Search results for "Conservation"

Pactola kuscheli sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a potential cause for the decline of the threatened New Caledonian conifer, Agathis montana de…

2017

Agathis montana is a conifer endemic to New Caledonia and one of the most threatened (Critically Endangered) plant species of this area. The exact causes of its decline are still unknown. The authors describe the characteristics of A. montana, the history and methodology of populatio nmonitoring, and possible factors causing the decline and habitat degradation. In 2014, some twigs showing symptoms suggesting attack by wood-boring insects were collected. From these, imagines of an unknown weevil species belonging to the genus Pactola Pascoe (Eugnomini)were reared. The new species is described as Pactola kuscheli Mazur sp. nov. Colour photographs of the dorsal habitus, line drawings of taxono…

New insights about the consolidation of archaeological mortars located in underwater environment: The case study of the apsidal fishpond of Castrum N…

2019

This work is part of a research project titled MaTaCoS (Advanced materials and technologies applied to the conservation of underwater cultural heritage) funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), concerning development of innovative tools and methods for the protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, with particular regard to cleaning and consolidating procedures to be carry out directly in situ. The fishpond of the archaeological site of Castrum Novum (Santa Marinella, Rome, Italy) was chosen as a pilot site for experimentation. Castrum Novum was a Roman colony whose ruins are located between Torre Chiaruccia and Casale Alibrandi. The archaeological site lies on a wide…

Conceptualizing ecosystem tipping points within a physiological framework

2017

Connecting the nonlinear and often counterintuitive physiological effects of multiple environmental drivers to the emergent impacts on ecosystems is a fundamental challenge. Unfortunately, the disconnect between the way “stressors” (e.g., warming) is considered in organismal (physiological) and ecological (community) contexts continues to hamper progress. Environmental drivers typically elicit biphasic physiological responses, where performance declines at levels above and below some optimum. It is also well understood that species exhibit highly variable response surfaces to these changes so that the optimum level of any environmental driver can vary among interacting species. Thus, specie…

Silicate modulates the cross-talk between osteoblasts (SaOS-2) and osteoclasts (RAW 264.7 cells): inhibition of osteoclast growth and differentiation

2012

It has been shown that inorganic monomeric and polymeric silica/silicate, in the presence of the biomineralization cocktail, increases the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in osteogenic SaOS-2 sarcoma cells in vitro. In contrast, silicate does not affect the steady-state gene expression level of the osteoclastogenic ligand receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL). In turn it can be expected that the concentration ratio of the mediators OPG/RANKL increases in the presence of silicate. In addition, silicate enhances the growth potential of SaOS-2 cells in vitro, while it causes no effect on RAW 264.7 cells within a concentration range of 10-100 µM. Applying a co-cultivation assay system,…

Successful treatment of primary chronic osteomyelitis in SAPHO syndrome with bisphosphonates.

2008

Summary The treatment of the painful osteomyelitis in patients with SAPHO syndrome (Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, Osteitis) is often a problem. A 53-year-old woman had experienced palmo-plantar pustular skin lesions for four years, and in the past two years complained about progressive breath-and movement-dependent pain of the sternum. On examination she had extensive palmoplantar pustules and a painful swelling in the area of the right sternoclavicular joint. The three-phase bone scintigraphy showed a strong focal enrichment in the right sternoclavicular joint and at the transition from the manubrium to the corpus sterni suggesting active osteo-chondritis. Initially prednisolo…

Checklist of the Mammal Collection Preserved at the University of Palermo under the Framework of the National Biodiversity Future Center

2023

The latest reorganization of the Vertebrate collections preserved at the “Pietro Doderlein” Museum of Zoology of the University of Palermo (Italy) has made it possible to draw up a check-list of the Mammal taxa present in the stuffed (M), fluid-preserved (ML) and anatomical (AN) collections. The intervention was planned under the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) agenda, focused on the enhancement of Italian natural history museums. The growing interest in museum collections strongly demands databases available to the academic and policy world. In this paper, we record 679 specimens belonging to 157 specific taxa arranged in 58 families and 16 orders. Most of the species (75.1%) co…

Museum transition toward market-oriented identity: between social issues and public policy

2022

The museum as a cultural institution was created as a part of the nation-state, according to nationalism ideology, and for the transmission of the historical heritage of a particular society and culture. It resulted in organisational assumptions as rules of practices and style of operations or management. The transformation of public management in cultural institutions, such as museums, is part of the model of the “big” transformation based on the neoliberal turnaround in thinking and acting in the late twentieth century. The paper constitutes an analysis of the mechanisms of contemporary public policies of cultural institutions. It examines the role of the museum at the market-oriented lev…

Changes of several metabolic parameters of soya inoculated with phytopathogens at application nanochelates

2022

n greenhouse experiments changes in several metabolic parameters soybeans plants after inoculation by P. savastanoi pv. glycinea 9190, X. axonopodis pv. glycines 9192, BCMV, A. laidlawii on background pre-treatment by nanochelates (NHs) of V, Ge, Cu, Mo have been shown. The phenolic compounds content increased in leaves at inoculation by phytopathogens on background pre-treatment by NHs and without it. The content of H2O2 in leaves increased in variants: BCMV (+VNHs, GeNHs, CuNHs), 9192 (+VNHs, CuNHs), 9190 (+GeNHs, CuNHs), A. laidlawii+MoNHs. But it decreased in the variants: BCMV + MoNHs, A. laidlawii + VNHs, 9190 + VNHs, 9192 (+ GeNHs, CuNHs) compared to controls. The peroxidase activity…

Nanolimes-based ternary formulations for paper reduction, deacidification and consolidation

Medicinal and aromatic plants in agricultural research, when considering criteria of multifunctionality and sustainability

2022

Over the last twenty years, agriculture has witnessed significant changes in terms of energy requirements, advanced technologies and practices. This is in response to the impacts of crop production on the climate and environment and increasing awareness of the importance of agricultural sustainability through organic farming. Agriculture encompasses complex production systems and certain aspects of multifunctionality and sustainability have become fundamental for these systems. Agricultural activity can provide various functions in agro-ecosystems, such as producing food, managing natural resources, and conserving landscape and plant biodiversity; contributing to the cultural, historical an…