Search results for "Flow"

Ovule discounting in an outcrossing, cryptically dioecious tree.

2006

9 páginas, 1 figura, 1 tabla.

Degradation of sexual reproduction in Veronica filiformis after introduction to Europe

2011

Abstract Background Baker’s law predicts that self-incompatible plant species are generally poor colonizers because their mating system requires a high diversity of genetically differentiated individuals and thus self-compatibility should develop after long-distance dispersal. However, cases like the introduction of the self-incompatible Veronica filiformis (Plantaginaceae) to Europe constitute an often overlooked alternative to this rule. This species was introduced from subalpine areas of the Pontic-Caucasian Mountains and colonized many parts of Central and Western Europe in the last century, apparently without producing seeds. To investigate the consequences of the absence of sexual rep…

Phytochemical profiles, phototoxic and antioxidant properties of eleven Hypericum species - A comparative study

2018

Hypericum is one out of the nine genera belonging to the botanical family Clusiaceae Lindl (syn. Hypericaceae Juss.; APG III, 2009). The genus contains 484 species spread worldwide, one of which, Hypericum perforatum, is largely used in folk medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition, along with the antioxidant and phototoxic activity, of 11 Hypericum species grown in Sicily (H. perforatum L., H. aegypticum L., H. androsaemum L., H. calycinum L., H. hircinum L., H. hirsutum L., H. montanum L., H. patulum Thunb., H. perfoliatum L., H. pubescens Boiss., H. tetrapterum Fr.). Samples of flowering tops collected from these Hypericum species were extracted and analys…

Tropical Fruits as an Opportunity for Sustainable Development in Rural Areas: The Case of Mango in Small-Sized Sicilian Farms

2018

Over the last decades, in many rural areas in Southern Europe, farmers have abandoned agricultural activity, especially on small-sized farms, leading to an exodus from rural areas towards urbanized ones. In this context, in the early 1980s, some Sicilian farmers introduced mango on their small-sized farms, as certain areas of Sicily are well suited to tropical and subtropical crops, but also to meet increasing consumer interest for these fruits, as they are perceived as functional foods. This paper aimed to evaluate the economic sustainability of mango and to determine whether its introduction could be considered as an alternative to traditional crops. In particular, an economic-financial a…

2016

AbstractOcean acidification is predicted to have detrimental effects on many marine organisms and ecological processes. Despite growing evidence for direct impacts on specific species, few studies have simultaneously considered the effects of ocean acidification on individuals (e.g. consequences for energy budgets and resource partitioning) and population level demographic processes. Here we show that ocean acidification increases energetic demands on gastropods resulting in altered energy allocation, i.e. reduced shell size but increased body mass. When scaled up to the population level, long-term exposure to ocean acidification altered population demography, with evidence of a reduction i…

Agronomic, metabolomic and lipidomic characterization of Sicilian Origanum vulgare (L.) ecotypes

2016

Although Origanum vulgare (L.) has been deeply analysed at phytochemical level, poor knowledge is available regarding non-volatile compounds such as lipids. The aim of this work was to characterise five wild Sicilian Origanum ecotypes from an agronomic, metabolomic and lipidomic perspective. Serradifalco presented higher dry weight and inflorescences/plant than the others while Favara had a significantly higher number of branches per plant and more extensive flowered stratum. Metabolomic analysis, performed with LC-MS-TOF, allowed a preliminary characterisation of the non-volatile metabolome of the five oregano ecotypes Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum. Twenty-five metabolites were identified b…

Hydrodynamic characterization of a new small-scale reactor mixed by a magnetic bar

2015

International audience; The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mixing characteristics of a new milliliter-scale (mL-scale) reactor developed for studying enzymatic activity or physiological cell response. The mL-scale reactor was designed to enable the integration of several sensors to carry out dynamic measurements in a controlled environment. Rapid homogeneity of the entire system is essential to ensure reproducible and reliable results, consequently the reactor was stirred to optimize both mass and heat transfers. A comparative study using three different techniques was undertaken to study mixing performances in the system. Firstly, mixing time (4,) was estimated in the reactor us…

Genetic and phenotypic variation of the malaria vector Anopheles atroparvus in southern Europe

2011

Abstract Background There is a growing concern that global climate change will affect the potential for pathogen transmission by insect species that are vectors of human diseases. One of these species is the former European malaria vector, Anopheles atroparvus. Levels of population differentiation of An. atroparvus from southern Europe were characterized as a first attempt to elucidate patterns of population structure of this former malaria vector. Results are discussed in light of a hypothetical situation of re-establishment of malaria transmission. Methods Genetic and phenotypic variation was analysed in nine mosquito samples collected from five European countries, using eight microsatell…

Fitness of backcross six of hybrids between transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum

2002

The process of introgression between a transgenic crop modified for better agronomic characters and a wild relative could lead potentially to increased weediness and adaptation to the environment of the wild species. However, the formation of hybrid and hybrid progeny could be associated with functional imbalance and low fitness, which reduces the risk of gene escape and establishment of the wild species in the field. Our work compares the fitness components of parents and different types of backcross in the sixth generation of hybrids between transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus, AACC, 2n = 38) resistant to the herbicide glufosinate and wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum, RrRr, 2n = 18)…

Influence of dams on population persistence in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

2016

Barriers to migration can negatively affect population persistence. To explore how dams can influence the viability of a diadromous fish, we developed an empirically based stochastic model to estimate per-capita population growth rate (r) and probability of population decline (Pr(r < 0)). Our simulations incorporated life-history parameters common for many populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L., 1758), particularly in the southern part of the species range. Additionally, we explored the influence of individuals that reproduce more than once, i.e., “kelts”, on r and Pr(r < 0). For the life-history scenarios examined here, dams are forecast to negatively affect persistence, eve…