Search results for "Arid"

Variations in the Volatile Compounds of a Fennel (Foeniculum VulgareMill.) Variety Grown in a Semi-Arid Mediterranean Environment

2005

Abstract Fennel is an industrial source of anethole but, recently, further interest has came from the suggested possibility of many industrial uses of this plant.The volatile substances from the seeds of Fennel grown in Sparacia (Cammarata – AG – Sicily; 37° 38’ N; 13° 46’ E) have been investigated and compared on a statistical base with previously reported data. The variety grown in Sparacia fall into the “high fenchone” chemovariety. The substances α-toluene, α-terpinene, β-phellandrene+limonene and camphene appear the components most sensitive to environment and grow condition modifications.

Empirical study of extreme rainfall intensity in a semi-arid environment at different time scales

2014

Abstract Mediterranean environments are typical of semi-arid regions, dominated by episodes of torrential rain in which the critical variable is not the total rainfall, but the intensity. This paper studies the maximum rainfall intensities at different observation time scales, from 5 min to 24 h, over eastern Spain from 1994 to 2007. The statistical rainfall characteristics for each time scale are analysed and the effects of specific geographical factors – altitude, aspect and distance to the sea – for each observation interval are tested. The results show that extreme intensities are heavily dependent on the time scale. There are two important turning points in this trend, at 1 h and 6 h. …

Hypogeous fungi in Mediterranean maquis, arid and semi-arid forests

2014

Hypogeous fungi are common in arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean basin and, in particular, they are found in Italy, Spain, northern African countries (especially in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), and in the Middle East. These fungi and, in particular, some species belonging to the genus Tuber and the desert truffles (Terfezia spp. and Tirmania spp.) form ascomata of considerable economic value. In this review, a panorama of hypogeous fungal diversity and information on their ecology in Mediterranean arid and semi-arid ecosystems have been reported; their economical importance and cultivation potential are also underlined.

Coexistence of Mediterranean tits: A multidimensional approach

2013

[EN] Differential traits (e.g., feeding at different heights in trees) have evolved to allow the coexistence of putative competitors; such traits have been well studied in small passerines (e.g., Paridae), mainly during the winter. However, few studies have been carried out during the breeding season, when competition could be more intense. We applied here a multidimensional approach, examining ecological (prey type and size, and nesting habitat characteristics) and life history (timing of maximum nestling food demand) traits that might help to explain the coexistence of great (Parus major), crested (Lophophanes cristatus), and coal (Periparus ater) tits breeding in a Mediterranean pine for…

Morphological observations on the co-occurring geophytes Isoetes duriei Bory (Lycophyta, Isoetaceae) and Romulea columnae Sebast. et Mauri (Anthophyt…

2003

Some preliminary observations on the morphoplogy and leaf anatomy of two geophytes, Isoetes duriei and Romulea columnae, co-occurring in a Mediterranean temporary pond, have been reported. The species examined possess characters favourable to the survival of both flooded and arid conditions. The adaptive traits to flooding appear plastic in R. columnae, while I. duriei is “structurally” an aquatic plant. Evolutionary and ecological aspects are briefly discussed.

Drought Management Decision Support System by Means of Risk Analysis Models

2007

Droughts in arid and semiarid Mediterranean river basins have an increasing socioeconomic and environmental impact. The problem is especially complex in basins where droughts are very frequent and intense and where water resources are under a massive use. For that reason in the Mediterranean basins it is necessary to manage the water resources in constant alert in order to relieve the consequences of a drought. In this chapter a complete methodology for the mitigation of the droughts is defined. The methodology includes different tools: from the definition of an alert system for the different types of drought up to the simulation and optimization software for water system management. This m…

Comparative effects of carrier proteins on vaccine-induced immune response

2011

The efficacy of vaccines against major encapsulated bacterial pathogens -Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) - has been significantly enhanced by conjugating the respective polysaccharides with different carrier proteins: diphtheria toxoid; non-toxic cross-reactive material of diphtheria toxin(197), tetanus toxoid, N. meningitidis outer membrane protein, and non-typeable H. influenzae-derived protein D. Hib, meningococcal, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have shown good safety and immunogenicity profiles regardless of the carrier protein used, although data are conflicting as to which carrier protein is the most immunogenic. Coadmini…

El nuevo paradigma

1998

The Low Energy-Coupling Respiration in Zymomonas mobilis Accelerates Flux in the Entner-Doudoroff Pathway.

2015

Performing oxidative phosphorylation is the primary role of respiratory chain both in bacteria and eukaryotes. Yet, the branched respiratory chains of prokaryotes contain alternative, low energy-coupling electron pathways, which serve for functions other than oxidative ATP generation (like those of respiratory protection, adaptation to low-oxygen media, redox balancing, etc.), some of which are still poorly understood. We here demonstrate that withdrawal of reducing equivalents by the energetically uncoupled respiratory chain of the bacterium Zymomonas mobilis accelerates its fermentative catabolism, increasing the glucose consumption rate. This is in contrast to what has been observed in o…

Stability of biogenic metal(loid) nanomaterials related to the colloidal stabilization theory of chemical nanostructures

2018

In the last 15 years, the exploitation of biological systems (i.e. plants, bacteria, mycelial fungi, yeasts, and algae) to produce metal(loid) (Me)-based nanomaterials has been evaluated as eco-friendly and a cost-effective alternative to the chemical synthesis processes. Although the biological mechanisms of biogenic Me-nanomaterial (Bio-Me-nanomaterials) production are not yet completely elucidated, a key advantage of such bio-nanostructures over those chemically synthesized is related to their natural thermodynamic stability, with several studies ascribed to the presence of an organic layer surrounding these Bio-Me-nanostructures. Different macromolecules (e.g. proteins, peptides, lipids…