Search results for "flor"

Equilibrium phase behavior of polyethylene oxide and of its mixtures with tetrahydronaphthalene or/and poly(ethylene oxide-block-dimethylsiloxane)

2002

Liquid/solid and liquid/liquid (LL) transition temperatures were measured by means of an automated device that monitors the light passing through the systems as a function of T at different constant cooling or heating rates q. For pure polyethylene oxide (PEO) crystallization and melting temperatures depend on |q|0.3 and become identical at the equilibrium transition temperature Tm=61.0 °C in the limit of infinitely slow cooling/heating. The reduction of Tm for PEO dissolved in tetrahydronaphthalene (THN) yields information on the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter ξ between these two compounds; ξ results negative and decreases markedly with rising polymer concentration. A tentative explan…

Random Copolymers:  Their Solution Thermodynamics as Compared with That of the Corresponding Homopolymers

2008

Vapor pressure data (at 50 °C) of solutions of poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA], polystyrene [PS], and poly(styrene-ran-methyl methacrylate) [P(S-ran-MMA)], with different weight fractions f of styrene units, in either CHCl3, acetone [AC], methyl acetate [MeAc], or toluene [TL] were evaluated with respect to the dependence of the Flory−Huggins interaction parameter χ on polymer concentration and on f. For all solutions under investigation, χ varies considerably with the composition of the mixture, and only for four of them [CHCl3/PS, AC/PMMA, MeAc/PS, and TL/P(S-ran-MMA) f = 0.5] is this dependence linear; another four systems exhibit a minimum [CHCl3/PMMA, CHCl3/P(S-ran-MMA) f = 0.5, TL/PM…

Polyethylene and Biodegradable Starch-Based Mulching Films Positively Affect Winter Melon Production in Sicily

2014

Plastic mulching is widely used in many regions of the world for growing melons. The winter melon is largely grown in the hilly countryside of the Mediterranean island of Sicily (Italy) where mulching plastic films enhance early and total yields. However, removing and disposal of polyethylene plastic mulches after use represent a major disadvantage and an environmental concern. The objective of this trial was to compare the effects of polyethylene (PE) (transparent and black) and biodegradable (black) mulching films on yield, fruit size and quality of melon grown in the open field. The trial was conducted in the north-western coast of Sicily in the province of Trapani, 250-m elevation. Melo…

Tuning gut microbiota through a probiotic blend in gemcitabine‐treated pancreatic cancer xenografted mice

2021

Informateur OPTIMA Newsletter

2009

Propagation techniques for three Mediterranean native shrubs with potentential as ornamental outdoor plants

2006

Grande are three Mediterranean shrubs with interesting ornamental features. The exploitation of wild plants for ornamental purposes implies knowledge on the factors influencing the propagation methods. To study the influence of temperature on germination, seeds of Teucrium flavum, Prasium majus and Micromeria fruticulosa were germinated in incubators at constant temperatures of 14, 20, 24 and 28°C. Highest germination, 45 % and 86%, occurred at 20°C in Teucrium flavum and Prasium majus, respectively. Micromeria fruticulosa seeds subjected at 24 or 28°C had a germination percentage significantly higher than at 20 or 14°C. To study the influence of auxin treatments on vegetative propagation, …

Adaptation of the tropical hybrid Euphorbia×lomi Rauh to the exposure to the Mediterranean temperature extremes

2014

Abstract Poysean ( Euphorbia × lomi Rauh) has been introduced in the Mediterranean countries as an ornamental plant for indoor uses. When used outdoor, few information is available about its ability to withstand the Mediterranean temperature extremes. An experiment in an open stand was performed to evaluate poysean tolerance to the winter and summer temperatures of the thermo Mediterranean climate and its ornamental value for urban greening. Two genotypes of poysean (Nguen Muang, NM; and Soi Budsanin, SB) with similar bracts and flower colours were grown at either 2 or 3 plants per pot during 23 months. Number of flower racemes and leaves per plant and plant height were recorded monthly. Ov…

Ancient or recent? Insights into the temporal evolution of the Bruniaceae

2008

AbstractThe Bruniaceae are a South African plant family endemic to the Cape Floristic Region with one geographic outlier (Raspalia trigyna) in the Natal Province. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have cast new light upon inter- and intra-generic relationships within the family. The present work uses those data to gain insights into the temporal evolution of Bruniaceae by inferring a molecular clock. For calibration, the inferred age of Berzelia cordifolia (3–5My) was used, based on its distribution restricted to the geologically young limestone area around Bredasdorp. The results are consistent with the purported Cretaceous age of the family (‘palaeoendemics’), but also suggest that m…

EFFECT OF CULTIVAR AND CROWN SIZE ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY FRESH BARE ROOT PLANTS IN SICILY

2012

In the southern regions of Mediterranean areas the plantations with fresh plants (winter planting system) have almost completely replaced those with cold stored plants (summer planting system). Particularly, fresh bare root plants produced in high elevation nurseries located in Spain and Poland and, in experimental phase, in the southern of Italy (in the mountains of Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata) are the most used. Such type of plant usually has a crown diameter from 6 to 14 mm, but the smallest plants should be (<8 mm) discarded in phase of selection and packing. Objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the different crown diameter on the earliness, productivity and qual…

Tertiary relict laurophyll vegetation in the Madonie mountains (Sicily)

2014

Laurel woodlands in the Madonie mountains (Sicily) are characterized by the presence of Laurus nobilis, Rhamnus lojaconoi and Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. The results of a phytosociological study are presented, and a new endemic association, Rhamno lojaconoi–Lauretum nobilis, is described. Present Mediterranean laurel communities are the result of an adaptive response by Tertiary laurel forest to the peculiar microclimatic conditions that characterize the refugia where they persist. These refugia have been recently considered as a priority habitat under the Directive 92/43/EEC, and their plant communities are very vulnerable. Protection measures of the studied laurel populations are ne…