Search results for "Islands"

Effects of Caulerpa cylindracea on marine biodiversity

2017

The Mediterranean sea is an important hotspot for alien species. Following habitat loss, Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are considered to be amongst the most serious threats to biodiversity and natural ecosystem functioning. Among the IAS recorded in the Mediterranean sea, Caulerpa cylindracea Sonder, introduced from Australia and New Caledonia, has raised serious concern due to its negative impact on native communities. We provide some observations on the effects of the presence of C. cylindracea on the communities living along the coasts of the Island of Favignana (Egadi Islands, Marine Protected Areas).

Effects of NIS on Mediterranean marine ecosystems: the case study of Egadi Island MPA (Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea)

2018

Habitat modification and loss, climate change and the introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural, past or present, range and outside of their natural dispersal potential) are considered to be the main threats to Mediterranean marine biodiversity and natural ecosystem functioning. NIS may become invasive (IAS = Invasive Alien Species) and may have significant environmental, socio-economic and human health impacts. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the major hotspots for NIS introductions, with the total for these species having almost reached the 1,000 figure (equivalent to ca. 6% of the total flora and fauna). NIS are entering the Mediterra…

Data from: Network analysis by simulated annealing of taxa and islands of Macaronesia (North Atlantic Ocean)

2018

With the aim of explaining the role that taxa and island features have in biogeographical patterns, we processed presence-absence matrices of all the Macaronesian native species of ten different taxa (arthropods, birds, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, mammals, mollusks, pteridophytes, reptiles and spermatophytes) through simulated annealing analysis. Distribution patterns among the archipelagos were pinpointed, along with the different biogeographic roles played by islands and species groups. All the networks analysed resulted to be significantly modular and the structure of biogeographic modules reflects known past connections among the archipelagos and the current drivers of species distribut…

Induction of c-fos gene expression by the selective sigma receptor ligand EMD 57445 in rat brain.

1996

Based on animal studies it has been reasoned that ligands to sigma binding sites might be effective in the treatment of schizophrenic disorders and may also be used to investigate this largely elusive disorder on a molecular level. Expression patterns of c-fos in rat brain were studied following treatment with single doses of the sigma ligand EMD 57445 (0.3, 1, 3, 30 mg/kg s.c.). Specific c-fos gene expression was detected at all concentrations tested in various cortical areas. The signals observed were dose-dependent with the highest intensities in the piriform cortex. Strong signals were also detected in hippocampal areas CA 1,2,3 and the gyrus dentatus, as well as in the medial habenula …

The evolution of breast cancer mortality and morbidity in Spain (1977?1988)

1996

A study of breast cancer mortality and cancer morbidity has been carried out in Spain recently for the period 1977-1988, covering the population of the 17 Autonomous Communities and 50 provinces of the country. Data was obtained from INE, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (National Institute of Statistics), with age standardization using the indirect method. The different Autonomous Communities and provinces were compared in order to establish possible significant differences. The crude mean mortality rate was 21 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year; Las Palmas, Gerona, Barcelona, the Balearic Islands, Navarra and Zaragoza have the highest mortality rates, with a proportional increment of 54%…

Late Pleistocene vertebrate - bearing deposits at San Teodoro Cave (North-Eastern Sicily): Preliminary data on faunal diversification and chronology

2008

Abstract This paper deals with the chronology and the possible correlations among levels of different excavated areas in the Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing deposits at the large San Teodoro Cave (North-Eastern Sicily). Two trenches have been excavated along the eastern side of the cave, located at a distance from the entrance, respectively, of 8 m ( α trench) and 28 m ( β trench) and at different depths. Lithological features, biometrical data from small mammals and ecological data from molluscs point to similar environmental conditions for the α trench deposits and those located along the eastern wall of the cave in the eastern part of the β trench. The same evidence, and the taphonomic fe…

Understanding "Islandness"

2023

Islandness is a contested concept, not just between disciplines but also cultures, entangled with what islands, island studies, and island identity are understood to be. The purpose of this article is to explore some of these different meanings, without necessarily unifying or reconciling them, with the aim of keeping multiple understandings of islandness in creative tension. We begin by considering islandness as smallness, recognizing that though many entry points into island studies relate to size in some way, what constitutes small is dependent on both context and worldview. Next, we consider islandness as culture, and the concept of island identity, which is expressed in varied forms. F…

Amygdaloid projections to the ventral striatum in mice: direct and indirect chemosensory inputs to the brain reward system

2011

Rodents constitute good models for studying the neural basis of socio-sexual behaviour. Recent findings in mice have revealed the molecular identity of the some pheromonal molecules triggering intersexual attraction. However, the neural pathways mediating this basic socio-sexual behaviour remain elusive. Since previous work indicates that the dopaminergic tegmento-striatal pathway is not involved in pheromone reward, the present report explores alternative pathways linking the vomeronasal system with the tegmento-striatal system (the limbic basal ganglia) by means of tract-tracing experiments studying direct and indirect projections from the chemosensory amygdala to the ventral striato-pall…

Effects of shallow hydrothermal vents on macroalgal communities

2011

A Feasibility Study for the Transition to Electric Mobility in the Island of Favignana

2021

The energy transition and climate neutrality are a short time scenario as climate concerns are rising fast. Small islands are natural microgrids in which the energy transition is subjected to economic and regulatory constraints and highly challenged by technical issues. As a first step, the Mediterranean island of Favignana has been considered in this study, to assess how electric mobility could impact the power system. According to the plans from the local decision makers, the island is moving towards a full public electric mobility in the near term, also due to the participation in the BloRin project. For this reason, a feasibility study about the technical and environmental impact of ele…