Search results for "RCT"

The genus Bolbelasmus in the western and southern regions of the Mediterranean Basin (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae)

2016

The Bolbelasmus Boucomont, 1911 species of the western and southern regions of the Mediterranean Basin (Northern Africa, Iberian Peninsula and France) are revised. The following three new species are described: Bolbelasmus brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov. and Bolbelasmus howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov., both from Spain and Gibraltar, and Bolbelasmus nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. from Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Bolbelasmus vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) stat. restit. is removed from synonymy with B. bocchus (Erichson, 1841) and reinstated as a separate species. Bolbelasmus romanorum Arnone & Massa, 2010 is considered a junior subjective synonym of B. vaulogeri. Lectoty…

On some Old World Scutelleridae

2009

The trophic transfer of persistent pollutants (HCB, DDTs, PCBs) within polar marine food webs.

2017

Biomagnification (increase in contaminant concentrations at successively higher levels of trophic web), is a process that can transversally impair biodiversity and human health. Most research shows that biomagnification should be higher at poles with northern sites having a major tendency to biomagnify Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) through their marine food webs. We investigated the biomagnification degree into two marine trophic webs combining carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes and POP analyses. We showed that the Antarctic trophic web was more depleted than the sub-Arctic one and the differences highlighted for the basal part could explain the difference in length between them. Co…

Horizontal and vertical food web structure drives trace element trophic transfer in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica

2019

Abstract Despite a vast amount of literature has focused on trace element (TE) contamination in Antarctica during the last decades, the assessment of the main pathways driving TE transfer to the biota is still an overlooked issue. This limits the ability to predict how variations in sea-ice dynamics and productivity due to climate change will affect TE allocation in the food web. Here, food web structure of Tethys Bay (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica) was first characterised by analysing carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) in organic matter sources (sediment and planktonic, benthic and sympagic primary producers) and consumers (zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, fish and …

Trace elements and stable isotopes in penguin chicks and eggs: A baseline for monitoring the Ross Sea MPA and trophic transfer studies.

2021

Multi-tissue trace elements (TEs), C, N concentrations and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) of chick carcasses and eggs of Adelie and Emperor penguins were studied to i) provide reference data before the recent institution of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (Antarctica), and ii) provide conversion factors that allow estimating C, N, δ13C and δ15N in edible tissues from non-edible ones, thus improving the use of stable isotopes in contamination and trophic transfer studies. Higher concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn and Pb were found in chick carcasses than in eggs, suggesting increasing contamination in recent decades and high toxicity risks for penguin consumers. Isotopic conversion fa…

An account on the non-malacostracan crustacean fauna from the inland waters of Crete, Greece, with the synonymization of Arctodiaptomus piliger Brehm…

2019

The Mediterranean bioregion is widely recognised as a biodiversity hotspot and its inland waters are among the species richest ecosystems of the northern hemisphere. However, the extent of such biodiversity has not been totally unravelled, especially in the Mediterranean islands. Here we present a first account of the crustaceans inhabiting 21 permanent and temporary ponds in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The ponds, sampled between 2009 and 2018, cover all the island surface even though their number cannot be considered exhaustive to represent the entire non-malacostracan fauna of the island. Nevertheless, 46 taxa were identif…

AN IN-VITRO PHANTOM STUDY ON THE THORACIC AORTIC STENT GRAFT COLLAPSE RESULTING FROM A BIRD-BEAK CONFIGURATION INTO THE AORTIC ARCH

2014

Electrochemical Fabrication of Inorganic/Organic Field Effect Transistor

2010

After discovery of conducting polymers and the possibility to modify their electrical properties (from insulating to metallic-like behaviour) by doping and a careful choice of the processing conditions, a large amount of research effort has been devoted to the theoretical understanding of their solid state properties as well as to exploit the possible application of conducting polymers in many technological fields including: large area organic electronics, polymer photovoltaic cell and sensors (1-2). Organic thin-film transistors appears very promising for the development of low cost, flexible and disposable plastic electronics. In order to reduce the operating voltage it has been suggested…

OLIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE AND/OR STROKE: A META-ANALYSIS OF CASE-CONTROL, COHORT AND INTERVENTION STUDIES

2014

Increasing evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of CVD. Olive oil is the hallmark of this dietary pattern. We conducted a meta-analysis of case–control, prospective cohort studies and a randomised controlled trial investigating the specific association between olive oil consumption and the risk of CHD (101 460 participants) or stroke (38 673 participants). The results of all observational studies were adjusted for total energy intake. The random-effects model assessing CHD as an outcome showed a relative risk (RR) of 0·73 (95% CI 0·44, 1·21) in case–control studies and 0·96 (95% CI 0·78, 1·18) in cohort studies for a 25 g increase in olive oil consumption. In co…

Methodological matters on an Alzheimer's dementia trial: is a double-blind randomized controlled study design sufficient to draw strong conclusions o…

2007

Letter to Editor