Search results for " CONSERVATION"
showing 10 items of 1644 documents
The role of native flower visitors in pollinating Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., naturalized in Sicily
2011
Abstract The role of insects in pollination and consequently in fruit set and quality was assessed in two commercial orchards of the cactus pear, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., in Agrigento Province, Sicily. In 1997, insects visiting flowers were sampled during May–June (the first bloom) and July (the second bloom, induced by the “scozzolatura” practise). More than 50 insect species belonging to 10 orders were collected in May–June, while only five species of Hymenoptera Apoidea were collected in July. The quality of fruits arising from the second bloom showed that Hymenoptera alone were able to guarantee effective pollination. To verify the role of insects in pollination in 1996 (during …
Geranylgeraniol - a new potential therapeutic approach to bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis of the jaw.
2010
Bisphosphonate associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BP-ONJ) is one of the main side effects of bisphosphonate therapy (BPT). To date, there is no effective therapy of the BP-ONJ. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) are particularly able to inhibit pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) in the mevalonate pathway (MVP). Consequent of decreased synthesis of the metabolite Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is believed to largely account for the development of BP-ONJ. Negative effect of N-BPs could be shown, resulting in decreased viability and migration capacity of different cell types of hard and soft tissues such as osteoblasts, fibroblast und endothelial cells. Aim of our in vitro study was to demonstra…
Relationship between recruitment and mother plant vitality in the alien species Acacia cyclops A. Cunn. ex G. Don
2014
Acacia cyclops is a widespread invader in Mediterranean-climate regions. However, although its naturalization in the Mediterranean Basin dates back only a few years ago, and the invasion process has not been studied hitherto. We investigated seedlings recruitment strategy adopted by A. cyclops in a small island (Lampedusa, Italy) where its natural regeneration was strictly confined under mother plants canopy. Healthy plants (DCP), plants at incipient senescence (SCP) and dead plants (DP) were distinguished according to vitality and canopy status. Living plants were also characterized in relation to leaf C and N isotope composition. Regeneration pattern (seedlings and saplings abundance) was…
Patterns of algal recovery and small-scale effects of canopy removal as a result of human trampling on a Mediterranean rocky shallow community.
2004
The ecological importance of marine algae is widely known but in shallow coastal areas the composition and structure of algal communities may be affected by different human activities. Recovery from different trampling disturbances of two competing morphological groups (i.e. macroalgae and algal turfs) and effects of macroalgal canopy removal on the dominant associated fauna were examined using controlled trampling experiments. Six months after trampling disturbance was removed, the two morphological groups closely resembled control (untrampled) conditions, both in terms of cover and canopy (%). In particular, macroalgal recovery seemed to be very rapid: the higher the impact on the system …
Effects of spatial scale and vegetation cover on predation of artificial ground nests
1995
Scale-dependent effects of landscape heterogeneity on predation of artificial ground nests were studied. Two spatial scales were selected: landscape grain size and single stand size. The landscape types did not differ from each other in their total predation intensity. Depredation was highest in larger stands in all the landscape types studied and the highest predation rate was detected in the largest stands within the most fragmented landscapes. This is possibly due to concentration of rodent-eating predators from surrounding open areas into large stands in the study year when their main prey, voles, crashed. In crash years, alternative predation on e.g. forest bird nests may play an impor…
Current Status of and Threats to Sicilian Turtles
2022
Based on the critical review of the literature published in the last 22 years, an attempt was made to evaluate the current knowledge gap on the distribution and status of the native Testudines taxa occurring in Sicily (namely Caretta caretta, Emys trinacris, and Testudo hermanni hermanni), as well as the available knowledge of the only non-native species with putative viable populations occurring on the island, i.e., Trachemys scripta. Summarizing the current information, all of the Testudines species occurring in Sicily showed a fragmented and incompletely-known distribution, and only scarce data are available about their phenology. Moreover, despite their inclusion of international and na…
On Approximation of Entropy Solutions for One System of Nonlinear Hyperbolic Conservation Laws with Impulse Source Terms
2010
We study one class of nonlinear fluid dynamic models with impulse source terms. The model consists of a system of two hyperbolic conservation laws: a nonlinear conservation law for the goods density and a linear evolution equation for the processing rate. We consider the case when influx-rates in the second equation take the form of impulse functions. Using the vanishing viscosity method and the so-called principle of fictitious controls, we show that entropy solutions to the original Cauchy problem can be approximated by optimal solutions of special optimization problems.
In vitro effects of aminobisphosphonates on Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell activation and differentiation.
2006
In this study we have evaluated the in vitro effects of four different aminobisphosphonates, alendronate, risedronate, neridronate and zoledronate, on Vγ9Vδ2 T cell activation and differentiation. All tested aminobisphosphonates induce an IL-2-dependent activation and expansion of Vγ9Vδ2 T lymphocytes in primary PBMC cultures of healthy donors. Most notably, they also determine a different distribution of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell subsets, with decrease of Tnaive and TCM cells and increase of TEM and TEMRA Vγ9Vδ2 cells, indicating that in vitro treatment with aminobisphosphonates induces Vγ9Vδ2 T lymphocytes to differentiate towards an effector/cytotoxic phenotype. Accordingly, Vγ9Vδ2 T lymphocytes cu…
Development of a performance threshold approach for identifying the management options for stabilisation/solidification of lead polluted soils
2014
Two soils spiked with lead at different rates were stabilised/solidified using Portland cement and fy ash at different soil:binder ratios, and tested for their setting time, unconfined compressive strength, leachability and durability. A performance threshold approach was used in order to identify optimal management options for the products of the S/S treatment. Results show that soil texture, percentage of binders and lead concentration play an important part in the treatment, significantly influencing the performance of the resulting products in terms of curing, compressive strength and durability. Pb soil concentrations higher than 15000 mg kg-1 were found to heavily reduce the applicab…
Piano col colore! Mezzo secolo di contraffazioni nei centri storici
2010
The transformation dynamics of the ancient towns are completely changing the urban landscape of the historical countries in Italy in the last fifty years. The most superficial part of material constitutes the image of the architectures and plays a meaningful role in the perception of the historical districts that still characterize the contemporary city, but the aptitude for destroying architectural finishes and deleting superficial patina involves therefore to alter the character of the old towns irreversibly. It had to be obvious it would have been essential to conserve the authentic materials and signs of time that denote the historical authenticity of monuments, but new surfaces of plas…