Search results for "mediterranean"
showing 10 items of 3196 documents
Premature aging in bone of fish from a highly polluted marine area
2015
Fish species have attracted considerable interest in studies assessing biological responses to environmental contaminants. In this study, the attention has been focussed on fishbone of selected fish species from a highly polluted marine area, Augusta Bay (Italy, Central Mediterranean) to evaluate if toxicant elements had an effect on the mineralogical structure of bones, although macroscopic deformations were not evident. In particular, an attempt was made to evaluate if bone mineral features, such as crystallinity, mineral maturity and carbonate/phosphate mineral content, determined by XR-Diffraction and FT-IR Spectroscopy, suffered negative effects due to trace element levels in fishbone,…
Statistical characterisation of heavy metal contents inParacentrotus lividusfrom Mediterranean Sea
2014
This work focuses on the estimation of Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Cd and Pb by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 135 adult specimens of Paracentrotus lividus collected in different coastal areas of Sicily (Gela, Punta Secca, Ragusa (RG), Siracusa, Priolo, Catania, Messina, Milazzo, Brolo and Filicudi), in order to monitor the Mediterranean marine ecosystem by use of sea urchin as bioindicator. Moreover, the paper deals with the statistical classification of the tested samples according to the sampling area based on metal concentrations. The descriptive statistics findings were obtained and, a starting multivariate matrix was built. Data-sets were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis test t…
Notes on the karyology, genetics and ecology of Genista sect. Voglera in Sicily
2012
To investigate the biosystematic and genetic relationships among Sicilian species of Genista sect. Voglera, four populations of three species, Genista aristata C. Presl, Genista cupanii Guss., and Genista madoniensis Raimondo, have been studied. Genista madoniensis is tetraploid, with a chromosome number of 2n = 48, as are the other two species. An isozyme study showed that G. madoniensis is taxonomically closer to G. aristata than to G. cupanii, the latter possessing four unique alleles. The results are discussed in the context of the ecological characteristics of each species.
The genusThymus(Lamiaceae) in Sicily
2015
An update on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus Thymus in Sicily is given. This study is based on literature, herbarium and field investigations. In total, five taxa belonging to Thymus sect. Serpyllum (Th. richardii subsp. nitidus, Th. longicaulis and Th. praecox subsp. parvulus) and Th. sect. Hyphodromi (Th. spinulosus and Th. paronychioides) occur in Sicily. For each one, information about taxonomy, habitat, phenology, chromosome number and distribution are provided. Furthermore, the name Thymus pedicillatus Lojac. is here typified. Finally, an analytical key for the identification of the studied taxa is proposed.
The Mediterranean diet could be an exceptional support for patients with chronic renal disease
2020
Chronic renal disease (CKD) is a social problem affecting millions of patients characterized by loss of renal function and related to metabolic diseases. The approach from the dietary point of view to this problem could be a perfect strategy to slow down the progression of the disease and at the same time the problems of malnutrition typical of CKD. Several studies show that the Mediterranean diet (MD) may play a key role in the control of the early stages of the disease. Even if the MD showed to be the best diet for the control of metabolic diseases and for the general well-being, in the case of the patient with CKD, should be adapted in what is called the DASH diet, characterized by the t…
Citizen science projects for monitoring alien macrophytes
2016
To understand the invasive potential and the spread dynamics of an alien species, any newly colonized area needs to be quickly detected. Therefore, regular monitoring programs and public awareness campaigns are essential. Since intensive monitoring activities involving scientists are expensive, the occurrence and spread of marine species could remain undetected or could be detected only years after the initial colonization. Citizen Science initiatives, a potential solution to this problem providing supplemental information that would otherwise be lost, are able to involve different groups of volunteers: students, tourists, divers, underwater photographers, amateurs and fishermen. Volunteers…
Pseudococcidae and Monophlebidae
2012
The families Pseudococcidae (mealybugs) and Monophlebidae include small scale insects (Coccoidea: Hemiptera) that suck out plant sap. The bodies of young instars and adult females are covered with a wax secretion, whereas adult males carry a pair of small wings. Feeding by these pests can cause premature leaf, flower, and fruit drop, reduce plant vigour and discolour tissues. In addition, they secrete honeydew upon which sooty-mould fungi grow, reducing photosynthesis and the market value of the product. Six species of Pseudococcidae, namely Planococcus citri (Risso), Pseudococcus cryptus Hempel, Ps. longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), Ps. calceolariae (Maskell), Ps. viburni (Signoret) and Nip…
Policies can help to apply successful strategies to control soil and water losses. The case of chipped pruned branches (CPB) in Mediterranean citrus …
2018
[EN] There is a need to devise management strategies that control soil and water losses in agriculture land to allow the design of proper policies to achieve sustainability. It is the responsibility of scientists to work with other actors to co-construct strategies that will lead to sustainable land-use policies. Using chipped pruned branches (CPB) as mulch can be a viable option because they represent local (in situ) organic material that can restore soil nutrient and organic matter. This research assesses: i) the perception of farmers towards different types of management strategies and CPB's costs; ii) the biomass yield of citrus branches and the impact of CPB on soil properties; iii) ho…
Spazi aperti di comunità in ambito climatico Mediterraneo. Il caso di Hassan Fathy in Egitto
2022
The complexity of the relationship between architecture and the Mediterranean climate, in energy regimes and resource scarcity, requires special attention. Specifically, the article aims to explore how community spaces can become design subjects, intervening in climatic, environmental, social, and cultural features. Hassan Fathy’s architecture, in particular the two schools in New Gourna and Fares, offer a different key to understanding man, climate, culture, technology, and education. A relationship that is still evolving today, calling architecture back toits educational and social focus.
Influence of climate on phytoplankton dynamics in Mediterranean water bodies
2011
Climate is among the factors that influence the hydrology of water bodies and their mixing/stratification patterns. As a consequence, it may affect the ecomorphological selection of phytoplankton. Global climatic patterns, driven by Sun’s magnetic field, were shown to promote cyclic cyanobacteria bloom during the years of drought caused by El Niño. Cyclic droughts, with a periodicity of about 11 years, also occur in the Mediterranean Basin where they produce analogous responses in phytoplankton composition. Some evidences exist that climate change can promote pseudo-eutrophication events and, by altering the hydraulic balance in shallow lakes, cause a shift between a clear macrophyte-domina…