Search results for " NATURA"
showing 10 items of 34989 documents
Long-term changes in pigmentation of arctic Daphnia provide potential for reconstructing aquatic UV exposure
2016
Abstract Despite the biologically damaging impacts of solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) in nature, little is known about its natural variability, forcing mechanisms, and long-term effects on ecosystems and organisms. Arctic zooplankton, for example the aquatic keystone genus Daphnia (Crustacea, Cladocera) responds to biologically damaging UV by utilizing photoprotective strategies, including pigmentation. We examined the preservation and content of UV-screening pigments in fossil Daphnia remains (ephippia) in two arctic lake sediment cores from Cornwallis Island (Lake R1), Canada, and Spitsbergen (Lake Fugledammen), Svalbard. The aims were to document changes in the degree of UV-protective p…
Phosphorus limitation enhances parasite impact: feedback effects at the population level
2014
Background Nutrient deficiency affects the growth and population dynamics of consumers. Endoparasites can be seen as consumers that drain carbon (C) or energy from their host while simultaneously competing for limiting resources such as phosphorus (P). Depending on the relative demands of the host and the parasite for the limiting nutrient, intensified resource competition under nutrient limitation can either reduce the parasite’s effect on the host or further reduce the fitness of the nutrient-limited host. So far, knowledge of how nutrient limitation affects parasite performance at the host population level and how this affects the host populations is limited. Results We followed the popu…
L'économie matérielle de la France (1830-2015). L'histoire d'un parasite ?
2018
This article explores the long-term dynamics of material use in France over a period of 185 years. It is based on material flow accounts that are perfectly consistent with the standards of Material Flows Analysis at the national economic scale. This work - which covers domestic extraction, imports and exports - is the first long-term study of material flows for France, with annual and national data for most of the period. Our database allows us to study the evolution of French metabolism during the industrialization of the country, together with the increasing dependence on abiotic materials. We highlight a singular metabolic trajectory: that of a state that benefits from successive world-s…
Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of Bupleurum Fontanesii (Apiaceae) Growing Wild in Sicily and its Activity on Microorganisms Affecting Hist…
2016
Hydrodistillation of the flowers (BpFl) of and fruits (BpFr) of Bupleurum fontanesii Guss. ex Caruel gave two oils that were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The main components were α-elemol (16.7%), caryophyllene oxide (16.4%) and heptacosane (15.9%) in BpFl, and spathulenol (16.8%), caryophylladienol I (13.2%) and α-elemol (12.8%) in BpFr. A good antimicrobial activity against several microorganisms, including Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus niger, all infesting historical art craft, was also determined.
Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil of Ballota hispanica (L.) Benth. growing wild in Sicily
2015
Ballota L. comprises several relevant species largely used for their excellent therapeutic properties. Ballota hispanica (L.) Benth. is widely used in herbal medicine, and it is sold in herbalist shops for its sedative and antispasmodic properties. Considering its traditional medicinal use and the lack of scientific studies on the volatile components of this species as well as on its biological activities, in this study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of B. hispanica, collected in Sicily, was evaluated by gas chromatography and gas chromatographyâmass spectrometry. α-Elemol was the most abundant component of the oil (10.9%), followed by α-ylangene (8.5%),…
Intraocular pressure and central corneal thickness in an old French population: The MONTRACHET study
2013
Purpose: To describe the distribution of intraocular pressure (IOP) and central corneal thickness (CCT) in an old French population. Methods: About 9000 individuals 65 years and older were included in the 3C cohort study since 1999 in 3 French cities (Bordeaux, Dijon and Montpellier). In Dijon, an additional ophthalmic examination was performed 10 years after the initial inclusions to assess the relation between systemic age-related diseases and eye diseases in the MONTRACHET Study (Maculopathy Optic Nerve nuTRition neurovAsCular and HEarT diseases). In this population-based stuy a thorough eye examination and a questionnaire were undertaken in each participant. Intraocular pressure (IOP) w…
Hydrothermal methane fluxes from the soil at Lakki plain (Nisyros Island, Greece)
2013
Μετρήσεις φυσικής ροής μεθανίου και διοξειδίου του άνθρακα από το έδαφος πραγματοποιήθηκαν με τη μέθοδο συγκέντρωσης θαλάμου στην περιοχή Λακκί της Καλδέρας της Νισύρου, καλύπτοντας έκταση περίπου 0.06 km2 συμπεριλαμβάνοντας τις περιοχές Καμινάκια, Στέφανος και Αλέξανδρο όπου παρατηρείται έντονη ατμιδική δραστηριότητας. Οι τιμές ροής που μετρήθηκαν σε 77 σημεία κυμαίνονται από –3.4 μέχρι 1420 mg m-2 d-1 για το CH4 και από 0.1, μέχρι 383 g m-2 d-1 για το CO2. Στις τρεις ατμιδικές περιοχές παρουσιάζονται διαφορετικοί ρυθμοί διαφυγής μεθανίου, ιδίως στα Καμινάκια όπου προέκυψαν οι μεγαλύτερες τιμές ροής. Η εξερχόμενη ποσότητα μεθανίου εκτιμάται σε 0.01 t a-1 από μια έκταση περίπου 2500 m2 στον…
MOBILITY OF MERCURY IN THE VOLCANIC/GEOTHERMAL AREA OF NISYROS (GREECE)
2017
Το καλοκαίρι του 2013, προσδιορίστηκαν οι συγκεντρώσεις υδραργύρου στο έδαφος και τον αέρα του ενεργού ηφαιστείου της Νισύρου (Ελλάδα), το οποίο ανήκει στο ενεργό ηφαιστειακό τόξο του νοτίου Αιγαίου. 102 δείγματα εδάφους συλλέχθηκαν και 2119 αναλύθηκαν για υδράργυρο με τη χρήση ψυχρού ατμού ατομικής απορρόφησης αναλυτή, σύμφωνα με τη μέθοδο ΕΡΑ 7473. Ταυτόχρονα, στα ίδια σημεία πραγματοποιήθηκαν συγκεντρώσεις υδραργύρου στον αέρα, με φορητό φασματοφωτόμετρο (Lumex RA- 915M). Οι τιμές των εδαφικών συγκεντρώσεων υδραργύρου κυμαίνονται από 0.023 έως 13.7 mg/g. Οι συγκεντρώσεις υδραργύρου στον αέρα έδειξαν υψηλότερες τιμές υποβάθρου στην περιοχή Λακκί της καλδέρας, μεταξύ 21 και 36 ng/m3 και μέ…
Photoluminescence properties of S2 molecule trapped in Melanophlogite
2015
We studied the photoluminescence properties of a sample of SiO2-clathrate Melanophlogite, a crystalline microporous material which is found in nature as a rare mineral. Upon β irradiation, the material displays an intense light emission under near-UV illumination. We studied in detail this optical activity by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements as a function of temperature. The spectroscopic properties we find can be ascribed to a population of quasi-free molecules trapped within each of the two different types of cage available in the structure of this clathrate, although the spectroscopic properties of the guest molecules are affected by their interactions with t…
Desymmetrization of Prochiral Cyclobutanones via Nitrogen Insertion: A Concise Route to Chiral γ‐Lactams
2021
Abstract Asymmetric access to γ‐lactams is achieved via a cyclobutanone ring expansion using widely available (1S,2R)‐1‐amino‐2‐indanol for chiral induction. Mechanistic analysis of the key N,O‐ketal rearrangement reveals a Curtin–Hammett scenario, which enables a downstream stereoinduction (up to 88:12 dr) and is corroborated by spectroscopic, crystallographic, and computational studies. In combination with an easy deprotection protocol, this operationally simple sequence allows the synthesis of a range of optically pure γ‐lactams, including those bearing all‐carbon quaternary stereocenters. In addition, the formal synthesis of drug molecules baclofen, brivaracetam, and pregabalin further …