Rendiconti Lincei-Scienze Fisiche E Naturali最新文献

Springtails can occur in large populations on the snow surface. This peculiar habitat hosts specialized winter-active springtails living in colonies and using this seasonal habitat for feeding, effective dispersal and migration. Snow-active species have never been studied in Southern European Alps: the aim of this work is to study snow-active springtails of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (“PNAB”; Italy), a peripheral mountain range of relevant biogeographic interest using integrative taxonomy. Springtail “bloomings” were sampled for 17 months by an environmental assistant of the park. Nine assemblages of springtails were found when temperatures were higher than 0 °C; eight were monospecific, with a total of five species found. The snow-active springtail fauna found includes both common Central-Northern European nival species like Desoria hiemalis (first record for Italy, although genetically differentiated from Northern Alps populations), Ceratophysella sigillata (known in Italy mainly from caves) and three species likely new to science (Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp1, Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp2, H. cf. peloponnesica, all belonging to the Hypogastrura socialisgroup). Snow is an important ephemeral habitat for springtails, for the biodiversity hosted and for its importance as an ecological corridor. We could hypothesize that snow, especially in peripheral mountain chains, acts as a fragmentary ephemeral habitat for those cold-adapted springtails. This could constitute a relevant aspect to take into consideration for conservation biology, especially in the context of the ongoing climate change. On the other hand, the Alpine chain probably acts as an ecological barrier for nival species, since isolated species and populations were found in PNAB.

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In this study, the cold hardiness degrees of the main grape cultivars grown in the temperate climatic conditions of Samsun province, Turkiye were determined using the tissue browning technique. Winter canes were prepared as single nodes cuttings in the coldest month of February. After an artificial freeze test, LT₅₀ degrees of primary, secondary, tertiary buds, and phloem tissue were determined. In addition, after the freeze test, some growth and rooting parameters of single-bud cuttings were examined in a growing room condition. The highest LT₅₀ values in primary, secondary, and tertiary buds were observed in ‘Karaerik’, ‘Alphonse Lavallee’, ‘Çeliksu’ and ‘Merzifon Karası’ cultivars. Highest primary bud LT₅₀ values were obtained as – 24.3 °C in ‘Karaerik’, – 23.1 °C in ‘Çeliksu’, – 22.9 °C in ‘Alphonse Lavallee’, and – 22.1 °C in ‘Merzifon Karası’ cultivars. The lowest primary bud LT₅₀ values were found in ‘Narince’, ‘Çavuş’, and ‘Trakya İlkeren’ cultivars ( – 11.0 °C, – 12.1 °C, and – 16.1 °C, respectively). While phloem viability rate was 77.3% in ‘Çeliksu’, it was determined as 8.0% in the ‘Çavuş’ cultivar. The highest primary, secondary, and tertiary bud viability was determined in the ‘Karaerik’ cultivar (64.7%, 67.3%, and 68.0%, respectively). On the other hand, the least bud viability rates were obtained in ‘Çavuş’, ‘Narince’, and ‘Trakya İlkeren’ cultivars. In the growing room condition, the highest mean bud burst (60.7%), bud sprouting ratio (61.0%), and cluster number per shoot (0.42 cluster) were obtained in the ‘Çeliksu’ cultivar in growing room condition. The highest mean shoot length (4.8 cm), rooting ratio (59.3%), root length (4.10 cm), and root scale (1.19) were determined in the ‘Karaerik’ cultivar among freeze applied cuttings.

Abstract

The main concern of this paper is to explore and analyze the influence of the environment on the built heritage in Saudi Arabia. It is hypothesized that the environment formed and initiated the main features of the built heritage in Saudi Arabia. This influence, in addition, is adapted through different variables such as cultural, natural, and climate, including religion, traditions, geology, location, land nature and soil, and macroclimate and microclimate. These variables, in fact, formed the main features of the built heritages, including pattern, type and character. Other external factors, to some extent, also influenced the architectural elements of the built heritage, especially the interrelationship with other civilizations (Wang et al in Heritage 4:2942–2959. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040164, 2021). The investigation of the environmental variables, therefore, used to define the influence of each variable on the main features of different buildings of the built heritage, particularly houses, and palaces in Saudi Arabia. The analysis, moreover, focused on the shared features of these buildings in the main regions of Saudi Arabia. The purpose is to define that although the climate and the natural variables may differ in Saudi Arabia, the built heritage shares the main urban pattern and architectural features mostly as a result of the influence of the cultural variable, particularly the religion, traditions, and habits. In other words, cultural variables have a direct influence on defining the shared features of the built heritage. Furthermore, the rationale of this analysis is to prove that the built heritage is highly valuable because it was initiated and developed as a part of its environment. It afforded its residents with their religious, traditions, habits, social, and living necessities. Therefore, it requires protection for the future generations in Saudi Arabia (Alnaim MM (2022b) J Archit Plann 34:223–238. https://doi.org/10.33948/JAP-KSU-34-2-5, 2022b; Spahic in A conceptual framework for sustainability in Islamic architecture: the significance of the islamic concepts of man and the environment. Conference on Technology and Sustainability in the Built Environment, 3–6 January 2010. Riyadh, 2010). 

The population of the countries bordering on the Mediterranean Sea will grow to 685 million in 2050, according to the latest projections (middle variant) of the United Nations, from 188 million in 1950. Trends of mortality, fertility and migration are briefly delineated, as well as their differential impact in the countries of the European, Asian and African Rims. The paper discusses the human impact of population growth on the region, with particular reference to urbanization, population distribution along the coastline, and mobility.

Abstract

In this contribution, dedicated to the memory of Prof. Gian Gualberto Volpi, we provide a short review of recent work carried out in our laboratory on reactive scattering studies of the reaction dynamics of atomic oxygen with nitrogen-bearing organic molecules. Specifically, we focus on the polyatomic bimolecular reactions of atomic oxygen, both in the ground and first excited state, O(³P) and O(¹D), with the simplest unsaturated nitriles, namely HCCCN (cyanoacetylene) and CH₂CHCN (cyanoethylene, or acrylonitrile), and with the simplest six-member ring N-heterocyclic compound, pyridine (C₅H₅N). Using the crossed molecular beam (CMB) scattering technique with universal electron-impact ionization mass-spectrometric detection and time-of-flight analysis to measure product angular and velocity distributions, the primary product channels and their branching fractions were determined, thus assessing the central role played by intersystem-crossing (ISC) in this class of reactions. The experimental work was synergistically accompanied by theoretical calculations of the relevant triplet and singlet potential energy surfaces (PESs) to assist the interpretation of experimental results and elucidate the reaction mechanism, including extent of ISC. Cyanoacetylene and cyanoethylene are of considerable interest in astrochemistry being ubiquitous (and relatively abundant) in space including comets and the upper atmosphere of Titan. Being oxygen the third most abundant element in space, the title reactions are of considerable relevance in the chemistry of extraterrestrial environments. In addition, they are also important in combustion chemistry, because thermal decomposition of pyrrolic and pyridinic structures present in bound N-containing fuels generates N-bearing compounds including, in particular, the above two nitriles.

Abstract

Land subsidence, whether in its gradual down-settling form, creeping ground fracturing, or sudden sinkholes, is considered one of Iran's most catastrophic environmental challenges. The present study employed interferometric synthetic-aperture radar (InSAR) to detect land displacement in Garmsar City. The output maps reveal significant subsidence at 30 cm year⁻¹ rates. According to the correlated subsidence map and piezometer data, groundwater harvesting for urban, industrial, and agricultural uses is primarily responsible for subsidence. High dependence on underground water resources and the absence of surface water resources in Iran's central regions have led to a radical decline in groundwater heads. For this target, 17 frames of images during 2015–2019 with a small temporal-perpendicular baseline were allocated and analyzed using the small baseline subset (SBAS). After removing unnecessary phases and noise, phase shift due to land deformation was extracted and converted to surface displacement. The InSAR analysis revealed a maximum of 37 cm and at least 33 cm subsidence for the Garmsar plain, and the average annual subsidence is estimated to be 36 cm, which is very close to the subsidence rate of the Tehran and Varamin plains. High-subsidence areas were generally located in the northern part of the Garmsar Plain, and subsidence rates decreased in the Southeast. The temporal and regional relationships between groundwater data and subsidence suggest that the general pattern of subsidence in the Garmsar Plain is caused by groundwater overexploitation, leading to widespread surface deformation. Since Garmsar is close to the capital, water resources are under pressure. By managing water resources in this area, this phenomenon will be reduced.

Diversity profiles of macromoth faunas in relation to island characteristics were studied at eight islets offshore Sardinia (one of the main Mediterranean islands) belonging to two distinct archipelagos which are included in two protected areas: Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park and Marine Protected Area Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo. Night-flying macrolepidoptera were sampled using light traps with fluorescent tube, and their abundances per islet analysed through a suite of statistical tools. Overall, a total of 189 species were recorded across the various islands: 82 Noctuidae, 27 Erebidae, 1 Euteliidae, 2 Nolidae, 71 Geometridae, 5 Sphingidae and 1 Drepanidae. Neither area nor distance from Sardinia influenced the diversity profiles on each island, whereas a species–area relationship was clearly observed. Diversity profiles were comparable across islands, with Figarolo showing the highest evenness and Caprera the lowest one. Also, dominance, Simpson’s, Shannon’s and Chao’s estimates were not correlated with island area or distance from Sardinia. Management implications for the studied insular moth communities and habitats are provided.

We review the basis of a semi-empirical model of carbonate decomposition developed by the authors, shortly discussing numerous previous theories. Then, the model is applied to the modeling of a scenario of matter transport from space to the surface of planets embedded into sub-mm mineral grains, with the correction of the so-called additional enthalpy, coming from the experiments. Having magnesium and calcium carbonates as mineral phases and the atmosphere of Earth and Mars as environments, the chemical-physical history of grains entering at different angles and speeds is discussed. The results are compared with those obtained previously and new evaluations of the most promising scenarios are formulated.

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Abstract

The present work depicted the pharmacological and nutritional importance of Solanum villosum Mill. based on its traditional value. It is an ethnomedicinal plant of the family Solanaceae used to treat edema and sore eyes, apart from its use as salad and fruit. Leaves and berries of Solanum villosum were explored for the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity and nutritional potential. Plant extract of both parts i.e., leaves and berries were prepared in methanol and chloroform solvent, then subjected to analysis. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, and tannins were quantified as major phytochemicals. Antioxidant activity was tested by DPPH radical scavenging, Phosphomolybdate and reducing power assay. Brine shrimp lethality assay was employed to study cytotoxic activity of extracts. Assessment of nutritional value was done by proximate analysis. Alkaloids and saponins were present in significant quantities i.e., 7.6 mg g⁻¹, 3.48 mg g⁻¹, 5.67 mg g⁻¹, and 1.98 mg g⁻¹ in leaves and berries respectively. Methanol extracts exhibited noticeable antioxidant activity, as compared to chloroform extracts. Higher antioxidant activity of leaves was reported as compared to berries with IC₅₀ values of 196.86 µg mL⁻¹ by Phosphomolybdate assay. Methanol extract of leaves demonstrated promising cytotoxic activity with LD₅₀ value of 74.44 μg mL⁻¹. Results for nutritional analysis indicated presence of carbohydrates, proteins, and crude fiber in both extracts, while protein content was higher in berries. Results of the study suggest that the plant can be utilized as a source of balanced nutraceutical products having benefits of food and medicine.