Un estudio sobre la paloma doméstica Columba livia var. en la ciudad de Jena, Alemania

Se estudió una población de palomas domésticas, Columba livia var. en la ciudad de Jena, Alemania, entre julio y diciembre de 2007, mediante censos diarios en diez transectos de un sector de la ciudad, cinco en áreas urbanas y cinco en áreas suburbanas. La densidad poblacional de palomas en las zonas urbanas resultó mayor que en las zonas suburbanas, aunque no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre ambas áreas. Las actividades de comportamiento registradas por las palomas fueron de descanso, de mantenimiento del plumaje, de vuelo, alimentación, baños de sol y elección de lugares donde posarse. Las actividades se producen en lugares como tejados altos y aleros de edificios en zonas urbanas y tejados y aleros de balcones en zonas suburbanas. El fenotipo de plumaje más abundante para ambas áreas durante el periodo del censo fue Blue bar. Palabras clave: Columba livia var., paloma doméstica, aves urbanas, Jena, Alemania.A population of feral pigeons, Columba livia var. was conducted in the city of Jena, Germany, from July to December 2007. Daily censuses were conducted by walking ten transects in a selected area of the city, five transects in built up areas and five in the suburbs. Pigeon population density was higher in urban areas than in suburbs but differences were not significant. Main behavioural activities recorded were resting, preening, flying, eating, sunning and roosting. Regular locations of activities were rooftops and roof edges in urban areas, and rooftops, eaves on balconies in suburban areas. The plumage phenotype most frequently recorded in both areas was Blue bar. Key words: Columba livia var., Feral pigeons, Urban birds, Jena city, Germany.Se estudió una población de palomas domésticas, Columba livia var. en la ciudad de Jena, Alemania, entre julio y diciembre de 2007, mediante censos diarios en diez transectos de un sector de la ciudad, cinco en áreas urbanas y cinco en áreas suburbanas. La densidad poblacional de palomas en las zonas urbanas resultó mayor que en las zonas suburbanas, aunque no se encontraron diferencias significativas entre ambas áreas. Las actividades de comportamiento registradas por las palomas fueron de descanso, de mantenimiento del plumaje, de vuelo, alimentación, baños de sol y elección de lugares donde posarse. Las actividades se producen en lugares como tejados altos y aleros de edificios en zonas urbanas y tejados y aleros de balcones en zonas suburbanas. El fenotipo de plumaje más abundante para ambas áreas durante el periodo del censo fue Blue bar. Palabras clave: Columba livia var., paloma doméstica, aves urbanas, Jena, Alemania

Role of CaCO3° neutral pair in calcium carbonate crystallization

The molecular structure of the units that get incorporated into the nuclei of the crystalline phase and sustain their growth is a fundamental issue in the pathway from a supersaturated solution to the formation of crystals. Using a fluorescent dye we have recorded the variation of the pH value in time along a gel where CaCl2 and NaHCO3 counter-diffuse to crystallize CaCO3. The same pH–space–time distribution maps were also computationally obtained using a chemical speciation code (phreeqc). Using data arising from this model we investigated the space-time evolution of the activity of the single species (ions and ion pairs) involved in the crystallization process. Our combined results suggest that, whatever the pathway from solution to crystals, the neutral pair CaCO3° is a key species in the CaCO3 precipitation system.European Research Council (European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) grant agreement no 340863, and Spanish MINECO grants MAT2014-60533-R and CGL2010-16882 cofounded with FEDERPeer reviewe

Effect of Size, Shape and Surface Functionalization on the Antibacterial Activity of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most investigated antibacterial agents against multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens. They can lead to cellular death by means of different mechanisms, damaging several cell compartments, from the external membrane, to enzymes, DNA and proteins; this simultaneous attack amplifies the toxic effect on bacteria with respect to traditional antibiotics. The effectiveness of AgNPs against MDR bacteria is strongly correlated with their chemical and morphological properties, which influence the pathways involved in cellular damage. In this review, AgNPs’ size, shape and modification by functional groups or other materials are reported, both to investigate the different synthetic pathways correlated with nanoparticles’ modifications and to evaluate the related effect on their antibacterial activity. Indeed, understanding the synthetic conditions for obtaining performing antibacterial AgNPs could help to tailor new and improved silver-based agents to combat multidrug resistance

Recent Applications of Melanin-like Nanoparticles as Antioxidant Agents

Nanosized antioxidants are highly advantageous in terms of versatility and pharmacokinetics, with respect to conventional molecular ones. Melanin-like materials, artificial species inspired by natural melanin, combine recognized antioxidant (AOX) activity with a unique versatility of preparation and modification. Due to this versatility and documented biocompatibility, artificial melanin has been incorporated into a variety of nanoparticles (NP) in order to give new platforms for nanomedicine with enhanced AOX activity. In this review article, we first discuss the chemical mechanisms behind the AOX activity of materials in the context of the inhibition of the radical chain reaction responsible for the peroxidation of biomolecules. We also focus briefly on the AOX properties of melanin-like NP, considering the effect of parameters such as size, preparation methods and surface functionalization on them. Then, we consider the most recent and relevant applications of AOX melanin-like NPs that are able to counteract ferroptosis and be involved in the treatment of important diseases that affect, e.g., the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the kidneys, liver and articulations. A specific section will be dedicated to cancer treatment, since the role of melanin in this context is still very debated. Finally, we propose future strategies in AOX development for a better chemical understanding of melanin-like materials. In particular, the composition and structure of these materials are still debated, and they present a high level of variability. Thus, a better understanding of the mechanism behind the interaction of melanin-like nanostructures with different radicals and highly reactive species would be highly advantageous for the design of more effective and specific AOX nano-agents

Teaching Story without Struggle: Using Graded Readers and Their Audio Packs in the EFL Classroom

In recent years the support for extensive reading (ER) in English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) programs has been compelling. When practicing extensive reading, the learner reads a wide variety of texts for pleasure and achieves a general understanding of the content while deciphering unknown words through context. This approach contrasts with intensive reading, a more traditional approach based on a slow, careful reading of a text, with goals of complete comprehension and the identification of specific details and information

Photoluminescence-Based Techniques for the Detection of Micro- and Nanoplastics

The growing numbers related to plastic pollution are impressive, with ca. 70 % of produced plastic (>350 tonnes/year) being indiscriminately wasted in the environment. The most dangerous forms of plastic pollution for biota and human health are micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs), which are ubiquitous and more bioavailable. Their elimination is extremely difficult, but the first challenge is their detection since existing protocols are unsatisfactory for microplastics and mostly absent for nanoplastics. After a discussion of the state of the art for MNPs detection, we specifically revise the techniques based on photoluminescence that represent very promising solutions for this problem. In this context, Nile Red staining is the most used strategy and we show here its pros and limitations, but we also discuss other more recent approaches, such as the use of fluorogenic probes based on perylene-bisimide and on fluorogenic hyaluronan nanogels, with the added values of biocompatibility and water solubility

Are psychological status and trust in information related to vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19 pandemic? A latent class and mediation analyses in Italy

Despite the recognized benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine hesitancy (VH) remains one of the biggest challenges of the mass vaccination campaign. Most studies investigating VH determinants focused on socio-demographics and direct relationships. In this study, we aimed at: 1) identifying subgroups of people differently affected by the pandemic, in terms of psychological status; 2) investigating the role of psychological status and trust in information as possible mediators of the relationship between individual characteristics and VH. To this purpose, a latent class analysis (LCA) followed by a mediation analysis were carried out on data from a survey conducted in January 2021 on 1011 Italian citizens. LCA identified four different subgroups characterized by a differential psychological impact of the pandemic: the extremely affected (21.1%), the highly affected (49.1%), the moderately affected (21.8%) and the slightly affected (8%). We found that VH decreased with the increase of psychological impact (from 59.3% to 23.9%). In the mediation analysis, past vaccination refusal, age 45-54 years and lower-than-average income, were all indirectly related to higher VH through mistrust in COVID-19 information. Differently, the psychological impact counteracted the greater VH in females, the negative effect of social media among youngest (<35 years) and the negative effect of mistrust in the lower-than-average-income subgroup. Knowledge of psychological profile of hesitant individuals, their level of trust and the sources of information they access, together with their sociodemographic characteristics provides a more comprehensive picture of VH determinants that can be used by public health stakeholders to effectively design and adapt communication campaigns

Seed storage conditions change the germination pattern of clonal growth plants in Mediterranean salt marshes.

8 páginas, 4 tablas, 8 figuras.The effect of salinity level and extended exposure to different salinity and flooding conditions on germination patterns of three saltmarsh clonal growth plants (Juncus subulatus, Scirpus litoralis, and S. maritimus) was studied. Seed exposure to extended flooding and saline conditions significantly affected the outcome of the germination process in a different, though predictable, way for each species, after favorable conditions for germination were restored. Tolerance of the germination process was related to the average salinity level measured during the growth/germination season at sites where established individuals of each species dominated the species cover. No relationship was found between salinity tolerance of the germination process and seed response to extended exposure to flooding and salinity conditions. The salinity response was significantly related to the conditions prevailing in the habitats of the respective species during the unfavorable (nongrowth/nongermination) season. Our results indicate that changes in salinity and hydrology while seeds are dormant affect the outcome of the seed-bank response, even when conditions at germination are identical. Because these environmental-history-dependent responses differentially affect seed germination, seedling density, and probably sexual recruitment in the studied and related species, these influences should be considered for wetland restoration and managementFinancial support from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (MMA, project 05/99) and the Junta de Andalucía (research group 4086)enabled us to carry out the present work.Peer reviewe