature at the top of the crater and along the northeastern coast of Vulcano island is proposed. A pressurized biphase (liquid-vapor) reservoir at the depth of about 2 km is hypothesized. Energy and mass balance sheets control P-T conditions in the system. P-T must vary along a boiling curve of brine as liquid is present. The CO2 content in the steam is governed by the thermodynamic properties of the fluids in the H2-NaCl-CO2 system. On the assumption that oxygen fugacity in the system is between the HM-FMQ oxygen buffers, observed SO2/H2S, CO2/CO, CO/CH4 ratios in the fumarolic gases at the Fossa crater appear in equilibrium with a temperature higher than that observed, such as may exist at depth. The more reduced gas phases present on the sea-side may result from re-equilibrium processes in shallower aquifers. The suggested model would help in monitoring changes in volcanic activity by analyzing fumarolic gases.

Seismotectonic models and CN algorithm: The case of Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, G.; Orozova Stanishkova, I.; Panza, G.F.; Rotwain, I.M.

1995-07-01

The CN algorithm is here utilized both for the intermediate term earthquake prediction and to validate the seismotectonic model of the Italian territory. Using the results of the analysis, made through the CN algorithm and taking into account the seismotectonic model, three areas, one for Northern Italy, one for Central Italy and one for Southern Italy, are defined. Two transition areas, between the three main areas are delineated. The earthquakes which occurred in these two areas contribute to the precursor phenomena identified by the CN algorithm in each main area. (author). 26 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

The courts in Renaissance Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrice Del Bo

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This review article offers a brief introduction to the issue of the courts in Renaissance Italy along with a selective description of bibliographic sources and electronic resources.

Trace metal distributions in Posidonia oceanica and sediments from Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. DI LEO

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Distribution of metals (Hg, Pb, Sn, Cu, Cd and Zn was determined in sediments and in different tissues of Posidonia oceanica collected from San Pietro Island, Taranto Gulf (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy. In seagrass, results, compared with metal concentrations in sediments, showed that the highest concentrations of Hg, Pb, Sn and Cu were found in the roots, while in the green leaves were found the highest levels of Cd and Zn. Instead the lowest metal concentrations were found in the basal part of the leaf. Levels of  metals in the leaves were similar to those found by other authors in uncontaminated areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Mercury levels in roots were correlated to levels in sediments. This could demonstrate the plant memorizes sediments contamination . This study reinforces the usefulness and the relevance of Posidonia oceanica as an indicator of spatial metal contamination and an interesting tool for environmental quality evaluation.

Collection for Italy

CERN Multimedia

Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General, and Ghislain Roy, President of the Staff Association

2016-01-01

Following the earthquake of 24 August in central Italy, many of you have expressed your solidarity. The collection to support the victims raised a total of 10 000 CHF, which was transferred in its entirety to Italy’s civil protection through the Italian delegation to the CERN Council. The CERN Directorate and the CERN Staff Association sincerely thank you for your generosity.

Postgraduate Courses in Pharmaceutical Medicine in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Domenico Criscuolo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Italy has a significant tradition of excellence in the area of clinical trials (CTRs: important achievements in the clinical development of rifampicin and adriamycin, the two most famous drugs discovered in the research laboratories of two Italian pharmaceutical companies, paved the way to the establishment of a culture of clinical development, mainly in the areas of antimicrobials and oncology. Despite the fact that now the Italian market of pharmaceuticals is largely dominated by multinational companies with headquarters outside Italy, the contribution of Italian studies to the clinical development of new drugs is still significant. Indeed, it largely exceeds the percentage of Italian inhabitants versus the ones living in the remaining EU countries, as Italy has about 12% of EU population, but has a 17% share of the EU CTRs. Education in Pharmaceutical Medicine is now a must for all professionals interested to work either in pharma companies or in contract research organizations: several Italian universities are offering high quality courses, and in the last 10 years, more than 1,200 professionals received a postgraduate education in pharmaceutical medicine. This result places Italy on top of countries concerned about the professional education of people involved in drug development and will represent an asset for a larger involvement of Italian clinical sites in the global process of clinical research.

New chronological and geochemical constraints on the genesis and geological evolution of Ponza and Palmarola Volcanic Islands (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Cadoux, Anita; Pinti, Daniele L.; Aznar, Cyril; Chiesa, Sergio; Gillot, Pierre-Yves

2005-04-01

A new geochronological and geochemical study of the volcanic rocks of the Ponza and Palmarola Islands, Pontine Archipelago, has been carried out. This archipelago is located along the boundary between the Italian continental shelf and the opening Tyrrhenian basin. It is a key area to study volcanism related to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Ponza is the oldest felsic magmatic manifestation in the central Tyrrhenian area. Previous studies suggested that Ponza volcanic activity began before 5 Ma. Twenty-five new K-Ar ages constrain the volcanic activity (rhyolitic hyaloclastites and dykes) to the last 4.2 Ma, with two episodes of quiescence between 3.7 and 3.2 Ma and between 2.9 and 1.0 Ma. A new volcanic episode dated at 3.2-2.9 Ma has been identified on the central and southern Ponza, with emplacement of pyroclastic units. At 1.0 Ma, a trachytic episode ended the volcanic activity. The near island of Palmarola exhibits rhyolitic hyaloclastites and domes dated between 1.6 and 1.5 Ma, indicating that the island was entirely built during the Early Pleistocene in a short span of time of ca. 120 ka. Although only 6-8 km apart, the two islands display significantly different geochemical signatures. Ponza rhyolites show major and trace element compositions representative of orogenic magmas of subduction/collision zones: high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous rhyolites (Agpaitic Index [AI] and Alumina Saturation Index [ASI] 3), and Nb-Ta negative anomalies. In Palmarola, the orogenic character is also present, but much less marked than in Ponza: rhyolites have a peralkaline character (AI>1), lower LILE/HFSE (Th/Ta=11-15), low LREE/HFSE ratios (La/Nb=1-2) close to those of anorogenic lavas, and the Nb-Ta negative anomalies are almost absent. Y/Nb ratios indicate different magmatic sources, one similar to island-arc or active continental margin basalts for Ponza rhyolites, and the others probably involving an OIB type component for Palmarola rhyolites and Ponza trachytes

Education and science museums. Reflections in Italy and on Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Rodari

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The educational function of science museums was born with the first naturalistic collections ever, flourished in 16th-century Italy. The pedagogic thought and the educational experimentations carried out in approximately five century of history have allowed the educational mission of museums to acquire many different facets, drawing a task having an increasingly higher and complex social value. Recent publications explore these new meanings of an old role.

Natural gas supply and demand in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comaschi, C.; Di Giulio, E.; Sormani, E.

2007-01-01

This article explores the dynamics between natural gas supply and demand in Italy. In order to supply Italy with increasing volumes of gas, several new pipelines and re gasification plants are expected in the next future, but their implementation is uncertain. Thus, there exist the possibility of natural gas shortage in the future. On the other hand, if all the expected projects will be implemented, situations of oversupply cannot be excluded. A system dynamics model deepens such as issue [it

Costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: past, present, and future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benucci M

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Maurizio Benucci,1 Veronica Rogai,2 Fabiola Atzeni,3 Volker Hammen,4 Piercarlo Sarzti-Puttini,3 Alberto Migliore5 1Rheumatology Unit, S.Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy; 2Eli Lilly Italia SpA, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; 3Rheumatology Unit, L Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy; 4Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany; 5Villa San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy Abstract: This literature review examines available evidence on the current and past costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA in Italy, together with the future health-economic prospects for the disease. Studies have been conducted to date on the prevalence, or the associated costs, of RA in Italy. Although future changes in the incidence of RA are a matter of debate, the impact of RA on health care costs is expected to grow in coming decades in line with projected increases in life expectancy and in the proportion of elderly people in Italy. It has been estimated that the indirect (productivity loss and informal care and intangible (deterioration in health-related quality of life costs of the disease will contribute to an increase in national health service expenditure, which will correspond to 1% of the total health care costs of the nation in the near future. The introduction of biological agents for the treatment of rheumatic diseases has resulted in an increase in the direct costs of RA; however, economic analyses that exclude indirect costs will underestimate the full economic impact of RA. The effectiveness of innovative therapies in preventing disease progression and functional impairment may, over time, attenuate the cost impact of RA in terms of hospitalizations and work absenteeism. Further research is needed to develop estimates of the economic impact of different therapeutic approaches in patients with RA in Italy, in order to provide tools that can drive the choice of the most cost-effective therapeutic option while maintaining high-quality care

Lady Morgan in Italy: A Traveller with an Agenda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Abbate Badin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Lady Morgan (née Sydney Owenson was a professional Irish travellerand travel-writer, who spent over a year on the peninsula. The travelogueItaly (1821 she was commissioned to write on the basis of the reputationshe had acquired as a novelist (e.g. The Wild Irish Girl, 1806 anda socio-political writer (France, 1817, left a mark on Italy and on theunderstanding of Italy in Great Britain. Her writings, in fact, helpeddisseminate the ideal of a unified Italy and influence British and Irishpublic opinion in favour of Italy’s aspirations to cast off foreign or domesticautocratic rule. Moreover, she used her travelogue to serve thecause of Ireland disguising a patriotic message about her home countryunder her many sallies about nationalism and the right to self-determinationconcerning Italy. The political impact of her book, unusualfor a travel account written by a woman, was enhanced by Morgan’sradical ideology, the gender bias of her observations and her originalmethods. The present article purposes to examine Morgan’s double,feminine and masculine, approach of mixing solid documentation withapparently frivolous notes originating in the feminine domain of societynews, commentary on the domestic scene and emotional reporting onsocial and historical events. Distrusting male-authored official history,Morgan gave a central place in her work to the informal sources fromwhich she gathered her insights about Italy. Analysing how she came toobtain the contemporary input for elaborating her ideas will be the aimof this chapter which will dwell on the more worldly aspects of Morgan’ssojourn in the peninsula focussing on the company she kept, theactivities she partook of, the events of a domestic nature she witnessed.

Anaerobic treatment in Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Borghi, M; Solisio, C; Ferrailo, G

1984-02-01

In Italy, environmental protection and energy conservation have become very important since the increase in oil prices. The law requires that all waste waters have a B.O.D. of 40 mg/l by 1986 so there has been an expansion of purification plants since 1976, using anaerobic digestion. The report deals with the current state of anaerobic treatment in Italy with particular reference to (1) animal wastes. In intensive holdings, anaerobic digestion leads to a decrease in pollution and an increase in biogas generation which can be used to cover the energy demand of the process. The factors which influence the builders of digestors for farms are considered. (2) Non toxic industrial wastes. These are the waste waters emanating from the meat packing, brewing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Particular reference is made to the distillery plants using anaerobic treatment prior to aerobic digestion. (3) Urban wastes. The advantages and the disadvantages are considered and further research and development is recommended. 20 references.

Merging field mapping and numerical simulation to interpret the lithofacies variations from unsteady pyroclastic density currents on uneven terrain: The case of La Fossa di Vulcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Doronzo, Domenico M.; Dellino, Pierfrancesco; Sulpizio, Roberto; Lucchi, Federico

2017-01-01

In order to obtain results from computer simulations of explosive volcanic eruptions, one either needs a statistical approach to test a wide range of initial and boundary conditions, or needs using a well-constrained field case study via stratigraphy. Here we followed the second approach, using data obtained from field mapping of the Grotta dei Palizzi 2 pyroclastic deposits (Vulcano Island, Italy) as input for numerical modeling. This case study deals with impulsive phreatomagmatic explosions of La Fossa Cone that generated ash-rich pyroclastic density currents, interacting with the topographic high of the La Fossa Caldera rim. One of the simplifications in dealing with well-sorted ash (one particle size in the model) is to highlight the topographic effects on the same pyroclastic material in an unsteady current. We demonstrate that by merging field data with 3D numerical simulation results it is possible to see key details of the dynamical current-terrain interaction, and to interpret the lithofacies variations of the associated deposits as a function of topography-induced sedimentation (settling) rate. Results suggest that a value of the sedimentation rate lower than 5 kg/m2 s at the bed load can still be sheared by the overlying current, producing tractional structures (laminae) in the deposits. Instead, a sedimentation rate higher than that threshold can preclude the formation of tractional structures, producing thicker massive deposits. We think that the approach used in this study could be applied to other case studies (both for active and ancient volcanoes) to confirm or refine such threshold value of the sedimentation rate, which is to be considered as an upper value as for the limitations of the numerical model.

78 FR 55095 - Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-09

...)] Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject... countervailing and antidumping duty orders on certain pasta from Italy and Turkey would be likely to lead to... respect to imports of certain pasta from Turkey. Background The Commission instituted these reviews on...

Rhode Island unemployment

OpenAIRE

Leonard Lardaro

2010-01-01

How can a state like Rhode Island have such a high unemployment rate? This question has been asked often over the past year, especially since at one point, Rhode Island found itself with the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the United States. Following that extreme, Rhode Island seemed to settle into a niche where its rank was third nationally.

Country policy profile - Italy. August 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). In the year 2012 the major share of renewable electricity generation is accounted for by hydropower (3796 ktoe), mainly large plants. PV (1622 ktoe and wind power (1066 ktoe) provide the next largest contributions. As for renewable heating, solid biomass makes the largest contribution with 4671 ktoe ktoe, followed by geo thermal at 3228 ktoe. bio-fuels used in renewable transport amount to 1343 ktoe (source: EurObserv'ER, 2014, www.eurobserv-er.org). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

Coastal management strategy for small island: ecotourism potency development in Karimata Island, West Kalimantan

Science.gov (United States)

Rudiastuti, A. W.; Munawaroh; Setyawan, I. E.; Pramono, G. H.

2018-04-01

Sustainable coastal management is playing an important role in coastal resources conservation, particularly on small islands. Karimata archipelago has unique characteristics and great potential to be developed as a tourism object, one of which is Karimata Island as the largest island and also reserve area. The concept of ecotourism focuses on the ecology conservation, economic benefits, and social life. Ecotourism aims to build sustainable tourism that provides economically viable and social benefits to the community. This study aims to develop coastal management strategy based on ecotourism at Karimata Island. Spatial approaching through coastal type was done. Qualitative descriptive analysis and SWOT are used to develop sustainable management strategies for the coast of Karimata Island, where the opportunities and challenges to the development of coastal ecotourism Karimata Island also included. If this potential is optimally utilized, it can be relied as an economic opportunity for local communities. Structurally shaped coast, marine depositional coast and coast build by organism are several of coastal types found at Karimata Island. Coastal ecosystems inhabited Karimata Island are mangroves, coral reefs, and macro-algae. Karimata Island have not been optimally utilized for tourist destinations. The biggest obstacle encountered is the accessibility from Kalimantan or other island at Karimata islands. Several problems related to the utilization of coastal resources were found such as mangrove and coral reef damage, also regulation that less supportive. The results of this study are expected to provide an overview of solutions for the development of coastal tourism potentials in Karimata Island.

Cold fusion research in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scaramuzzi, F.

1993-01-01

This paper summarizes cold fusion (CF) research in Italy. In Italy, many Agencies and Universities are moderately funding research in CF, and the scientists have made a few attempts to coordinate each other, organizing meetings and conferences. However, the activity has been mostly the fruit of the scientists' initiative, and never a coordinated proposal of Agencies and Universities. No position on the scientific validity of the subject has been officially taken and the funds for CF have been rather modest. The investments in Italy on CF, the figure referring to 1992 amounts to about 0.5 million dollars, not including expenses for personnel. A number of about 70 scientists, mostly working part-time, is committed all around the Country in research on CF. The lack of offical commitment and effective support by the Research Agencies and the Universities has not prevented scientists from being quite active in performing research. On the other side, it has to be acknowledged that no formal vetoes have been interposed to the free initiative of scientists in this field: on the contrary, some of the Agencies and Universities have moderately funded such an effort. The quality of the experiments in Italy has been increasingly good, and the results obtained are rather out standing in the general panorama of CF. But it is time to perform a more coordinated effort, keeping in mind that material science aspects, such as the characteristics of the materials used, play a very important role in the development of this topic. Thus, a much more intense effort is required to obtain a more substantial progress in the field. The increasingly convincing results obtained by the whole CF community, and the example of the Japanese Government and Industry, which appear to be determined to promoting CF research, have changed the panorama of CF. These are now signs that also the Italian scientific authorities could consider favouring research in this field in the near future. (J.P.N.)

Environmental control on concretion-forming processes: Examples from Paleozoic terrigenous sediments of the North Gondwana margin, Armorican Massif (Middle Ordovician and Middle Devonian) and SW Sardinia (Late Ordovician)

Science.gov (United States)

Dabard, Marie-Pierre; Loi, Alfredo

2012-08-01

Concretions of various compositions are common in the Paleozoic terrigenous successions of the north Gondwana margin. This study focuses on phosphatic (P) and siliceous (Si) concretions present in some successions of the Armorican Massif (NW France) and SW Sardinia (W Italy). It shows that they consist of mudstones, fine- to very fine-grained sandstones or shellbeds with a more or less abundant P-cement and form a continuum between a phosphatic end-member and a siliceous biogenic end-member. The P2O5 contents are ranging from 0.26% to 21.5% and are related to apatite. The SiO2 contents vary from 25% to 82% and are linked both to a terrigenous phase and to a biogenic silica phase. Concretions showing the lower P-contents (P2O5 5). Comparison with the surrounding sediments shows that all the concretions are enriched in chlorite and in Middle Rare Earth Elements (Las/Gds: 0.12-0.72) and some of them in Y (up to 974 ppm), Rare Earth Elements (more than 300 ppm) and Sr (260-880 ppm). The concretions with highest biogenic silica concentrations are contained in the outer shelf sediments whereas the other concretions are present from the proximal part of the inner shelf to the outer shelf. A genetic model in two stages is proposed. During early diagenesis, the dissolution of shells and degradation of organic matter progressively enrich the pore water in dissolved Si, Ca and P. When the suboxic zone is reached, P-precipitation begins, leading to the formation of protoconcretions. In shallow environments, the relative permeability of sediments and the winnowing or reworking of the upper few centimetres by bottom currents allow for suboxic conditions to be maintained, leading to P-rich concretion formation. In deeper environments, the anoxic zone is reached more rapidly, thereby preventing extensive phosphogenesis. Nevertheless in the protoconcretions the early P-cement preserves pore spaces from compaction. In the presence of biogenic siliceous particles, the fluids are

Self-sustained magnetic islands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatenet, J H; Luciani, J F [Ecole Polytechnique, 91 - Palaiseau (France); Garbet, X [Association Euratom-CEA, Centre d` Etudes de Cadarache, 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee

1996-06-01

Numerical simulations of a single magnetic island evolution are presented in the regime where the island width is smaller than an ion Larmor radius. It is shown that the island rotation is controlled by particle diffusion due to collisions or a background of microturbulence. As expected from the theory of a stationary island, there exist cases where linearly stable magnetic perturbation are nonlinearly self-sustained. This situation corresponds to large poloidal beta and temperature gradient. The drive is due to diamagnetic frequency effects. However, this situation is not generic, and islands can also decay. It is found that a magnetic island is self-sustained for a negative off-diagonal diffusion coefficient. This case occurs in a tokamak if the inward particle pinch is due to the temperature gradient. (author). 30 refs.

Self-sustained magnetic islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatenet, J.H.; Luciani, J.F.; Garbet, X.

1996-06-01

Numerical simulations of a single magnetic island evolution are presented in the regime where the island width is smaller than an ion Larmor radius. It is shown that the island rotation is controlled by particle diffusion due to collisions or a background of microturbulence. As expected from the theory of a stationary island, there exist cases where linearly stable magnetic perturbation are nonlinearly self-sustained. This situation corresponds to large poloidal beta and temperature gradient. The drive is due to diamagnetic frequency effects. However, this situation is not generic, and islands can also decay. It is found that a magnetic island is self-sustained for a negative off-diagonal diffusion coefficient. This case occurs in a tokamak if the inward particle pinch is due to the temperature gradient. (author)

Hydrogeological map of Italy: the preliminary Sheet N. 348 Antrodoco (Central Italy

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Marco Amanti

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The Geological Survey of Italy, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research is realizing the Sheet N.348 Antrodoco (Central Italy of the Hydrogeological map of Italy as a cartographical test of the Italian hydrogeological survey and mapping guidelines, in the frame of the Italian Geological Cartography Project. The study area is characterized by structural units deeply involved in the Apennine Orogeny (Latium and Abruzzi region territory, Rieti and L’Aquila provinces and including deposits of marine carbonate shelf, slope, basin and foredeep environments hosting relatively large amounts of groundwater resources. The map was realized to obtain the best possible representation of all hydrogeological elements deriving from field surveys, in order to characterize the hydrogeological asset. A control network for monthly measurement of surface and groundwater flow rates and hydrogeochemical parameters was performed. Data were uploaded in a geographic information system to perform the present preliminary hydrogeological cartography consisting in a main map showing the following hydrogeological complexes based on relative permeability degree (from bottom to top: i calcareous (Jurassic-Cretaceous; high permeability; ii calcareous-marly (Upper Cretaceous-Middle Eocene; intermediate permeability; iii marly-calcareous and marly (Upper Eocene- Upper Miocene; low permeability; iv flysch (Upper Miocene; low permeability; v conglomeratic-sandy and detritic (Upper Pliocene- Pleistocene; intermediate permeability; vi alluvial (Quaternary; low permeability. Among other elements shown in the main map there are hydrographical basin and sub-basin boundaries, stream gauging stations, meteo-climatic stations, streamwater-groundwater exchange processes, hydrostructure boundaries, point and linear spring flow rates, groundwater flow directions. Furthermore, complementary smaller-scale sketches at the margin of the main map were realized (e

What story does geographic separation of insular bats tell? A case study on Sardinian rhinolophids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Russo

Full Text Available Competition may lead to changes in a species' environmental niche in areas of sympatry and shifts in the niche of weaker competitors to occupy areas where stronger ones are rarer. Although mainland Mediterranean (Rhinolophus euryale and Mehely's (R. mehelyi horseshoe bats mitigate competition by habitat partitioning, this may not be true on resource-limited systems such as islands. We hypothesize that Sardinian R. euryale (SAR have a distinct ecological niche suited to persist in the south of Sardinia where R. mehelyi is rarer. Assuming that SAR originated from other Italian populations (PES--mostly allopatric with R. mehelyi--once on Sardinia the former may have undergone niche displacement driven by R. mehelyi. Alternatively, its niche could have been inherited from a Maghrebian source population. We: a generated Maxent Species Distribution Models (SDM for Sardinian populations; b calibrated a model with PES occurrences and projected it to Sardinia to see whether PES niche would increase R. euryale's sympatry with R. mehelyi; and c tested for niche similarity between R. mehelyi and PES, PES and SAR, and R. mehelyi and SAR. Finally we predicted R. euryale's range in Northern Africa both in the present and during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM by calibrating SDMs respectively with SAR and PES occurrences and projecting them to the Maghreb. R. mehelyi and PES showed niche similarity potentially leading to competition. According to PES' niche, R. euryale would show a larger sympatry with R. mehelyi on Sardinia than according to SAR niche. Such niches have null similarity. The current and LGM Maghrebian ranges of R. euryale were predicted to be wide according to SAR's niche, negligible according to PES' niche. SAR's niche allows R. euryale to persist where R. mehelyi is rarer and competition probably mild. Possible explanations may be competition-driven niche displacement or Maghrebian origin.

A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

CERN collect for Earthquakein Italy August 24, 2016

CERN Multimedia

Brice, Maximilien

2016-01-01

Ghislain Roy, President of CERN's Staff Association, Maurizio Serra, Ambassador, permanent Mission of Italy to teh United NAtions Office in Geneva, FAbiola Gianotti, CERN director General and Umberto Dosselli, scientific ataché Italian Permanent Mission in Geneva, show the letter co-signed by CERN's director general and CERN' s Staff Association President indicating the amounbt collected in favour of the vicitims of the August 24 2016 earthquake in central Italy.

Reliving Island Life: Staging Stories of the Blasket Islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daithí Kearney

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The Blasket Islands are located off the south-west coast of Ireland. No longer inhabited, the Great Blasket Island and its distinctive culture have been documented by a variety of writers and are celebrated today in an interpretative centre on the mainland and in performances by Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland. “Siamsa” developed from local initiatives in North Kerry during the early 1960s and is located today in Tralee, Co. Kerry. It aims to present Irish folklore and folk culture through the medium of theatre involving music, song, dance and mime but invariably no dialogue. In this paper, I focus on the production Oiléan, based loosely on the stories of the Blasket Islanders, which was initially devised as part of the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the departure of the last inhabitants of the islands in 2003.

46 CFR 7.85 - St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. 7.85... BOUNDARY LINES Atlantic Coast § 7.85 St. Simons Island, GA to Little Talbot Island, FL. (a) A line drawn from latitude 31°04.1′ N. longitude 81°16.7′ W. (St. Simons Lighted Whistle Buoy “ST S”) to latitude 30...

Long-term monitoring on a closed-conduit volcano: A 25 year long time-series of temperatures recorded at La Fossa cone (Vulcano Island, Italy), ranging from 250 °C to 520 °C

Science.gov (United States)

Diliberto, Iole Serena

2017-10-01

The longest record of temperature data from an active volcano in southern Italy is presented. The dataset comes from continuous monitoring of fumarole temperatures from the La Fossa cone of Vulcano (Aeolian Islands) running from 1991 to 2016. The discussion includes an empirical approach, based on a large number of direct measurements. At Vulcano Island, geochemical monitoring of the uprising fluids allows detection of the surface effects of perturbation in the state variables of the buried hydrothermal and magmatic systems. The presented datasets show that fumaroles' changing temperatures, which are related to surface heat flow, are useful indicators. Over the past 25 years, the combined effects of runoff and chemo-physical alterations were negligible on the output temperature of the earliest monitored fumaroles. The maximum recorded variation was 298 °C (measured in the ground very close to the steaming vents, at a depth of 0.5 m). Repetition of output temperature values occurred after 19 years in the same position; the time variations suggest a cyclic characteristic, although more years are needed to register the complete cyclic modulation. A combination of minor cyclical variations has also been registered in the fumarole output. The minor cycles appeared in this long series of data after 1995, and they can be interpreted as one of the surface effects of temporary departures from a stationary state assumed for the system feeding the La Fossa area. In this sector of the Mediterranean area, the steady state pressure field, as well as the steady state temperature gradients, can be perturbed either by magmatism or by seismo-tectonic processes related to regional dynamics. This long-term monitoring allowed comparisons of many temperature subsets with other validated geochemical and geophysical data series and highlighted common source mechanisms accounting for endogenous processes. Changes in the magma source and/or seismo-tectonic activity have been the primary

Adaptive radiation of island plants: Evidence from Aeonium (Crassulaceae) of the Canary Islands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, T.H.; Olesen, J.M.

2001-01-01

evidence that such traits have been acquired through convergent evolution on islands comes from molecular phylogenies; however, direct evidence of their selective value rarely is obtained. The importance of hybridization in the evolution of island plants is also considered as part of a more general......The presence of diverse and species-rich plant lineages on oceanic islands is most often associated with adaptive radiation. Here we discuss the possible adaptive significance of some of the most prominent traits in island plants, including woodiness, monocarpy and sexual dimorphisms. Indirect...... discussion of the mechanisms governing radiations on islands. Most examples are from the Hawaiian and Canarian floras, and in particular from studies on the morphological, ecological and molecular diversification of the genus Aeonium, the largest plant radiation of the Canarian Islands....

Italy INAF Data Center Report

Science.gov (United States)

Negusini, M.; Sarti, P.

2013-01-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Italian INAF VLBI Data Center. Our Data Center is located in Bologna, Italy and belongs to the Institute of Radioastronomy, which is part of the National Institute of Astrophysics.

Heron Island, Australia

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Heron Island is located at the sourthern end of Australia's 2,050 km-long Great Barrier Reef. Surrounded by coral reef and home to over 1000 species of fish, scuba divers and scientists alike are drawn to the island's resort and research station. The true-color image above was taken by Space Imaging's Ikonos satellite with a resolution of 4 meters per pixel-high enough to see individual boats tied up at the small marina. The narrow channel leading from the marina to the ocean was blasted and dredged decades ago, before the island became a national park. Since then the Australian government has implemented conservation measures, such as limiting the number of tourists and removing or recycling, instead of incinerating, all trash. One of the applications of remote sensing data from Ikonos is environmental monitoring, including studies of coral reef health. For more information about the island, read Heron Island. Image by Robert Simmon, based on data copyright Space Imaging

Global alliance against chronic respiratory diseases in Italy (GARD-Italy): strategy and activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurendi, Giovanna; Mele, Sonia; Centanni, Stefano; Donner, Claudio F; Falcone, Franco; Frateiacci, Sandra; Lazzeri, Marta; Mangiacavallo, Antonino; Indinnimeo, Luciana; Viegi, Giovanni; Pisanti, Paola; Filippetti, Giuseppe

2012-01-01

The steady increase in incidence of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) now constitutes a serious public health problem. CRDs are often underdiagnosed and many patients are not diagnosed until the CRD is too severe to prevent normal daily activities. The prevention of CRDs and reducing their social and individual impacts means modifying environmental and social factors and improving diagnosis and treatment. Prevention of risk factors (tobacco smoke, allergens, occupational agents, indoor/outdoor air pollution) will significantly impact on morbidity and mortality. The Italian Ministry of Health (MoH) has made respiratory disease prevention a top priority and is implementing a comprehensive strategy with policies against tobacco smoking, indoor/outdoor pollution, obesity, and communicable diseases. Presently these actions are not well coordinated. The Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), set up by the World Health Organization, envisages national bodies; the GARD initiative in Italy, launched 11/6/2009, represents a great opportunity for the MoH. Its main objective is to promote the development of a coordinated CRD program in Italy. Effective prevention implies setting up a health policy with the support of healthcare professionals and citizen associations at national, regional, and district levels. What is required is a true inter-institutional synergy: respiratory diseases prevention cannot and should not be the responsibility of doctors alone, but must involve politicians/policymakers, as well as the media, local institutions, and schools, etc. GARD could be a significant experience and a great opportunity for Italy to share the GARD vision of a world where all people can breathe freely. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Social cooperatives in Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Villotti, P; Zaniboni, S; Fraccaroli, F

2014-06-01

This paper describes the role of social cooperatives in Italy as a type of economic, non-profit organization and their role in contributing to the economic and social growth of the country. The purpose of this paper is to learn more about the experience of the Italian social cooperatives in promoting the work integration process of disadvantaged workers, especially those suffering from mental disorders, from a theoretical and an empirical point of view. Social enterprise is the most popular and consolidated legal and organizational model for social enterprises in Italy, introduced by Law 381/91. Developed during the early 1980s, and formally recognized by law in the early 1990s, social cooperatives aim at pursuing the general interest of the community to promote the human needs and social inclusion of citizens. They are orientated towards aims that go beyond the interest of the business owners, the primary beneficiary of their activities is the community, or groups of disadvantaged people. In Italy, Law 381/91 distinguishes between two categories of social cooperatives, those producing goods of social utility, such as culture, welfare and educational services (A-type), and those providing economic activities for the integration of disadvantaged people into employment (B-type). The main purpose of B-type social cooperatives is to integrate disadvantaged people into the open labour market. This goal is reached after a period of training and working experience inside the firm, during which the staff works to improve both the social and professional abilities of disadvantaged people. During the years, B-type social co-ops acquired a particular relevance in the care of people with mental disorders by offering them with job opportunities. Having a job is central in the recovery process of people suffering from mental diseases, meaning that B-type social co-ops in Italy play an important rehabilitative and integrative role for this vulnerable population of workers. The

Formation and adjustment of typhoon-impacted reef islands interpreted from remote imagery: Nadikdik Atoll, Marshall Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, Murray R.; Kench, Paul S.

2014-06-01

In 1905, a devastating typhoon hit Nadikdik Atoll (5°54‧ N and 172°09‧ E) in the southern Marshall Islands. Evidence suggests that large sections of reef islands on Nadikdik were overwashed and destroyed. Comparison of aerial photographs taken in 1945 and modern satellite imagery provides a unique record of the geomorphic adjustment of islands after the typhoon. Between 1945 and 2010 the vegetated area of islands on Nadikdik grew from 0.74 to 0.90 km2. Observed changes to Nadikdik reef islands manifested through a range of styles and were largely accretionary. Of note, the formation of a new island was tracked from an embryonic deposit to a fully vegetated and stable island over a 61 year period. Similarly, a number of previously discrete islands have agglomerated and formed a single larger island. These changes were rapid and indicate that reef island formation can occur quickly. Evidence suggests that despite the typhoon occurring over a century ago the geomorphic adjustment of islands is still on-going.

1st International Conference of IFToMM Italy

CERN Document Server

Gasparetto, Alessandro

2017-01-01

This volume contains the Proceedings of the First International Conference of IFToMM Italy (IFIT2016), held at the University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy, on December 1-2, 2016. The book contains contributions on the latest advances on Mechanism and Machine Science. The fifty-nine papers deal with such topics as biomechanical engineering, history of mechanism and machine science, linkages and mechanical controls, multi-body dynamics, reliability, robotics and mechatronics, transportation machinery, tribology, and vibrations.

76 FR 11509 - Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-02

...)] Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade... and strip from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it... France, Germany, Italy, and Japan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material...

Clinical scientific research with ionizing radiations in Italy. Jurisprudential aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle, G.; Frusciante, V.; Petrucelli, L.; Podagrosi, V.; Giustini, A.

1999-01-01

The paper reviews the laws that regulate the clinical scientific research with ionizing radiations in Italy and the effects of ICRP 62, introduced in Italy by the Minister's Decree 21/11/1997, renders invalid all previous rules and regulations which contrast with them [it

Company profile: Edison of Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The energy subsidiary of the Montedison chemicals company (Ferruzzi Group), Edison is Italy's largest private sector electricity producer. Last year production amounted to 4.7 TWh, an increase of 8.2% on 1990, and at the end of June this year, total net production of 2.4 TWh was 14.8% higher than in the first half of 1991. Edison also ranks first in the Italian league of private sector hydrocarbons producers, its Edison Gas subsidiary controlling a group that has significant exploration and development interests. These are mainly in Italy where production amounted to 333m cubic metres of natural gas and 690,000 barrels of oil in the first half of the year. The recent acquisition of Deutsche Shell's Italian fields should allow Edison to reach 2bn cubic metres of gas production by 1996. (author)

A socioeconomic profile of vulnerable land to desertification in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvati, Luca

2014-01-01

Climate changes, soil vulnerability, loss in biodiversity, and growing human pressure are threatening Mediterranean-type ecosystems which are increasingly considered as a desertification hotspot. In this region, land vulnerability to desertification strongly depends on the interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors. The present study proposes a multivariate exploratory analysis of the relationship between the spatial distribution of land vulnerability to desertification and the socioeconomic contexts found in three geographical divisions of Italy (north, center and south) based on statistical indicators. A total of 111 indicators describing different themes (demography, human settlements, labor market and human capital, rural development, income and wealth) were used to discriminate vulnerable from non-vulnerable areas. The resulting socioeconomic profile of vulnerable areas in northern and southern Italy diverged significantly, the importance of demographic and economic indicators being higher in southern Italy than in northern Italy. On the contrary, human settlement indicators were found more important to discriminate vulnerable and non-vulnerable areas in northern Italy, suggesting a role for peri-urbanization in shaping the future vulnerable areas. An in-depth knowledge of the socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerable land may contribute to scenarios' modeling and the development of more effective policies to combat desertification. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Atypical outbreak of acute coenurosis by Taenia multiceps in a sheep flock.

Science.gov (United States)

Pintus, Davide; Varcasia, Antonio; Dessì, Giorgia; Tamponi, Claudia; Manunta, Maria Lucia; Carboni, Giovanni Antonio; Cancedda, Maria Giovanna; Ligios, Ciriaco; Scala, Antonio

2018-06-01

Herein, we examined the brain of adult ewes and lambs less than 30 days old which were found affected by neurological signs in a flock located in Sardinia (Italy). Gross anatomo-pathological examination of all brains of the animals revealed multiple linear reddish-yellow foci of necrotic purulent inflammation due to oncosphere migration. Histologically, we confirmed a multifocal pyo-granulomatous meningo-encephalitis both in ewes and in lambs, confirming acute coenurosis. Morphological examination and DNA sequencing identified the Taenia multiceps we isolated as Tm1 strain. This report describes for the first time a natural acute coenurosis infection in suckling lambs under 30 days of age.

Bryophytes from Simeonof Island in the Shumagin Islands, southwestern Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Schofield, W.B.; Talbot, S. S.; Talbot, S.L.

2004-01-01

Simeonof Island is located south of the Alaska Peninsula in the hyperoceanic sector of the middle boreal subzone. We examined the bryoflora of Simeonof Island to determine species composition in an area where no previous collections had been reported. This field study was conducted in sites selected to represent the spectrum of environmental variation within Simeonof Island. Data were analyzed using published reports to compare bryophyte distribution patterns at three levels, the Northern Hemisphere, North America, and Alaska. A total of 271 bryophytes were identified: 202 mosses and 69 liverworts. The annotated list of species for Simeonof Island expands the known range for many species and fills distribution gaps within Hulte??n's Western Pacific Coast district. Maps and notes on the distribution of 14 significant distribution records are presented. Compared with bryophyte distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, the bryoflora of Simeonof Island primarily includes taxa of boreal (55%), temperate (20%), arctic (10%), and cosmopolitan (8%) distribution; 6% of the moss flora are western North America endemics. A description of the bryophytes present in the vegetation and habitat types is provided as is a quantitative analysis of the most frequently occurring bryophytes in crowberry heath.

On the form of species–area relationships in habitat islands and true islands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matthews, Thomas J.; Guilhaumon, François; Triantis, Kostas A.

2016-01-01

and c vary between different island types. Location: Global. Methods: We used an information theoretic approach to compare the fit of 20 ISAR models to 207 habitat island datasets. Model performance was ranked according to pre-set criteria, including metrics of generality and efficiency. We also fitted......, and was the highest ranked model overall. In general, the more complex models performed badly. Average z-values were significantly lower for habitat island datasets than for true islands, and were higher for mountaintop and urban habitat islands than for other habitat island types. Average c-values were significantly...... multimodel comparisons demonstrated the nonlinear implementation of the power model to be the best overall model and thus to be a sensible choice for general use. As the z-value of the log–log power model varied in relation to ecological and geographical properties of the study systems, caution should...

Island formation without attractive interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, A.P.J.

2008-01-01

We show that adsorbates on surfaces can form islands even if there are no attractive interactions. Instead, strong repulsion between adsorbates at short distances can lead to islands, because such islands increase the entropy of the adsorbates that are not part of the islands. We suggest that this

U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of late Palaeozoic volcanism in Sardinia (southern Variscides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Gaggero

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The latest Carboniferous to lower Permian volcanism of the southern Variscides in Sardinia developed in a regional continental transpressive and subsequent transtensile tectonic regime. Volcanism produced a wide range of intermediate–silicic magmas including medium- to high-K calc-alkaline andesites, dacites, and rhyolites. A thick late Palaeozoic succession is well exposed in the four most representative Sardinian continental basins (Nurra, Perdasdefogu, Escalaplano, and Seui–Seulo, and contains substantial stratigraphic, geochemical, and geochronological evidence of the area's complex geological evolution from the latest Carboniferous to the beginning of the Triassic. Based on major and trace element data and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon dating, it is possible to reconstruct the timing of post-Variscan volcanism. This volcanism records active tectonism between the latest Carboniferous and Permian, and post-dates the unroofing and erosion of nappes in this segment of the southern Variscides. In particular, igneous zircon grains from calc-alkaline silicic volcanic rocks yielded ages between 299 ± 1 and 288 ± 3 Ma, thereby constraining the development of continental strike-slip faulting from south (Escalaplano Basin to north (Nurra Basin. Notably, andesites emplaced in medium-grade metamorphic basement (Mt. Cobingius, Ogliastra show a cluster of older ages at 332 ± 12 Ma. Despite the large uncertainty, this age constrains the onset of igneous activity in the mid-crust. These new radiometric ages constitute: (1 a consistent dataset for different volcanic events; (2 a precise chronostratigraphic constraint which fits well with the biostratigraphic data and (3 insights into the plate reorganization between Laurussia and Gondwana during the late Palaeozoic evolution of the Variscan chain.

Flood risk management in Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mysiak, J.; Testella, F.; Bonaiuto, M.

2013-01-01

Italy's recent history is punctuated with devastating flood disasters claiming high death toll and causing vast but underestimated economic, social and environmental damage. The responses to major flood and landslide disasters such as the Polesine (1951), Vajont (1963), Firenze (1966), Valtelina...

Library system of Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Gerbec

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In the European extent, Italy is the cradle of libraries and library sciences. In the past, Italian national public libraries played an important role through their vast book treasury. But only during the last thirty years have public libraries been developed following the Anglo-American public library model. Italy does not have any uniform or general legislation concerning libraries. On the state level, this area is regulated by some separate acts, while on the regional level there is a collection of various acts and regulations. Libraries are not strictly divided into general categories. It is required that the professionals engaged in Italian libraries should have secondary or university education. The level of their professional tasks depends on the type of library and its capacity. The competency for the development in the field of librarianship is assigned to The Ministry of Cultural and Environment Heritage as well as to its subordinate institutions (Central Institute for the Union catalogue of Italian Libraries and for Bibliographic Information, Central Institute for Book Pathology, Observatory for International Libraries Programmes.

An assessment of urban heat island effect adopting urban parameterizations in COSMO-CLM simulations over big cities in Northern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Montesarchio, Myriam; Rianna, Guido; Mercogliano, Paola; Castellari, Sergio; Schiano, Pasquale

2015-04-01

In Europe, about 80% of people live in urban areas, which most of them can be particularly vulnerable to climate impacts (e.g. high air temperatures along with heat waves, flooding due to intense precipitation events, water scarcity and droughts). In fact, the density of people and assets within relatively small geographic areas, such as an urban settlements, mean more risk exposure than in rural areas. Therefore, reliable numerical climate models are needed for elaborating climate risk assessment at urban scale. These models must take into account the effects of the complex three-dimensional structure of urban settlements, combined with the mixture of surface types with contrasting radiative, thermal and moisture characteristics. In this respect, previous studies (e.g. Trusilova et al., 2013) have already assessed the importance to consider urban properties in very high resolution regional climate modeling to better reproduce the features of urban climate, especially in terms of urban heat island effect. In this work, two different configurations of the regional climate model COSMO-CLM at the horizontal resolution of 0.02° (about 2.2km), one including urban parameterization scheme and another without including them, have been applied in order to perform two different climate simulations covering the entire northern Italy. In particular, the present study is focused on large urban settlements such as Milan and Turin. Due to high computational cost required to run very high resolution simulations, the results of the two simulations have been compared over a period of ten years, from 1980 to 1989. Preliminary results indicate that the modification of climate conditions, due to the presence of urban areas, is present mainly in the areas covered by big cities and surrounding them, or rather the presence of urban areas induces modification mainly in their local climate. Other evidences are that the simulation including urban parameterization scheme shows, in general

Breast cancer screening in Italy: evaluating key performance indicators for time trends and activity volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, Livia; Castagno, Roberta; Giorgi, Daniela; Piccinelli, Cristiano; Ventura, Leonardo; Segnan, Nereo; Zappa, Marco

2015-01-01

Together with the National centre for screening monitoring (ONS), GISMa supports annual collection of data on national breast screening activities. Aggregated data on implementation and performance are gathered through a standardized form to calculate process and impact indicators. Analyzed data belong to 153 local programmes in the period 2006-2011 (2006-2012 for participation rate only). During the whole period, Italian crude participation rate exceeded GISMa's acceptable standard (50%), even though a higher participation in northern and central Italy compared to southern Italy and Islands was observed. Time trend analysis of diagnostic indicators confirmed in 2011 an adequate quality of breast screening performance, especially at subsequent screening. Recall rate at initial screening did not reach the acceptable standard (performance was achieved at subsequent screening. The same trend was followed by the overall detection rate and positive predictive value. They both showed a progressive reduction (from 6.2‰ in 2006 to 4.5‰ in 2011 for DR and from 8.0% in 2006 to 5.2% in 2011 for PPV, respectively) at initial screening and a good, stable trend at subsequent screening. Activity volume analysis shows that in programmes with greater activity (test/year ≥10,000) RR at both initial and subsequent screening has a better performance. This is also true for DR and PPV where programmes with high volumes of activity do better, especially when compared with those that interpret fewer than 5,000 mammograms per year. In spite of a few limits, these results are reassuring, and they reward the efforts made by screening professionals. It is therefore important to continue to monitor screening indicators and suggest, test, and evaluate new strategies for continuous improvement.

Tales of island tails

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, de Alma V.; Oost, Albert P.; Veeneklaas, Roos M.; Lammerts, Evert Jan; Duin, van Willem E.; Wesenbeeck, van Bregje K.

2016-01-01

The Frisian islands (Southern North Sea) have extensive island tails, i.e. the entire downdrift side of an island consisting of salt marshes, dunes, beaches and beach plains, and green beaches. Currently, large parts of these tails are ageing and losing dynamics, partly due to human influence.

8 October 2014 - Inauguration of the Industrial exhbition Italy@CERN by Ambassador M. Serra, permanent representative of Italy to the UNOG with CERN Director-General R. Heuer.

CERN Multimedia

Egli, Laurent

2014-01-01

His Excellency Mr Maurizio Serra Ambassador Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva on the occasion of the Inauguration of the Industrial Exhibition Italy@CERN Wednesday 8 October 2014 H. E. Mr Maurizio Serra Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva Dr Sergio Bertolucci Director for Research and Scientific Computing Prof. Rolf Heuer Director-General Mr Sigurd Lettow Director for Administration and General Infrastructure

Energy Self-Sufficient Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratic, S.; Krajacic, G.; Duic, N.; Cotar, A.; Jardas, D.

2011-01-01

In order to analyze energy self-sufficient island, example of a smaller island, connected to the power system of a bigger island with an undersea cable, was taken. Mounting substation 10/0,4 is situated on the island and for the moment it provides enough electricity using the medium voltage line. It is assumed that the island is situated on the north part of the Adriatic Sea. The most important problem that occurs on the island is the population drop that occurs for a significant number of years, therefore, life standard needs to be improved, and economic development needs to be encouraged immediately. Local authorities to stimulate sustainable development on the island through different projects, to breath in a new life to the island, open new jobs and attract new people to come live there. Because of the planned development and increase of the population, energy projects, planned as a support to sustainable development, and later achievement of the energy self-sufficiency, is described in this paper. Therefore, Rewisland methodology appliance is described taking into the account three possible scenarios of energy development. Each scenario is calculated until year 2030. Also, what is taken into the account is 100% usage of renewable sources of energy in 2030. Scenario PTV, PP, EE - This scenario includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors on the buildings roofs, as well as well as implementation of energy efficiency on the island (replacement of the street light bulbs with LED lightning, replacement of the old windows and doors on the houses, as well as the installation of the thermal insulation). Scenario PV island - This scenario, similarly to the previous one, includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors an the residential buildings, as well as the 2 MW photovoltaic power plant and ''Green Hotel'', a building that satisfies all of its energy needs completely from renewable energy sources

One million served: Rhode Island`s recycling facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malloy, M.G.

1997-11-01

Rhode Island`s landfill and adjacent materials recovery facility (MRF) in Johnston, both owned by the quasi-public Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corp. (RIRRC, Johnston), serve the entire state. The $12-million recycling facility was built in 1989 next to the state`s sole landfill, the Central Landfill, which accepts only in-state trash. The MRF is operated for RIRRC by New England CRInc. (Hampton, N.H.), a unit of Waste Management, Inc. (WMI, Oak Brook, Ill.). It handles a wide variety of materials, from the usual newspaper, cardboard, and mixed containers to new streams such as wood waste, scrap metal, aseptic packaging (milk and juice boxes), and even textiles. State municipalities are in the process of adding many of these new recyclable streams into their curbside collection programs, all of which feed the facility.

77 FR 23508 - Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-19

...)] Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan Determination On the basis of the record \\1... antidumping duty orders on brass sheet and strip from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan would be likely to... from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan: Investigation Nos. 731-TA-313, 314, 317, and 379 (Third Review...

Immigrants, islandness and perceptions of quality-of-life on Prince Edward Island, Canada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Kitchen

2014-11-01

Full Text Available This paper explores perceptions of immigrant quality-of-life (QOL and islandness in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and compares these perceptions to those of Canadian-born residents of the same provincial capital. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including a household telephone survey conducted in the summer of 2012 (n=302, focus group interviews with immigrants in late 2012 and observations on preliminary results by the staff of the PEI Association of Newcomers to Canada (PEIANC, the primary immigrant settlement service agency on the island. The analysis of the results suggests that immigrants have a high and undifferentiated assessment of their own QOL, sense of belonging and sense of place compared to Canadian-born islanders; immigrants are also critical of the quality of education and of the range of recreational and cultural events underway on the Island. While they express positive sentiments regarding life on the Island, immigrants still feel excluded from social and economic opportunities.

Estimating soil erosion in Natura 2000 areas located on three semi-arid Mediterranean Islands.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaimes, George N; Emmanouloudis, Dimitris; Iakovoglou, Valasia

2012-03-01

A major initiative in Europe is the protection of its biodiversity. To accomplish this, specific areas from all countries of the European Union are protected by the establishment of the "Natura 2000" network. One of the major threats to these areas and in general to ecosystems is soil erosion. The objective of this study was to quantitatively estimate surface soil losses for three of these protected areas that are located on semi-arid islands of the Mediterranean. One Natura 2000 area was selected from each of the following islands: Sicily in Italy, Cyprus and Rhodes in Greece. To estimate soil losses, Gerlach troughs were used. These troughs were established on slopes that ranged from 35-40% in four different vegetation types: i) Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia forests, ii) Pinus brutia forests, iii) "Phrygana" shrublands and iv) vineyards. The shrublands had the highest soil losses (270 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) that were 5-13 times more than the other three vegetation types. Soil losses in these shrublands should be considered a major concern. However, the other vegetation types also had high soil losses (21-50 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)). Conclusively, in order to enhance and conserve the biodiversity of these Natura 2000 areas protective management measures should be taken into consideration to decrease soil losses.

Pathogenicity island mobility and gene content.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Kelly Porter

2013-10-01

Key goals towards national biosecurity include methods for analyzing pathogens, predicting their emergence, and developing countermeasures. These goals are served by studying bacterial genes that promote pathogenicity and the pathogenicity islands that mobilize them. Cyberinfrastructure promoting an island database advances this field and enables deeper bioinformatic analysis that may identify novel pathogenicity genes. New automated methods and rich visualizations were developed for identifying pathogenicity islands, based on the principle that islands occur sporadically among closely related strains. The chromosomally-ordered pan-genome organizes all genes from a clade of strains; gaps in this visualization indicate islands, and decorations of the gene matrix facilitate exploration of island gene functions. A %E2%80%9Clearned phyloblocks%E2%80%9D method was developed for automated island identification, that trains on the phylogenetic patterns of islands identified by other methods. Learned phyloblocks better defined termini of previously identified islands in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC BAA-2146, and found its only antibiotic resistance island.

First record of the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia fontinalis (Orchidaceae from Takeshima Island, the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenji Suetsugu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We found Gastrodia fontinalis T. P. Lin in a bamboo forest from Takeshima Island, which is the northernmost island of the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. This species is apparently rare and was previously considered to be an endemic Taiwanese species. Because there are a few minor differences between the original description and our specimens collected in Takeshima Island, here we report Gastrodia fontinalis from Takeshima Island as the first record outside of Taiwan, with a description of the specimens from Takeshima Island.

Analysis of Earthquake Catalogs for CSEP Testing Region Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peresan, A.; Romashkova, L.; Nekrasova, A.; Kossobokov, V.; Panza, G.F.

2010-07-01

A comprehensive analysis shows that the set of catalogs provided by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italy) as the authoritative database for the Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability - Testing Region Italy (CSEP-TRI), is hardly a unified one acceptable for the necessary tuning of models/algorithms, as well as for running rigorous prospective predictability tests at intermediate- or long-term scale. (author)

An autochthonous sexually transmitted Zika virus infection in Italy 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Grossi, Paolo Antonio; Percivalle, Elena; Campanini, Giulia; Sarasini, Antonella; Premoli, Marta; Zavattoni, Maurizio; Girello, Alessia; Dalla Gasperina, Daniela; Balsamo, Maria Luisa; Baldanti, Fausto; Rovida, Francesca

2018-01-01

We describe two cases of Zika virus infection involving an Italian patient returning from the Dominican Republic and his wife, who remained in Italy and had not travelled to Zika virus endemic areas in the previous months. The infection was transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse after the man's return to Italy.

Finance and Development: The Case of Southern Italy

OpenAIRE

Faini, Riccardo; Giannini, Curzio; Ingrosso, Fulvio

1992-01-01

We look at the role of the financial sector in the context of the relatively backward regions of Southern Italy (the so-called Mezzogiorno). Commercial banks in the South typically have higher operating costs and charge higher interest rates than Northern banks. Econometric analysis on a large set of individual loan contracts suggests that borrowers in the South are considerably riskier than those elsewhere in Italy. It also indicates, however, that risk accounts for only half of the 200 basi...

Ethics committees in Italy--a time for change?

Science.gov (United States)

Wray, E

2000-01-01

The Comitato Nazionale per la Bioetica (CNB) in Italy has recently produced an unprecedented discussion document on the state of ethics committees in Italy, with an invitation to interested parties to comment on proposed changes to their fundamental structure. After this consultation, and taking note of relevant official publications and the most recent national and international literature on the subject, the CNB proposes to produce a final, definitive document that will consider options for the future development of such committees.

Shallow-water gaseohydrothermal plume studies after massive eruption at Panarea, Aeolian Islands, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Tudino, T.; Bortoluzzi, G.; Aliani, S.

2014-03-01

Marine water dynamics in the near field of a massive gas eruption near Panarea (Aeolian Islands volcanic arc, SE Tyrrhenian Sea) is described. ADCP current-meters were deployed during the paroxysmal phase in 2002 and 2003 a few meters from the degassing vent, recording day-long time series. Datasets were sorted to remove errors and select good quality ensembles over the entire water column. Standard deviation of error velocity was considered a proxy for inhomogeneous velocity fields over beams. Time series intervals had been selected when the basic ADCP assumptions were fulfilled and random errors minimized. Backscatter data were also processed to identify bubbles in the water column with the aim of locating bubble-free ensembles. Reliable time series are selected combining these data. Two possible scenarios have been described: firstly, a highly dynamic situation with visible surface diverging rings of waves, entrainment on the lower part of the gas column, detrainment in the upper part and a stagnation line (SL) at mid depth where currents were close to zero and most of the gas bubbles spread laterally; secondly, a less dynamic situation with water entraining into the gas plume at all depths and no surface rings of diverging waves. Reasons for these different dynamics may be ascribed to changes in gas fluxes (one order of magnitude higher in 2002). Description of SL is important to quantify its position in the water column and timing for entrainment-detrainment, and it can be measured by ADCP and calculated from models.

Italy's Prime Minister visits CERN

CERN Multimedia

Stefania Pandolfi

2015-01-01

On Tuesday, 7 July 2015, the Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, Matteo Renzi, visited CERN. He was accompanied by a delegation that included Italy's Minister for Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini.   From left to right: Fernando Ferroni, President of the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN); Sergio Bertolucci, CERN Director for Research and Scientific Computing; Stefania Giannini, Italy's Minister of Education, University and Research; Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic; Fabiola Gianotti, CERN Director-General Designate; Rolf Heuer, CERN Director-General.   The Prime Minister was welcomed by members of the CERN Management together with former CERN Director-General and Senator for Life of the Italian Republic, Carlo Rubbia. After a brief general introduction to CERN’s activities by Rolf Heuer, the Italian delegation visited LHC Point 1. After a tour of the ATLAS control room, they donned helmets to visit th...

Renewable energy islands in Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oestergaard, Iben [ed.

1998-12-31

This publication includes a compiled presentation of various aspects concerning the possible transformation of some European islands into renewable energy communities and these projects were presented by a selection of pioneer islands at the first European Seminar on Renewable Energy Islands, held on the Danish island of Samsoee, 29-30 June 1998. This issue has increased in importance with the presentation of the ambitious EU-White Paper: `Energy for the future: Renewable Sources of Energy` which was adopted in 1998. One of the key elements of the strategy for an accelerated implementation of renewable energy is to transform 100 localities within Europe into communities which are to be 100% self-sufficient with renewable energy before 2010. In line with this strategy, the Danish Government appointed the island of Samsoe towards the end of 1997 to be the first `official` Danish, renewable energy island. This is to serve as a demonstration project for other local communities, both in Denmark as well as in the rest Europe. Gothland, Madeira, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Arki, Crete, Minorca and Orkney Islands were represented. Environmental advantages of wind, solar and wave power for distant island communities were indicated. Serious savings would be achieved by limitation of fossil fuel import and utilization of local resources. (EG)

Origins and global context of Brucella abortus in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Garofolo, Giuliano; Di Giannatale, Elisabetta; Platone, Ilenia; Zilli, Katiuscia; Sacchini, Lorena; Abass, Anna; Ancora, Massimo; Cammà, Cesare; Di Donato, Guido; De Massis, Fabrizio; Calistri, Paolo; Drees, Kevin P; Foster, Jeffrey T

2017-02-02

Brucellosis is a common and chronic disease of cattle and other bovids that often causes reproductive disorders. Natural infection in cattle is caused by Brucella abortus and transmission typically occurs during abortions, calving, or nursing. Brucellosis is also a major zoonotic disease due to contamination of dairy products or contact with the tissues of infected animals. Brucellosis has been eradicated from most of the developed world in the last 40 years but persists in many regions-the disease remains prevalent in portions of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Central and South America, as well as in the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, B. abortus has persisted in southern regions in both cattle and water buffalo. Previous attempts at analyzing the phylogenetics of B. abortus in Italy have been challenging due to limited genetic variability and unresolved global population genetic structure of this pathogen. We conducted genome-wide phylogenetic analyses on 11 representative strains of B. abortus from Italy, and compared these sequences to a worldwide collection of publically available genomes. Italian isolates belong to three clades that are basal to the main and global B. abortus lineage. Using six SNP-based assays designed to identify substructure within the Italian clades, we surveyed a collection of 261 isolates and found that one clade predominates throughout endemic districts in the country, while the other two clades are more geographically restricted to portions of southern Italy. Although related strains exist worldwide, B. abortus isolates from Italy are substantially different than those found in much of the rest of Europe and North America, and are more closely related to strains from the Middle East and Asia. Our assays targeting genetic substructure within Italy allowed us to identify the major lineages quickly and inexpensively, without having to generate whole genome sequences for a large isolate collection. These findings highlight the

Barrier island habitat map and vegetation survey—Dauphin Island, Alabama, 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Enwright, Nicholas M.; Borchert, Sinéad M.; Day, Richard H.; Feher, Laura C.; Osland, Michael J.; Wang, Lei; Wang, Hongqing

2017-08-04

Barrier islands are dynamic environments due to their position at the land-sea interface. Storms, waves, tides, currents, and relative sea-level rise are powerful forces that shape barrier island geomorphology and habitats (for example, beach, dune, marsh, and forest). Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010 are two major events that have affected habitats and natural resources on Dauphin Island, Alabama. The latter event prompted a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the State of Alabama funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to investigate viable, sustainable restoration options that protect and restore the natural resources of Dauphin Island, Alabama.In order to understand the feasibility and sustainability of various restoration scenarios, it is important to understand current conditions on Dauphin Island. To further this understanding, a detailed 19-class habitat map for Dauphin Island was produced from 1-foot aerial infrared photography collected on December 4, 2015, and lidar data collected in January 2015. We also conducted a ground survey of habitat types, vegetation community structure, and elevations in November and December 2015. These products provide baseline data regarding the ecological and general geomorphological attributes of the area, which can be compared with observations from other dates for tracking changes over time.

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy activities in Italy during IGY, 1957/58

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucilla Alfonsi

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In 2007 several events were organized to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year
(IGY, 1957-1958. The celebrations will last until 2009 and are taking place within different contexts: the International
Polar Year (IPY, the International Heliophysical Year (IHY, the electronic Geophysical Year (eGY
and the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE.
IGY offered a very appropriate and timely occasion to undertake a series of coordinated observations of various
geophysical phenomena all over the globe. Italy took part in the broad international effort stimulated by IGY. In
fact, Italy participated in observations and studies in many of the proposed scientific areas, in particular Geomagnetism
and Aeronomy. The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica (ING started the installation of observatories,
and updated and ensured continuous recording of geophysical observations. Geomagnetism, ionospheric
physics, seismology, and other geophysical disciplines, were advanced. Although much of the work was undertaken
in Italy, some attention was also devoted to other areas of the world, in particular Antarctica, where Italy
participated in seismological observations. This paper gives a summary of the Geomagnetism and Ionospheric
Physics activities within IGY. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of this historical event and its outcomes
for the improvement of geophysical observations and the post-IGY growth of scientific investigations in Italy.

33 CFR 80.712 - Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Morris Island, SC to Hilton Head..., SC to Hilton Head Island, SC. (a) A line drawn from the easternmost tip of Folley Island to the... easternmost extremity of Hilton Head at latitude 32°13.0′ N. longitude 80°40.1′ W. [CGD 77-118a, 42 FR 35784...

Island dynamics and Minoan expansion in the Aegean: the Kythera Island Project

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyprian Broodbank

1999-11-01

Full Text Available In recent years archaeologists have become increasingly interested in the investigation of island societies. At a global level, discoveries in the Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean and elsewhere have greatly improved our understanding of the antiquity and dynamics of island life. Now archaeologists at the Institute, together with other colleagues, have embarked on a long-term interdisciplinary study of the island of Kythera in the Aegean.

Hepatitis B Virus Genotype D Isolates Circulating in Chapeco, Southern Brazil, Originate from Italy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Souza Gusatti

Full Text Available Hepatitis B virus genotype A1 (HBV/A1, of African origin, is the most prevalent genotype in Brazil, while HBV/F predominates in the other South American countries. However, HBV/D is the most common in the three states of southern Brazil, where 'islands' of elevated prevalence, as Chapecó and other cities, have been described. In this study, 202 HBV chronic carriers attending in 2013 the viral hepatitis ambulatory of Chapecó, were investigated. In comparison with previous studies performed in the same ambulatory, a rapid aging of the HBV infected population was observed (mean age of the newly diagnosed patients increasing from 29.9 ± 10.3 years in 1996 to 44.4 ± 13.3 years in 2013, probably due to a singular vaccination schedule at Chapecó that included not only children but also adolescents. Phylogenetic and BLAST analyses (S region classified 91 HBV isolates into genotypes A (n = 3 and D (n = 88. The majority of HBV/D isolates were closely related to D3 sequences. To understand the reasons for the absence or near absence of genotypes A and F, and how HBV/D was introduced in the south of Brazil, HBV/D infected patients were inquired about their genealogical and geographical origins. Forty-three (52% patients have their four grandparents of Italian origin, vs. seven (8% who have their four grandparents of Brazilian origin. At all, 65 out of 83 (78% patients had at least one grandparent originating from Italy. Taking into consideration the fact that Italy is one of the few countries where subgenotype D3 is predominant, the results strongly suggested that HBV/D was introduced in Brazil through Italian immigration which culminated between 1870 and 1920.

Subject of degree and the gender wage gap: Evidence from Italy

OpenAIRE

Noe', Chiara

2009-01-01

This paper investigates the extent to which differences in the subject of degree studied by men and women contribute to the gender pay gap in Italy. Using micro-data from the “Survey of Household Income and Wealth” collected by Bank of Italy (1995-2006), we studied the evolution of the gender pay gap before and after 2000. We show that also in Italy like in other countries women are over-represented in Humanities while men in Engineering. We show that the gender wage gap has widened a...

Vegetation and checklist of Inaccessible Island, central South Atlantic Ocean, with notes on Nightingale Island

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. P. Roux

1992-10-01

Full Text Available The physiography and climate of Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands are briefly discussed. The vegetation and the major plant associations are described. Notes are given on the ecology and distribution of each taxon. Taxa newly recorded for Inaccessible Island include Agrostis goughensis, A.holgateana, A. wacei, Calamagrostis deschampsiiformis, Carex thouarsii var.  recurvata, Conyza albida, Elaphoglossum campylolepium and  Uncinia meridensis. One species, C.  albida, is alien to the Tristan group. Two native ferns Asplenium platybasis var.  subnudum and Blechnum australe were found on Nightingale Island for the first time, and the presence of introduced Malus domestica orchards was recorded. Two unidentified taxa were found that may represent new species:  Elaphoglossum sp. at Inaccessible Island and Apium sp. at both Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands. The total number of vascular plant species recorded at Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands now stands at 98 and 43, respectively, of which 26 (28% and seven (16% are introduced species. Only Airiplex plebeja and two species of Cotula occur at Nightingale Island but are absent from Inaccessible Island.

Marshall Islands

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2015-01-01

This note aims to build understanding of the existing disaster risk financing and insurance (DRFI) tools in use in The Marshall Islands and to identify gaps where potential engagement could further develop financial resilience. The likelihood that a hazardous event will have a significant impact on the Marshall Islands has risen with the increasing levels of population and assets in the urban ...

First record of Dinoderus (Dinoderastes japonicus in Italy (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluca Nardi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Dinoderus (Dinoderastes japonicus, a species native of the Eastern Palaearctic, is reported for the first time from Italy on the basis of a female specimen collected in a beech forest (Veneto Region, Treviso Province, Foresta del Cansiglio. The possible establishment of this alien species in Italy is briefly discussed.

A man and his island: The island mirror in Michael Crummey’s Sweetland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurie Brinklow

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Between 1946 and 1975, dozens of islands and outports in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador were abandoned as part of a government resettlement policy. Families and communities were torn apart, and a culture and way of life that revolved around the fishery changed irrevocably. The practice, which continues to this day, has been well documented, particularly by artists and writers. Michael Crummey’s 2014 novel Sweetland is a recent iteration. The relationship between humans and place is complex: on an island, with compressed space and a very real boundary that is the ocean, emotional attachments to one’s place are often heightened and distilled. What happens when a person is displaced from his or her island; when bonds of attachment are severed and one’s mirrored double is destroyed? Sweetland offers a fictional lens through which we see an example of a mirrored relationship between an island protagonist and his island setting. Exploring themes of attachment to place, and what Barry Lopez calls a “storied” or “reciprocal” relationship with the land, this paper examines what happens to a man when confronted with leaving an island he knows as deeply as his own body and soul; and how the island reacts.

Island development: Local governance under globalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huei-Min Tsai

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Issues surrounding island development have generated a growing volume of research. What does it mean to develop? How can island communities maintain control over development processes to the benefit of the local economy, rather than seeing economic flows enter and exit the island with little or a primarily negative impact? And how important is local knowledge for edifying local governance and enhancing potentials for innovation in island development? Island histories have repeatedly been forwarded as exemplars and ‘lessons’ for global learning on (unsustainability. To consider these issues, we have selected a number of papers from among the presentations given at the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Islands Conference, Island Development: Local Economy, Culture, Innovation and Sustainability, which took place in the Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan, 1–5 October 2013. These papers serve as examples of how the processes of globalization have penetrated the borders and changed the political and economic structures of islands. They also explore how island-based innovations in science, technology, culture, and formal or informal governance might contribute to sustainable island development.

Stakeholders involvement in the decommissioning processes in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dionisi, Mario

2006-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the situation about stakeholders involvement in Italy in the framework of the decommissioning process of the Italian nuclear installations, and in particular the specific experience of the Italian Regulatory Body APAT. Specific aspects and APAT initiatives for building confidence of stakeholders in the process of the release of solid material from the regulatory control are presented. Content: Decommissioning activities in Italy, Decommissioning licensing procedures (Site and material release, APAT - ARPA Partnership approach in the clearance process)

AMS radiocarbon dating of 'Grotta Cappuccini' in Southern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quarta, G.; Calcagnile, L.; D'Elia, M.; Rizzo, A.; Ingravallo, E.

2004-01-01

We present the results of AMS radiocarbon dating of human bones recovered in 'Grotta Cappuccini', a prehistoric cave in Galatone, Lecce (Southern Italy). The AMS analysis has confirmed the archaeological dating of the cave to the period between the end of the Copper Age and the early Bronze Age, and has given a fundamental contribution to the chronological definition of an important cultural aspect of the prehistory of Southern Italy

Energy Transition Initiative, Island Energy Snapshot - British Virgin Islands (Fact Sheet)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-03-01

This profile provides a snapshot of the energy landscape of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), one of three sets of the Virgin Island territories in an archipelago making up the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles.

75 FR 81309 - Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-27

... (Second Review)] Stainless Steel Plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan AGENCY: United... on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan. SUMMARY: The... on stainless steel plate from Belgium, Italy, Korea, South Africa, and Taiwan would be likely to lead...

Demographic Ageing on Croatian Islands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivo Nejašmić

2013-08-01

Full Text Available This paper analyses the changes in the population structure of the Croatian islands by age, warns of the degree of ageing, provides spatial differentiation of this process and presents perspective of ageing at the level of settlement. Typing of population ageing is based on scores and has seven types. The total island population in 2011 belongs to the type 5 – very old population. Almost a half of the settlements (out of 303 have been affected by the highest levels of ageing (types 6 and 7. It was found that a quarter of island settlements will become “dead villages” in a foreseeable future; most of them are on small islands but also in the interior of larger islands. These are villages decaying in every respect, in which the way of life, as we know it, veins and goes out. The present ageing villagers are their last residents in most cases. Eve¬rything suggests that demographic recovery of the islands is not possible with the forces in situ. It is important to strike a balance between the needs and opportunities in order to successfully organize life on the islands, both small and large ones, and the fact is that there is a continuing disparity, which is especially profound in small islands. A sensitive and selective approach is needed to overcome the unfavourable demographic trends. Therefore it is necessary to respect the particularities of indi¬vidual islands and island groups in devising development strategy. Solutions to the problems must come of the local and wider community in synergy with relevant professional and scientific institutions. However, if the solutions are not found or measures do not give results, if the islands are left to desorganisation and senilisation, a part of the islands will become a wasteland. With regard to the value of this area whose wealth are people in the first place, this would be an intolerable civilization decline.

The Island Smart Energy System and Market

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ma, Zheng; Billanes, Joy Dalmacio; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

2017-01-01

developing island smart energy systems with the integration of renewable energy resources can increase the energy supply and address the global island energy issues. The island smart energy system operates either in a single-island or in multi-islands. However the island characteristics and influ...

Terrestrial bird population trends on Aguiguan (Goat Island), Mariana Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Amidon, Fred; Camp, Richard J.; Marshall, Ann P.; Pratt, Thane K.; Williams, Laura; Radley, Paul; Cruz, Justine B.

2014-01-01

The island of Aguiguan is part of the Mariana archipelago and currently supports populations of four endemic species, including one endemic genus, Cleptornis. Bird population trends since 1982 were recently assessed on the neighbouring islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota indicating declines in some native species. Point-transect surveys were conducted in 2008 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess population densities and trends on Aguiguan. Densities for six of the nine native birds—White-throated Ground-dove Gallicolumba xanthonura, Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris, Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons, Golden White-eye Cleptornis marchei, Bridled White-eye Zosterops conspicillatus and Micronesian Starling Aplonis opaca—and the non-native bird—Island Collared-dove Streptopelia bitorquata—were significantly greater in 2008 than in 1982. No differences in densities were detected among the surveys for Mariana Fruit-dove Ptilinopus roseicapilla, and Micronesian MyzomelaMyzomela rubratra. Three federally and locally listed endangered birds—Nightingale Reed-warbler Acrocephalus luscinius, Mariana Swiftlet Collocalia bartschi, and Micronesian Megapode Megapodius laperous)—were either not detected during the point-transect counts, the surveys were not appropriate for the species, or the numbers of birds detected were too small to estimate densities. The factors behind the increasing trends for some species are unknown but may be related to increased forest cover on the island since 1982. With declining trends for some native species on neighbouring islands, the increasing and stable trends on Aguiguan is good news for forest bird populations in the region, as Aguiguan populations can help support conservation efforts on other islands in the archipelago.

Linking tephrochronology and soil characteristics in the Sila and Nebrodi Mountains, Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Raab, Gerald; Halpern, Dieter; Scarciglia, Fabio; Raimondi, Salvatore; de Castro Portes, Raquel; Norton, Kevin; Egli, Markus

2017-04-01

Mediterranean soils are an important key to understanding past volcanic events and landscape evolution. The influence and timing of Quaternary volcanic events on soils, however, remains still poorly understood in southern Italy. We used a multi-method approach to explore the origin and age of volcanic deposits (soils) in Sicily and Calabria. By comparing the geochemical signature of the soils with the chemical fingerprint of magmatic effusive rocks in southern Italy, we tried to identify the source material. It seems that the investigated soils on the Nebrodi (Sicily) and Sila (Calabria) mountains were both influenced by volcanic deposits having a high-K calc-alkaline series volcanic background. The Aeolian islands (Lipari and Vulcano) are the most likely sources of origin. Due to weathering processes of the volcanic sediments and the partial mixing with the underlying non-volcanic parent material, a direct relation with the potential source areas was not always straightforward. Immobile elements and their corresponding ratios (e.g. the Nb/Y vs Zr/Ti plot) or trace elements (Co, Th) and rare earth elements gave better hints of the origin of the deposits. Radiocarbon dating of the stable soil organic fraction (H2O2 resistant) indicated a minimum age of 8 - 10 ka of the Nebrodi and Sila soils. The chemical proxy of alteration (CPA) and weathering index according to Parker (WIP) were tested as proxies for an age estimate of the volcanic deposits and duration of soil formation. The soils and, subsequently, landscape are characterized by multiple volcanic depositional phases for the last 30 - 50 ka in the Sila mountains and about 70 ka in the Nebrodi mountains. We show that a multi-method approach (numerical dating, relative dating using weathering indices and the forensic procedure) enabled the identification of potential source areas, gave tentative age estimates of the ash deposits, duration of soil formation and, therefore, improved our understanding of volcanic

Renewable technologies for generation systems in islands and their application to Cozumel Island, Mexico

OpenAIRE

Mendoza Vizcaino, Javier; Sumper, Andreas; Sudrià Andreu, Antoni; Ramirez, J.M.

2016-01-01

The electric generation systems on islands are based generally on fossil fuel. This fact and its supply make the electricity cost higher than in systems used in the continent. In this article, we present a review of the renewable energy generation systems on islands. To do it we analysed 77 islands from 45 different countries. This work will allow us to know how the implementation of renewable energy sources could help these islands in developing a renewable and sustainable energy sector, inc...

The possible role of nuclear energy in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esposto, Stefano

2008-01-01

Italy, after the vote of the referendum in 1987, stopped producing electricity from nuclear fuel for the energy demand. This paper analyses the current Italian energy outlook and clarifies how the choice to abandon the nuclear option damaged our economy. Nowadays, the possible reintroduction of civil nuclear option is hindered by groups claiming that nuclear energy is not convenient and is incredibly dangerous. In this paper it is clarified with international references how this is not correct and why Italy should start thinking seriously and without prejudices at future energy options

The possible role of nuclear energy in Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esposto, Stefano [University of Rome ' La Sapienza' , Via Eudossiana 9, 00187 Rome (Italy)], E-mail: stefanoesposto@gmail.com

2008-05-15

Italy, after the vote of the referendum in 1987, stopped producing electricity from nuclear fuel for the energy demand. This paper analyses the current Italian energy outlook and clarifies how the choice to abandon the nuclear option damaged our economy. Nowadays, the possible reintroduction of civil nuclear option is hindered by groups claiming that nuclear energy is not convenient and is incredibly dangerous. In this paper it is clarified with international references how this is not correct and why Italy should start thinking seriously and without prejudices at future energy options.

Gypsum karst in Italy: a review

Science.gov (United States)

De Waele, Jo; Chiarini, Veronica; Columbu, Andrea; D'Angeli, Ilenia M.; Madonia, Giuliana; Parise, Mario; Piccini, Leonardo; Vattano, Marco; Vigna, Bartolomeo; Zini, Luca; Forti, Paolo

2016-04-01

Although outcropping only rarely in Italy, gypsum karst has been described in detail since the early XXth century (Marinelli, 1917). Gypsum caves are now known from almost all Italian regions (Madonia & Forti, 2003), but are mainly localised along the northern border of the Apennine chain (Emilia Romagna and Marche regions), Calabria, and Sicily, where the major outcrops occur. Recently, important caves have also been discovered in the underground gypsum quarries in Piedmont (Vigna et al., 2010). During the late 80s and 90s several multidisciplinary studies have been carried out in many gypsum areas. All this work converged into a comprehensive overview in 2003 (Madonia & Forti, 2003). Further detailed studies focused on the gypsum areas of Emilia Romagna (Chiesi et al., 2010; Forti & Lucci, 2010; Demaria et al., 2012; De Waele & Pasini, 2013; Ercolani et al., 2013; Columbu et al., 2015; Lucci & Piastra, 2015; Tedeschi et al., 2015) and of Sicily (Madonia & Vattano, 2011). Sinkholes related to Permo-Triassic gypsum have been studied in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Zini et al., 2015). This presentation will review the state of the art regarding different aspects of evaporite karst in Italy focusing on the main new results. References Chiesi M., et al. (2010) - Origin and evolution of a salty gypsum/anhydrite karst spring: the case of Poiano (Northern Apennines, Italy). Hydrogeology Journal, 18, pp. 1111-1124. Columbu A. et al. (2015) - Gypsum caves as indicators of climate-driven river incision and aggradation in a rapidly uplifting region. Geology, 43(6), 539-542. Demaria D. et al. (Eds.) (2012), Le Grotte Bolognesi, GSB-USB, 431 p. De Waele J., Pasini G. (2013) - Intra-messinian gypsum palaeokarst in the northern Apennines and its palaeogeographic implications. Terra Nova 25, pp. 199-205. Ercolani M., et al. (Eds.) (2013), I Gessi e la Cave i Monte Tondo. Studio multidisciplinare di un'area carsica nella Vena del Gesso Romagnola. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(26), 559 p

CRED Gridded Bathymetry near Laysan Island (100-006), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — File 100-006b is a 60-m ASCII grid of depth data collected near Laysan Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as of May 2003. This grid has been produced as...

CRED Gridded Bathymetry near Lisianski Island (100-001), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — File 100-001b is a 60-m ASCII grid of depth data collected near Lisianski Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as of May 2003. This grid has been produced as...

VALUATIONS OF CURRENT METHODS OF RELIGIOUS SLAUGHTER IN ITALY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Catanese

2009-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to estimate the scale of practices of religious slaughter and to evaluate current methods practiced in Italy. Three different approaches have been used to obtain data. Stunning before sticking is performed in 5,9% of small ruminants slaughtered according to Halal ritual. Hypothesis of violation of Dlgs 333/98 are discussed in the light of an improvement of religious slaughter practices in Italy.

Real-time PCR protocols for the quantification of the begomovirus tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus in tomato plants and in its insect vector.

Science.gov (United States)

Noris, Emanuela; Miozzi, Laura

2015-01-01

Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) (Geminiviridae) is an important pathogen, transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, that severely affects the tomato production in the Mediterranean basin. Here, we describe real-time PCR protocols suitable for relative and absolute quantification of TYLCSV in tomato plants and in whitefly extracts. Using primers and probe specifically designed for TYLCSV, the protocols for relative quantification allow to compare the amount of TYLCSV present in different plant or whitefly samples, normalized to the amount of DNA present in each sample using endogenous tomato or Bemisia genes as internal references. The absolute quantification protocol allows to calculate the number of genomic units of TYLCSV over the genomic units of the plant host (tomato), with a sensitivity of as few as ten viral genome copies per sample. The described protocols are potentially suitable for several applications, such as plant breeding for resistance, analysis of virus replication, and virus-vector interaction studies.

75 FR 61993 - Amendment of Class E Airspace; Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands, RMI

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-07

...This action removes the reference to the Kwajalein Tactacial Air Navigation (TACAN) System from the legal description of the Class E airspace areas for Kwajalein Island, Bucholz AAF, Marshall Islands, RMI. The U.S. Army notified the FAA that the Kwajalein TACAN was decommissioned. This action corrects the legal descriptions for the Class E airspace areas in the vicinity of the Marshall Islands.

Humans and viticulture in Sardinia: The history and social relations as signs of identity of the wine-growing area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedetto Graziella

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The premise of this paper is that viticulture is an expression of history and social relations. In this sense, we embrace a post-modern vision of development that characterized both economic and cultural geography and agricultural economics. Such an approach does consider culture as an element of mediation between humans and the nature, placing it at the heart of the wine-growing territory. So history and social relations have influenced the today spatial densification by types of grape and the persistence, the reduction and/or disappearance of vines’ cultivations due to the different level of integration between humans and wine territories in the Italian region of Sardinia. In this region, there are selected areas where winegrowers have been forced to grub vineyards up, depleting the regional viticultural heritage, others–within which the fabric of the system of social relationships were denser–and where we saw a real rush to purchase of replanting rights for the expansion of the production surface for the increasing of production. The aim of this paper is to highlight the role of history and social relations in the determination of the structure of the regional viticulture through the identification and analysis of diverse case studies.

Returning from the Horizon: Introducing Urban Island Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier Barceló Pinya

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Island studies tends to focus on peripheral, isolated, and marginal aspects of island communities, while urban studies has showed scant awareness of islandness: Although many people research cities on islands, there is little tradition of researching island cities or urban archipelagos per se. Island cities (densely populated small islands and population centres of larger islands and archipelagos nevertheless play import cultural, economic, political, and environmental roles on local, regional, and global scales. Many major cities and ports have developed on small islands, and even villages can fulfil important urban functions on lightly populated islands. Island concepts are also deployed to metaphorically describe developments in urban space. The journal Urban Island Studies explores island and urban processes around the world, taking an island approach to urban research and an urban approach to island research.

Barrier island facies models and recognition criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Mulhern, J.; Johnson, C. L.

2017-12-01

Barrier island outcrops record transgressive shoreline motion at geologic timescales, providing integral clues to understanding how coastlines respond to rising sea levels. However, barrier island deposits are difficult to recognize. While significant progress has been made in understanding the modern coastal morphodynamics, this insight is not fully leveraged in existing barrier island facies models. Excellent outcrop exposures of the paralic Upper Cretaceous Straight Cliffs Formation of southern Utah provide an opportunity to revise facies models and recognition criteria for barrier island deposits. Preserved barrier islands are composed of three main architectural elements (shorefaces, tidal inlets, and tidal channels) which occur independently or in combination to create larger-scale barrier island deposits. Barrier island shorefaces record progradation, while barrier island tidal inlets record lateral migration, and barrier island tidal channels record aggradation within the tidal inlet. Four facies associations are used to describe and characterize these barrier island architectural elements. Barrier islands occur in association with backarrier fill and internally contain lower and upper shoreface, high-energy upper shoreface, and tidal channel facies. Barrier islands bound lagoons or estuaries, and are distinguished from other shoreface deposits by their internal facies and geometry, association with backbarrier facies, and position within transgressive successions. Tidal processes, in particular tidal inlet migration and reworking of the upper shoreface, also distinguish barrier island deposits. Existing barrier island models highlight the short term heterogeneous and dynamic nature of barrier island systems, yet overlook processes tied to geologic time scales, such as multi-directional motion, erosion, and reworking, and their expressions in preserved barrier island strata. This study uses characteristic outcrop expressions of barrier island successions to

Gridded multibeam bathymetry of Howland Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry at 40m resolution surrounding Howland Island, within the Pacific Remote Island Areas - Central Pacific Ocean. Bottom coverage was achieved in...

Essential trace elements in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Results in a population of a risk area of Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Forte, Giovanni; Bocca, Beatrice; Oggiano, Riccardo; Clemente, Simonetta; Asara, Yolande; Sotgiu, Maria Alessandra; Farace, Cristiano; Montella, Andrea; Fois, Alessandro Giuseppe; Malaguarnera, Michele; Pirina, Pietro; Madeddu, Roberto

2017-09-01

Sardinian (Italy) island population has a uniquely high incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Essential trace element levels in blood, hair, and urine of ALS Sardinian patients were investigated in search of valid biomarkers to recognize and predict ALS. Six elements (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Se, and Zn) were measured in 34 patients compared to 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by a validated method. Levels of Ca and Cu in blood and of Se and Zn in hair were significantly higher in ALS than in controls, while urinary excretion of Mg and Se was significantly decreased. The selected cut-off concentrations for these biomarkers may distinguish patients with or without ALS with sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Many positive (as Se-Cu and Se-Zn) and negative associations (as Ca-Mg and Ca-Zn) between elements suggested that multiple metals involved in multiple mechanisms have a role in the ALS degeneration.

Experimental Evaluation of PV Inverter Anti-Islanding with Grid Support Functions in Multi-Inverter Island Scenarios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoke, Anderson [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Nelson, Austin [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Miller, Brian [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Chakraborty, Sudipta [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bell, Frances [SolarCity, San Mateo, CA (United States); McCarty, Michael [SolarCity, San Mateo, CA (United States)

2016-07-01

As PV and other DER systems are connected to the grid at increased penetration levels, island detection may become more challenging for two reasons: 1.) In islands containing many DERs, active inverter-based anti-islanding methods may have more difficulty detecting islands because each individual inverter's efforts to detect the island may be interfered with by the other inverters in the island. 2.) The increasing numbers of DERs are leading to new requirements that DERs ride through grid disturbances and even actively try to regulate grid voltage and frequency back towards nominal operating conditions. These new grid support requirements may directly or indirectly interfere with anti-islanding controls. This report describes a series of tests designed to examine the impacts of both grid support functions and multi-inverter islands on anti-islanding effectiveness. Crucially, the multi-inverter anti-islanding tests described in this report examine scenarios with multiple inverters connected to multiple different points on the grid. While this so-called 'solar subdivision' scenario has been examined to some extent through simulation, this is the first known work to test it using hardware inverters. This was accomplished through the use of power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation, which allows the hardware inverters to be connected to a real-time transient simulation of an electric power system that can be easily reconfigured to test various distribution circuit scenarios. The anti-islanding test design was a modified version of the unintentional islanding test in IEEE Standard 1547.1, which creates a balanced, resonant island with the intent of creating a highly challenging condition for island detection. Three common, commercially available single-phase PV inverters from three different manufacturers were tested. The first part of this work examined each inverter individually using a series of pure hardware resistive-inductive-capacitive (RLC

Gridded multibeam bathymetry of Baker Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas, Central Pacific

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Gridded bathymetry at 40m resolution surrounding Baker Island, within the Pacific Remote Island Areas - Central Pacific Ocean. Bottom coverage was achieved in depths...

Chinese women in Italy--menarche, pregnancy and maternity.

Science.gov (United States)

Argnani, Lisa; Toselli, Stefania; Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela

2004-12-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the well-being and health status of Chinese immigrant women in Italy. The subjects (mean 29.5 years) frequented the "Health Center for Foreign Women and their Children" in Bologna, Italy. Information on living conditions, biological characteristics and pregnancy or maternity was obtained through interviews of the women in the Center during normal medical visits. Data on menarche age were based on the retrospective method since all the women were in China at the onset of menarche. Social factors influencing the health and behavior of Chinese women in Italian society are discussed. The analysis on children sex ratio at birth indicates that the old cultural Chinese tradition of son preference still continues to exist. These women have achieved a socio-economic improvement and generally good health status in Italy. The difficult living conditions they faced in China are indirectly reflected in their delayed puberty (14.4 +/- 1.4 years). The delayed sexual development was probably due to the same situation of severe poverty that forced them to migrate.

A review of the nuclear safety activities in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merelli, A.

1989-01-01

A review of research programs carried out in Italy in the field of nuclear reactor safety was done in 1986, in the frame of the activities of the Commission of the European Communities, the International Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The report contains information on these programs, as well as information on the organization of safety research in Italy and the evolution of safety research programs

Role of BRCA2 mutation status on overall survival among breast cancer patients from Sardinia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budroni, Mario; Palmieri, Giuseppe; Cesaraccio, Rosaria; Coviello, Vincenzo; Sechi, Ornelia; Pirino, Daniela; Cossu, Antonio; Tanda, Francesco; Pisano, Marina; Palomba, Grazia

2009-01-01

Germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes have been demonstrated to increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Conversely, the impact of BRCA mutations on prognosis and survival of breast cancer patients is still debated. In this study, we investigated the role of such mutations on breast cancer-specific survival among patients from North Sardinia. Among incident cases during the period 1997–2002, a total of 512 breast cancer patients gave their consent to undergo BRCA mutation screening by DHPLC analysis and automated DNA sequencing. The Hakulinen, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression methods were used for both relative survival assessment and statistical analysis. In our series, patients carrying a germline mutation in coding regions and splice boundaries of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were 48/512 (9%). Effect on overall survival was evaluated taking into consideration BRCA2 carriers, who represented the vast majority (44/48; 92%) of mutation-positive patients. A lower breast cancer-specific overall survival rate was observed in BRCA2 mutation carriers after the first two years from diagnosis. However, survival rates were similar in both groups after five years from diagnosis. No significant difference was found for age of onset, disease stage, and primary tumour histopathology between the two subsets. In Sardinian breast cancer population, BRCA2 was the most affected gene and the effects of BRCA2 germline mutations on patients' survival were demonstrated to vary within the first two years from diagnosis. After a longer follow-up observation, breast cancer-specific rates of death were instead similar for BRCA2 mutation carriers and non-carriers

Genotyping, identification and multifunctional features of yeasts associated to Bosana naturally black table olive fermentations.

Science.gov (United States)

Porru, Cinzia; Rodríguez-Gómez, Francisco; Benítez-Cabello, Antonio; Jiménez-Díaz, Rufino; Zara, Giacomo; Budroni, Marilena; Mannazzu, Ilaria; Arroyo-López, Francisco Noé

2018-02-01

Directly brined black table olives of Bosana variety are a traditional food product of Sardinia island (Italy), spontaneously fermented by yeasts among other microorganisms. However, as far as we know, the identification, biotechnological and probiotic potential of this yeast community has not been investigated yet. In this work, a total of 72 yeast isolates previously obtained from Bosana olive brines were first genotyped by Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) analysis with primer M13, and then identified by sequencing of D1/D2 domains of rDNA 26S gene. The dominant species were Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Nakazawaea molendini-olei, albeit Candida diddensiae, Candida boidinii, Zygotorulaspora mrakii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were also present in lower proportions. For the different biotypes of yeasts obtained, the multivariate analysis of their technological (esterase, lipase and β-glucosidase activities, growth in presence of oleuropein, resistance and susceptibility to NaCl) and probiotic (removal of cholesterol, gastric and pancreatic digestions, biofilms assays alone and in co-culture with Lactobacillus pentosus) features, showed that W. anomalus Wa1 exhibited the best technological characteristics, while S. cerevisiae Sc24 and C. boidinii Cb60 showed promising probiotic features. Therefore, they may have potential application as multifunctional starters, alone or in combination with lactic acid bacteria, during olive processing, albeit further studies are necessary to validate these results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vegetation assessment of forests of Pagan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Linda W.

2011-01-01

As part of the Marianas Expedition Wildlife Surveys-2010, the forest vegetation of the island of Pagan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), was sampled with a series of systematic plots along 13 transects established for monitoring forest bird populations. Shrubland and grassland were also sampled in the northern half of the island. Data collected were woody plant density, tree diameter at breast height, woody plant density in height classes below 2 m, and ground cover measured with the point-intercept method. Coconut forests (Cocos nucifera) were generally found to have low native tree diversity, little regeneration of trees and shrubs in the forest understory, and little live ground cover. The sole exception was a coconut-dominated forest of the northeast side of the island that exhibited high native tree diversity and a large number of young native trees in the understory. Ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) forests on the northern half of the island were nearly monocultures with almost no trees other than ironwood in vegetation plots, few woody plants in the understory, and low ground cover dominated by native ferns. Mixed native forests of both northern and southern sections of the island had a diversity of native tree species in both the canopy and the sparse understory. Ground cover of native forests in the north had a mix of native and alien species, but that of the southern half of the island was dominated by native ferns and woody plants.

CERN Neutrinos search for sunshine in Italy!

CERN Document Server

Wednesday, 18th June 2008. The CNGS (CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso) beam has re-started, shooting muon neutrinos towards Italy. The neutrino beam should run this year until mid November.The aim of CNGS is to understand the oscillation of neutrinos, for example their transformation from muon into tau neutrinos over long distances.Edda Gschwendtner, the liaison physicist of the CNGS beam, describes the progress of the project, “We did a lot of modifications this year to CNGS, which was a huge amount of work, with many groups and services involved. In parallel the OPERA detector in Italy made an enormous progress in completing their detector and we are looking forward to seeing tau neutrinos soon.”

The reception of Austrian economics in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Magliulo

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays the Austrian School enjoys high reputation in Italy: books by Mises, Hayek and other Austrian economists are constantly republished and reviewed with great interest, both inside and outside academic circles. The situation was very different decades ago, when just a few Italian economists devoted attention to the Austrian School. This work studies the reception of Austrian Economics in Italy, from the beginning to our days, so as to bring out, by way of comparison, relevant features of Italian economic culture. We will try to offer just an overview of the entire story, in an attempt to provide useful elements for a deeper analysis of further topics and periods.

75 FR 78223 - Certain Pasta From Italy: Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Review...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [C-475-819] Certain Pasta From Italy... certain pasta from Italy. See Certain Pasta From Italy: Notice of Initiation of Changed Circumstances... Notice''). The Department confirmed that New World Pasta Company, Dakota Growers Pasta Company, and...

Island biogeography of marine organisms

Science.gov (United States)

Pinheiro, Hudson T.; Bernardi, Giacomo; Simon, Thiony; Joyeux, Jean-Christophe; Macieira, Raphael M.; Gasparini, João Luiz; Rocha, Claudia; Rocha, Luiz A.

2017-09-01

Studies on the distribution and evolution of organisms on oceanic islands have advanced towards a dynamic perspective, where terrestrial endemicity results from island geographical aspects and geological history intertwined with sea-level fluctuations. Diversification on these islands may follow neutral models, decreasing over time as niches are filled, or disequilibrium states and progression rules, where richness and endemism rise with the age of the archipelago owing to the splitting of ancestral lineages (cladogenesis). However, marine organisms have received comparatively little scientific attention. Therefore, island and seamount evolutionary processes in the aquatic environment remain unclear. Here we analyse the evolutionary history of reef fishes that are endemic to a volcanic ridge of seamounts and islands to understand their relations to island evolution and sea-level fluctuations. We also test how this evolutionary history fits island biogeography theory. We found that most endemic species have evolved recently (Pleistocene epoch), during a period of recurrent sea-level changes and intermittent connectivity caused by repeated aerial exposure of seamounts, a finding that is consistent with an ephemeral ecological speciation process. Similar to findings for terrestrial biodiversity, our data suggest that the marine speciation rate on islands is negatively correlated with immigration rate. However, because marine species disperse better than terrestrial species, most niches are filled by immigration: speciation increases with the random accumulation of species with low dispersal ability, with few opportunities for in situ cladogenesis and adaptive radiation. Moreover, we confirm that sea-level fluctuations and seamount location play a critical role in marine evolution, mainly by intermittently providing stepping stones for island colonization.

Interaction of bootstrap-current-driven magnetic islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hegna, C.C.; Callen, J.D.

1991-10-01

The formation and interaction of fluctuating neoclassical pressure gradient driven magnetic islands is examined. The interaction of magnetic islands produces a stochastic region around the separatrices of the islands. This interaction causes the island pressure profile to be broadened, reducing the island bootstrap current and drive for the magnetic island. A model is presented that describes the magnetic topology as a bath of interacting magnetic islands with low to medium poloidal mode number (m congruent 3-30). The islands grow by the bootstrap current effect and damp due to the flattening of the pressure profile near the island separatrix caused by the interaction of the magnetic islands. The effect of this sporadic growth and decay of the islands (''magnetic bubbling'') is not normally addressed in theories of plasma transport due to magnetic fluctuations. The nature of the transport differs from statistical approaches to magnetic turbulence since the radial step size of the plasma transport is now given by the characteristic island width. This model suggests that tokamak experiments have relatively short-lived, coherent, long wavelength magnetic oscillations present in the steep pressure-gradient regions of the plasma. 42 refs

The impact of land use/land cover changes on land degradation dynamics: a Mediterranean case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajocco, S; De Angelis, A; Perini, L; Ferrara, A; Salvati, L

2012-05-01

In the last decades, due to climate changes, soil deterioration, and Land Use/Land Cover Changes (LULCCs), land degradation risk has become one of the most important ecological issues at the global level. Land degradation involves two interlocking systems: the natural ecosystem and the socio-economic system. The complexity of land degradation processes should be addressed using a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, the aim of this work is to assess diachronically land degradation dynamics under changing land covers. This paper analyzes LULCCs and the parallel increase in the level of land sensitivity to degradation along the coastal belt of Sardinia (Italy), a typical Mediterranean region where human pressure affects the landscape characteristics through fires, intensive agricultural practices, land abandonment, urban sprawl, and tourism concentration. Results reveal that two factors mainly affect the level of land sensitivity to degradation in the study area: (i) land abandonment and (ii) unsustainable use of rural and peri-urban areas. Taken together, these factors represent the primary cause of the LULCCs observed in coastal Sardinia. By linking the structural features of the Mediterranean landscape with its functional land degradation dynamics over time, these results contribute to orienting policies for sustainable land management in Mediterranean coastal areas.

The Impact of Land Use/Land Cover Changes on Land Degradation Dynamics: A Mediterranean Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Bajocco, S.; De Angelis, A.; Perini, L.; Ferrara, A.; Salvati, L.

2012-05-01

In the last decades, due to climate changes, soil deterioration, and Land Use/Land Cover Changes (LULCCs), land degradation risk has become one of the most important ecological issues at the global level. Land degradation involves two interlocking systems: the natural ecosystem and the socio-economic system. The complexity of land degradation processes should be addressed using a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, the aim of this work is to assess diachronically land degradation dynamics under changing land covers. This paper analyzes LULCCs and the parallel increase in the level of land sensitivity to degradation along the coastal belt of Sardinia (Italy), a typical Mediterranean region where human pressure affects the landscape characteristics through fires, intensive agricultural practices, land abandonment, urban sprawl, and tourism concentration. Results reveal that two factors mainly affect the level of land sensitivity to degradation in the study area: (i) land abandonment and (ii) unsustainable use of rural and peri-urban areas. Taken together, these factors represent the primary cause of the LULCCs observed in coastal Sardinia. By linking the structural features of the Mediterranean landscape with its functional land degradation dynamics over time, these results contribute to orienting policies for sustainable land management in Mediterranean coastal areas.

Some data on the avifauna of the Island of Roti, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verheijen, J.A.J.

1976-01-01

INTRODUCTION For several years I had been looking for an opportunity to visit the island of Roti (Rotti, Roté, Loté). Junge (1954) mentions that only once an ornithological collection was made in the island, namely by Dr. H. F. C. ten Kate, an ethnologist who visited the island in 1891. Büttikofer

Underground storage of natural gas in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henking, E.

1992-01-01

After first relating the importance of natural gas storage to the viability of Italian industrial activities, this paper discusses the geo-physical nature of different types of underground cavities which can be used for natural gas storage. These include depleted petroleum and natural gas reservoirs, aquifers and abandoned mines. Attention is given to the geologic characteristics and physical characteristics such as porosity, permeability and pressure that determine the suitability of any given storage area, and to the techniques used to resolve problems relative to partially depleted reservoirs, e.g., the presence of oil, water and salt. A review is made of Italy's main storage facilities. This review identifies the various types of storage techniques, major equipment, operating and maintenance practices. A look is then given at Italy's plans for the development of new facilities to meet rising demand expected to reach 80 billion cubic meters/year by the turn of the century. The operating activities of the two leading participants, SNAM and AGIP, in Italy's natural gas industry are highlighted. Specific problems which contribute to the high operating costs of natural gas storage are identified and a review is made of national normatives governing gas storage. The report comes complete with a glossary of the relative terminology and units of measure

Chapter 44: history of neurology in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentivoglio, Marina; Mazzarello, Paolo

2010-01-01

The chapter starts from the Renaissance (although the origins of Italian neurology can be traced back to the Middle Ages), when treatises of nervous system physiopathology still followed Hippocratic and Galenic "humoral" theories. In Italy, as elsewhere in Europe, the concepts of humoral pathology were abandoned in the 18th century, when neurology was influenced by novel trends. Neurology acquired the status of clinical discipline (as "clinic of mental diseases") after national reunification (declared in 1861 but completed much later). At the end of the 19th and first decades of the 20th century, eminent Italian "neuropsychiatrists" (including, among many others, Ugo Cerletti, who introduced electroconvulsive shock therapy in 1938) stimulated novel knowledge and approaches, "centers of excellence" flourished, and "Neurological Institutes" were founded. In the first half of the 20th century, the history of Italian neurology was dominated by World Wars I and II (which stimulated studies on the wounded) and the fascist regime in-between the Wars (when the flow of information was instead very limited). Italy became a republic in 1946, and modern neurology and its distinction from psychiatry were finally promoted. The chapter also provides detailed accounts of scientific societies and journals dedicated to the neurological sciences in Italy.

Islanded operation of distribution networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2005-07-01

This report summarises the results of a study assessing the benefits and risks to distribution network of generator islanding and examining the technical, commercial and regulatory changes required to facilitate the operation of islanding. The background to the study is traced, and details are given of a literature review, the technical criteria for operating sections of the network in islanding mode, and the impact of islanding on trading. Case studies and a detailed implementation plan, data acquisition, and commercial incentives are discussed.

Islanded operation of distribution networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This report summarises the results of a study assessing the benefits and risks to distribution network of generator islanding and examining the technical, commercial and regulatory changes required to facilitate the operation of islanding. The background to the study is traced, and details are given of a literature review, the technical criteria for operating sections of the network in islanding mode, and the impact of islanding on trading. Case studies and a detailed implementation plan, data acquisition, and commercial incentives are discussed