Agricoltori, animali domestici e animali selvatici hanno l’interesse comune di vivere in equilibrio

Il documento del Comitato bioetico per la Veterinaria e l'Agroalimentare crea l'occasione per affrontare una questione sempre più calda e ormai quasi quotidianamente presente nell'informazione. Ormai il coinvolgimento dei centri abitati non solo delle zone rurali è, come era prevedibile, frequente, quindi non si tratta più di un problema del solo mondo degli agricoltori e allevatori

Floristic diversity in different urban ecological niches of a southern European city

The present paper aimed at studying the vertical and horizontal spatial distribution, species richness and diversity of vascular plants in different urban ecological niches (urban habitats) by means of the case study of Bologna (Italy), a typical densely populated southern European city. A total of 477 species were found in the study area of the historical city centre, 30% of which were alien species. Alien plant species were mainly present among phanerophytes, while native plants were mainly therophytes and hemicryptophytes. The habitats that mostly contributed to the species total richness were seminatural soils, followed by paved areas, walls, rooftops and manholes. The number of exclusive species decreased according to the selectiveness of the habitat, with manholes and rooftops being the most selective. The presence of hemicryptophytes constant decreased going from 27% of more humid habitats to 5% of more arid habitats, so that they can be considered a water availability biomarker. Urban habitat quality, measured by the number of native species, was directly proportional to the strength of selective factors and inversely proportional to the rate of disturbance, with roofs and seminatural soils having, respectively, the highest and lowest quality. Finally, a relation between species richness and street characteristics, like width, orientation and type of flooring, was demonstrated

Comparison of soil water content from SCATSAR-SWI and cosmic ray neutron sensing at four agricultural sites in Northern Italy: Insights from spatial variability and representativeness

Monitoring soil water content (SWC) is vital for various applications, particularly in agriculture. This study compares SWC estimated by means of SCATSAR-SWI remote sensing (RS) at different depths (T-values) with Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing (CRNS) across four agricultural sites in northern Italy. Additionally, it examines the spatial mismatch and representativeness of SWC products’ footprints based on different factors within the following areas: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), soil properties (sand, silt, clay, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)), and irrigation information. The results reveal that RS-derived SWC, particularly at T = 2 depth, exhibits moderate positive linear correlation (mean Pearson correlation coefficient, R = 0.6) and a mean unbiased Root–Mean–Square Difference (ubRMSD) of 14.90%SR. However, lower agreement is observed during summer and autumn, attributed to factors such as high biomass growth. Sites with less variation in vegetation and soil properties within RS pixels rank better in comparing SWC products. Although a weak correlation (mean R = 0.35) exists between median NDVI differences of footprints and disparities in SWC product performance metrics, the influence of vegetation greenness on the results is clearly identified. Additionally, RS pixels with a lower percentage of sand and SOC and silt loam soil type correlate to decreased agreement between SWC products. Finally, localized irrigation practices also partially explain some differences in the SWC products. Overall, the results highlight how RS pixel variability of the different factors can explain differences between SWC products and how this information should be considered when selecting optimal ground-based measurement locations for remote sensing comparison

a comprehensive insight into the rehabilitative treatment of persistent benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

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Dal libro alla mappa : La Flora storica della Provincia di Bologna

Le Flore sono opere che presentano l’elenco delle specie vegetali di un territorio, commentate criticamente e accompagnate da informazioni quali caratteri morfologici, luogo del ritrovamento, stagione di fioritura ecc. Da un lato esse sono intimamente influenzate dal contesto geografico e culturale in cui vengono scritte, dall’altro costituiscono un punto d’arrivo (non solo di partenza) dello stato delle conoscenze del territorio a cui si riferiscono. La Flora della Provincia di Bologna di Girolamo Cocconi (1883) è una delle prime Flore locali dell’Italia post-unitaria, espressamente pensata per gli studenti e per quanti gradissero accrescere le proprie cognizioni di botanica. La sua genesi, situata in un’epoca di grande fermento intellettuale e artistico (basti pensare che in quegli stessi anni Giosuè Carducci aveva la cattedra di Letteratura Italiana all’Ateneo bolognese), è legata all’opera dei botanici Antonio e Giuseppe Bertoloni, che dal 1816 al 1878, oltre ad avere fortemente improntato il panorama scientifico bolognese (e anche nazionale), esplorarono a lungo il territorio provinciale. La maggior parte dei dati contenuti nella Flora di Cocconi fu però raccolta in un ristretto arco temporale: in pratica, essa fornisce una sorta di fotografia dello scenario floristico dell’epoca in cui fu composta. Si tratta, per certi versi, di un’opera tuttora insuperata, giacché non ne esiste una analoga pubblicata ai giorni nostri, sebbene l’esplorazione floristica provinciale sia sempre proseguita, espressa in numerosi articoli e segnalazioni contenute in banche dati come Acta Plantarum (http://www.actaplantarum.org/). Poiché essa raccoglie in maniera sistematica i dati di Antonio e Giuseppe Bertoloni, il loro lavoro, quantunque risalga a quasi 200 anni fa, è parte fondamentale dell’unica Flora formalmente pubblicata disponibile per gli studiosi del territorio locale. I dati contenuti nella Flora sono ora parte della Banca Dati della Flora della Regione Emilia-Romagna e le località stesse sono state da noi georeferenziate: ciò permette di quantificare e spazializzare i dati in essa presenti (7767 segnalazioni floristiche, 659 località citate) e, attraverso di essi, gli autori e le specie, e consente altresí una rilettura in chiave contemporanea di questo prezioso volume e nuove possibilità di analisi. Per la descrizione dei risultati ottenuti, si è preferita una spiegazione limitata ai dati essenziali, con esposizione prevalentemente iconografica come la materia richiede

Botanical memory: five centuries of floristic changes revealed by a Renaissance herbarium (Ulisse Aldrovandi, 1551-1586)

We analysed the spatially explicit floristic information available in the herbarium of Ulisse Aldrovandi (1551-1586) to track floristic changes in the surroundings of Bologna across five centuries. Aldrovandi's data were compared with the Flora della Provincia di Bologna by Girolamo Cocconi (1883) and the Floristic Database of Emilia-Romagna (1965-2021). We explored potential variations in native range and life forms composition, and habitat affinity of the species in the three floras, also contrasting between native and alien species. Native species, mainly in terms of variations of hydro-hygrophytes, chamaephytes and therophytes, provide clear signals of human disturbance and habitat loss. Signals of climate change are provided by the high-mountain species, that were comparably rare between Aldrovandi and current flora and more represented in Cocconi, probably reflecting the effect of the Little Ice Age. Our findings also indicate the increasing importance of alien species from the Renaissance onwards. In this perspective, Aldrovandi's herbarium preserves the memory of the first signs of a radical transformation of the European flora and habitats. Finally, the study warns about the risk of dismissing herbaria and herbarium specimens collection, which would cause irreparable lacunas in our botanical memory, hindering our ability to predict biodiversity trajectories

L’erbario di Ulisse Aldrovandi: attualità di una collezione rinascimentale di piante secche

Essiccare le piante per scopo di studio, confronto e scambio fra studiosi era divenuto una prassi dalla prima metà del XVI secolo grazie all’opera di Luca Ghini, fondatore degli orti botanici di Pisa e Firenze. Fra i pochi erbari rinascimentali oggi conosciuti, quello di Ulisse Aldrovandi occupa un posto di primo piano per quantità e varietà dei campioni, giacché proprio in esso si trova una delle primissime testimonianze a livello continentale – se non la prima in assoluto – di molte specie d’uso corrente in Europa, introdotte dal Nuovo Mondo, così come di varie altre oggi protette perché assai rare o a rischio d’estinzione. Nel presente contributo s’illustrano alcune specie contenute in questo erbario, scegliendole fra le più notevoli per ragioni storiche, geografiche e scientifiche.Drying plant specimens for the purposes of study, comparison, and exchange among scholars in the first half of the 16th century is a practice owed largely to the works of Luca Ghini, the founder of the botanical gardens in Pisa and Florence. Among the few Renaissance herbaria known today, that of Ulisse Aldrovandi is the most prominent in terms of quantity and variety of specimens. Indeed, it is within this work that one encounters one of the first specimens in continental Europe – if not the very first – of species currently used in Europe, introduced from the New World, as well as a variety of other species that are now protected due to their rarity or risk of extinction. The present contribution illustrates some of the species contained in this herbarium and highlights a number of the most notable in terms of their historical, geographic, and scientific importance

Mechanical phenotyping of K562 cells by the Micropipette Aspiration Technique allows identifying mechanical changes induced by drugs

Mechanical properties of living cells can be used as reliable markers of their state, such as the presence of a pathological state or their differentiation phase. The mechanical behavior of cells depends on the organization of their cytoskeletal network and the main contribution typically comes from the actomyosin contractile system, in both suspended and adherent cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a pharmaceutical formulation (OTC - Ossitetraciclina liquida 20%) used as antibiotic, on the mechanical properties of K562 cells by using the Micropipette Aspiration Technique (MAT). This formulation has been shown to increase in a time dependent way the inflammation and toxicity in terms of apoptosis in in vitro experiments on K562 and other types of cells. Here we show that by measuring the mechanical properties of cells exposed to OTC for different incubation times, it is possible to infer modifications induced by the formulation to the actomyosin contractile system. We emphasize that this system is involved in the first stages of the apoptotic process where an increase of the cortical tension leads to the formation of blebs. We discuss the possible relation between the observed mechanical behavior of cells aspirated inside a micropipette and apoptosis

Spontaneous vascular flora of the historical monumental cemetery of Modena (N-Italy)

The first floristic study of the historical monumental cemetery of San Cataldo in Modena (N-Italy) is presented. The research was performed in the period 2019–2022, considering only spontaneous individuals growing within the historical area (4.8 ha). A total of 266 taxa (species and subspecies) was found, of which 1 new for the flora of Italy (Malus × robusta ‘John Downie’), 2 new for the administrative region of Emilia-Romagna (Calocedrus decurrens and Salvia haematodes) and 1 new for the province of Modena (Epilobium ciliatum). Therophytes prevail (37.6%), followed by hemicryptophytes (31.6%), phanerophytes (16.2%) and geophytes (11.7%). The chorological spectrum is dominated by Eurasian species (32.0%), followed by Mediterranean (26.3%), Cosmopolitan (24.8%), Boreal (6%) and N-American (4.5%) ones. Allochthonous species are 16.5% of the list, with neophytes always prevailing over archaeophytes (28 vs. 9 species). Invasive species are 67.8% of the neophytes; on a regional scale they are 1.5% of the list. Protected species are 2.6% of the total; 3 of them are internationally protected and 2 are included in the red list of Italian flora. This study confirms the great biological richness of urban environments and the potential of historical cemeteries as a refugium for the conservation of species that have become rare, endangered or infrequent at a regional or national level, because of the heavy human impact on the territory