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Simple Summary: African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease of domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) that is caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where 24 genotypes of the virus have been reported. Between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, genotype I ASFV emerged in Europe, including Italy. In June 2007, a second ASF epidemic wave caused by genotype II was registered, involving several European and extra-European countries, including Italy in 2022. The present paper aims to provide the state of the art of ASF in Italy, describing the course of ASF in wild boars and domestic pigs as an example of multiple concurring different scenarios. Sardinia is coping with the last phase of the eradication of the disease by applying the exit strategy. Conversely, four clusters of infection located in North, Central, and South Italy are still ongoing. The unique and complex Italian experience in ASF-controlling may be useful to increase know-how on the efficacy of strategies and measures, as well as issues that could be further improved. African swine fever (ASF) is a severe viral disease of domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV). ASF is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where 24 genotypes of the virus have been reported. Between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, genotype I ASFV emerged in Europe, including Italy. In June 2007, a second ASF epidemic wave caused by genotype II was registered, involving several European and extra-European countries, including Italy in 2022. The present paper aims to provide the state of the art of ASF in Italy, describing the course of ASF in wild boars and domestic pigs as an example of multiple concurring different scenarios. Sardinia is coping with the last phase of the eradication of the disease by applying the exit strategy. Conversely, four clusters of infection located in North, Central, and South Italy are still ongoing. The unique and complex Italian experience in ASF-controlling may be useful to increase know-how on the efficacy of strategies and measures, as well as issues that could be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper explores the pre-mating reproductive barriers in a group of leafhopper species living vicariously in the Palaearctic region by producing hybrid zones and compares them with a closely related species of the same genus living in sympatry with some of the species of the investigated group. The results confirm the usefulness of a cheap, though neglected, methodology for recording substrate-borne vibrations and concern the basic clues that separate these species during their mating; i.e., which of the parameters of the substrate-borne vibrations they produce for calling the opposite sex and courting once the two sexes meet are necessary as pre-mating reproductive barriers. The basic behavioural isolation mechanisms are the pulse period of the female call and the main part of the courtship ritual performed by the male. An excursus into the existing literature on leafhopper bioacoustics and reproductive behaviour is undertaken to point out common aspects, propose explanations of biological phenomena—including the formation of hybrid zones, which led, in the past, to the description of several fictitious new species throughout the Palaearctic—and place the grounds for further research on pre-mating and post-mating reproductive barriers. The vibrational communication and mating behaviour of the graminicolous leafhoppers Zyginidia pullula, Z. ribauti, Z. scutellaris, Z. serpentina, Z. sohrab, and Z. biroi were investigated to explain why the first five species hybridize. Z. biroi was used as a control species. All species behaved in the same way and no significant statistical differences were detected with regard to male calls, while female calls and the male courtship song differed in Z. biroi, thus showing that a specific pre-mating isolation mechanism was used by the latter species and the first five ones lacked such a mechanism. In addition, Z. sohrab is missing in Italy, while the other species live allopatrically in Italy, with the only exceptions being Z. serpentina and Z. biroi, which live in Sicily and are often found in sympatry, and Z. scutellaris and Z. biroi, which live in Sardinia. All these species can be distinguished by means of male genital appendages; however, Z. biroi is longer and has a different body colour. The existence of natural hybrids of Z. pullula, Z. ribauti, and Z. scutellaris in the Italian peninsula and their hybridization in the laboratory with Z. serpentina and Z. sohrab require the investigation of possible post-mating reproductive barriers before re-considering their systematic validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian peninsula offers an excellent case study within which to investigate long-term regional demographic trends and their response to climate fluctuations, especially given its diverse landscapes, latitudinal range and varied elevations. In the past two decades, summed probability distributions of calibrated radiocarbon dates have become an important method for inferring population dynamics in prehistory. Recent advances in this approach also allow for statistical assessment of spatio-temporal patterning in demographic trends. In this paper we reconstruct population change for the whole Italian peninsula from the Late Mesolithic to the Early Iron Age (10,000–2800 cal yr BP). How did population patterns vary across time and space? Were fluctuations in human population related to climate change? In order to answer these questions, we have collated a large list of published radiocarbon dates (n = 4010) and use this list firstly to infer the demographic trends for the Italian peninsula as a whole, before addressing each of five sub-regions in turn (northern, central, and southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia). We also compare population fluctuations with local paleoclimate proxies (cave, lake, marine records). At a pan-regional scale, the results show a general rapid and substantial increase in population in the Early Neolithic with the introduction of farming at around 8000 cal yr BP and further dramatic increases during the Bronze and Iron Age (~ 3800–2800 cal yr BP). However, different regional demographic trajectories exist across different regions of Italy, suggesting a variety of localised human responses to climate shifts. Population and climate appear to have been more closely correlated during the early–mid Holocene (Mesolithic–Neolithic), while later in the Holocene (Bronze–Iron Ages) they decouple. Overall, across the Holocene the population dynamics varied by region and depended on the long-term socio-ecological dynamics prevailing in a given area. Finally, we include a brief response to the paper 'Radiocarbon dated trends and central Mediterranean prehistory' by Parkinson et al. (J Word Prehist 34(3), 2021)—synchronously published by Journal of World Prehistory but wholly independently developed—indicating how our conclusions accord with or differ from one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic emissions in thermal infrared bands are an important research topic on pre-earthquake studies. Satellite thermal data have been investigated by many independent research groups looking for their anomalous behaviour before main earthquake's occurrences. Among them, geosynchronous satellite data are reported as less prone to artefacts during data processing. In this work, the Night Thermal Gradient (NTG) algorithm is presented, which has been specifically proposed for geostationary thermal infrared data processing. NTG method relies on the exploitation of high temporal resolution data to find coherent low frequency components of a hypothetical precursory signal of seismic activity. In this paper, the method is presented by giving details about the applied procedures, steps, theoretical assumptions and results obtained during the studies of L'Aquila 2009 earthquake and the seismic activity of Central Italy and Sardinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil lagomorphs are very useful palaeogeographical indicators. In the last 15 years, several papers centered on fossil lagomorphs contributed to improve the Italian late Miocene–Quaternary palaeogeographical setting, solving palaeobiogeographical enigmas debated for decades, and providing new, challenging palaeogeographic data. The high number of endemic fossil lagomorphs of Italy is due in part to its complex tectonic history (insular endemisms), and in part to the semi-isolation and the physiography of the Peninsula (continental endemisms). In Italian lagomorphs, a direct causal relationship between dispersal and turnovers is not observed, except for the Toringian. Actually, species replacements are customarily due to archipelago effect (late Miocene), phyletic speciation (Pliocene of Sardinia and Italian mainland) or occur after the extinction of older congeneric species (early Pleistocene). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present contribution we focus on an overview of the Cenozoic crocodylians of Sardinia (Italy). Crocodylians from this Italian island have been published since the second half of the 19th Century and a number of papers reported on the presence of these vertebrates in 16 different localities. The remains, some of which apparently lost, are mainly represented by isolated teeth housed in historical collections of different museums (in Italy and The Netherlands) that in most cases have never been figured or described. We illustrate for the first time and provide brief descriptions of all crocodylian teeth collected in the island as well as of the still available holotype of Tomistoma calaritanum , the only crocodylian taxon established on material from Sardinia. In addition, we report crocodylian remains from two new localities, one of which testifies the presence of these vertebrates already in the Eocene record of the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Monte Sa Idda type swords belong to a well characterized typological class, whose origin has long been debated and seems to coincide with the Iberian Peninsula. The name comes from the site of the first discovery of a hoard containing this type of swords, among other bronze artefacts, namely Monte Sa Idda, Decimoputzu-Cagliari, Italy. The swords were produced through fusion inside a casting mould. Such kind of casting mould has not been found in Sardinia, and this may suggests that finished objects were either imported or made using clay or sand casting mould. Moreover, the discovery of these types of sword, in hoards and in votive deposits, raises the problem of their functional use. It is unknown if the blades were intended to be used as weapons, and therefore subjected to cold working necessary for thinning and sharpening of the blade, or as ceremonial objects. In order to answer to these questions, a neutron diffraction experiment was performed on three swords belonging to the Monte Sa Idda type. The results obtained are presented and discussed in the paper. Highlights • Determination of the manufacturing technique of some “Sa Idda” swords • New data on their provenience • Determination of: alloy composition, dendritic segregation, mineralization phase [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the results of a study aimed at charting the spread and development of the mathematical sciences in Sardinia over the period from 1720, the year in which the island was awarded to the Savoy dynasty following the Treaty of The Hague, to 1848, the year in which King Charles Albert of Sardinia placed Sardinia on a level political and administrative footing with the Kingdom's mainland territory. In particular, the paper analyses the role played in the transmission and spread of mathematics by the Savoy educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The limited availability of prevalence data based on a representative sample of the general population, and the limited number of diseases considered in studies about co-morbidity are the critical factors in study of autoimmune diseases. This paper describes the prevalence of 12 autoimmune diseases in a representative sample of the general population in the South of Sardinia, Italy, and tests the hypothesis of an overall association among these diseases. Methods: Data were obtained from 21 GPs. The sample included 25,885 people. Prevalence data were expressed with 95% Poisson C.I. The hypothesis of an overall association between autoimmune diseases was tested by evaluating the cooccurrence within individuals. Results: Prevalence per 100,000 are: 552 rheumatoid arthritis, 124 ulcerative colitis, 15 Crohn's disease, 464 type 1 diabetes, 81 systemic lupus erythematosus, 124 celiac disease, 35 myasthenia gravis, 939 psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, 35 systemic sclerosis, 224 multiple sclerosis, 31 Sjogren's syndrome, and 2,619 autoimmune thyroiditis . An overall association between autoimmune disorders was highlighted. Conclusions: The comparisons with prevalence reported in current literature do not show outlier values, except possibly for a few diseases like celiac disease and myasthenia gravis. People already affected by a first autoimmune disease have a higher probability of being affected by a second autoimmune disorder. In the present study, the sample size, together with the low overall prevalence of autoimmune diseases in the population, did not allow us to examine which diseases are most frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases. However, this paper makes available an adequate control population for future clinical studies aimed at exploring the co-morbidity of specific pairs of autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper it was developed and tested a hydrologically based, spatially distributed crop yield model for the purpose of modeling pasture dynamics within theMediterranean environment of Marghine Goceano, in Sardinia region, Italy. The model uses daily information of weather drivers given by temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation, and provides daily spatially distributed estimates of soil water content, runoff, and pasture growth, including leaf area index (LAI) and biomass. Pasture grass growth for 6 years (2001-2006) was simulated, and yearly average biomass yield (t ha-1) was compared against ground-based and satellite-based estimates from previous studies, finding acceptable model performance. Intraseasonal biomass dynamics was evaluated during year 2004 and compared against pointwise ground measures from former studies, with acceptable results. The spatially distributed leaf area index maps were compared against their satellite-derived counterparts (9.3-km pixel size, 2005-2006), available on a biweekly basis. The pasture model provides acceptable performance in depicting daily, spatially distributed dynamics of pasture grass, and may be useful when tackling a number of issues, including, e.g., (1) assessment of pasture (and fodder) productivity under current climate and management, (2) short-term to medium-term forecast of pasture yield for seasonal herding, and (3) modified pasture conditions under prospective climate change using climate forcing from general circulation models and other climate models. Future developments may regard inclusion of nutrient dynamics and study of (over)grazing effect upon pasture dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carobene, L., 2015. Marine notches and sea-cave bioerosional grooves in microtidal areas: Examples from the Tyrrhenian and Ligurian coasts-Italy. Modern and ancient marine notches are present along the cliffs and inside the sea caves of the Gulf of Orosei in Sardinia, the Gulf of Gaeta in Lazio, and in Western Liguria. A morphological quantitative study was undertaken to define the shape and size of notches and their altimetric correlation with the sea-level highstands that created them. The geometrical aspects of the notches along cliffs and the relationship between the mean sea level and the shape of the notch have allowed us to deduce that the main erosion process giving rise to the marine notches is wave action. Conversely, the bioerosive process is the most important cause leading to notch formation inside sea caves. These two types of notch differ in terms of their shape and size and while the former mainly develops above mean sea level, the latter extends below the mean high tide level. For the latter, we have proposed the term 'sea-cave bioerosional groove.' The identification of the ancient grooves in the caves studied has provided a contribution to the understanding of the interglacial eustatic peak MIS 5.5. In the submarine part of limestone cliffs, the process of bioerosion attributable to marine borers has also been documented. This brings about the formation of underwater notches similar to the bioerosional grooves encountered in the caves. Analyses of the shape of marine notches have led to the identification of three stages of development, which in this paper are called 'embryonic notch,' 'complete notch,' and 'mature notch.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, bad practices in municipal and industrial waste management have had negative environmental impacts, generating high health risks for people and the environment. The use of badly designed, not engineered, and not well-operated landfills has, around the world, produced a large number of potentially contaminated sites, for which there are urgent needs to assess the actual risk and to proceed, in case, with reclamation activities. One of these sites, an abandoned waste disposal site located near a Site of Community Importance on the central-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy), is the subject of the case history described in this work. As a part of a multi-method geophysical characterisation, a frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) mapping survey was carried out with the specific aim of detecting the presence of buried materials (waste) and of delineating the lateral extent of the landfill by identifying the electrical conductivity anomalies produced, for the most part, by the conductive waste fill. Using an EM31 device in the vertical-dipole configuration, at a height of 0.9 m above the ground, both quadrature and in-phase electromagnetic responses were collected over a 7-hectare area with elevation varying between 6 m and 2.8 m above sea level. After removing the measurements identified as data coming from any recognisable surface man-made features within the survey area or near its perimeter, the filtered quadrature response (expressed as apparent conductivity) ranged from 5.5 mS/m to about 188.6 mS/m. All values are beyond the low induction number (LIN) condition and valid for the classical EM31 mapping, thus requiring advanced data processing. To obtain undistorted, meaningful, and interpretable high-resolution maps, measured data have been processed to correct the bias, introduced by the nonlinearity of the device, as a function of height above ground and the topography. The comparative analysis of the apparent conductivity map, obtained by the properly processed EM31 data and some aerial photos that clearly documented the site history, has allowed unequivocal delineation of the landfill extent, in good agreement with the results obtained with other geophysical methods (not described in this paper) and with the ground truthing data provided by three boreholes, which were core-drilled at the end of the study at three locations selected on the basis of the apparent conductivity map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of city-country relationships in the classical world has long been a widely recognized field of research. While recent studies tend to reconsider the well-established traditional town-centric approach and new perspectives emphasize the agrarian dimension of towns, little attention has been devoted to the distinctive materiality of rural and urban life. The main focus of this paper falls on comparative patterns of consumption of and specific material culture used by, communities inhabiting larger settlements as opposed to those distinctive households at smaller rural sites. By focusing on ceramic material assemblages from a range of excavated and surveyed sites dating to the Punic and Republican period on the island of Sardinia, I explore the urban-rural divide and use portable material culture as evidence of consumption and daily activities carried out at urban and rural sites. Based on these data, I emphasize the wide diversification within the rural world and the long-term development of larger settlements through the lens of ceramic material culture in use. I suggest that the detailed study of ceramic assemblages may shed new light on human activities and the distinctive ways of life in urban and rural contexts; I also propose that the availability of a wider range of goods and more sophisticated patterns of consumption are specific attributes of urban life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has explored patients' propensity to consume private healthcare services. We based our analysis on the typical tangible and intangible (for instance, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and staff empathy) domains of the SERVQUAL and SERVPERF methods. These variables may influence patients' decision-making when they choose between the public and private sectors. We combined factor analysis (to obtain a set of latent factors related to perceived quality) and a partial proportional ordered logit model to estimate the probability that a patient would access private healthcare services. To test the main hypotheses, we used data from a stratified sample in Sardinia, a peripheral region of Italy. Findings revealed that private and public healthcare are substitutes, especially for primary/specialised services. Patients who used public healthcare frequently and had a low income were unlikely to change to private healthcare or to recommend private services. 'Responsiveness' and perceptions on 'tangibles' were key in determining the probability that a patient would choose and recommend private services. This paper offers a multifaceted framework that can be used in future research to generalise these findings, especially in insular regions that are constrained by mobility. • The propensity to consume private healthcare services is explored. • The model accounts for socio-economic feature and latent variables. • SERVQUAL & SERVPERF domains: tangible elements, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy. • New evidence: substitution effects between private and public healthcare services exist. • Patients' choice strongly depend on awareness about their own health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat mapping plays a key role in the management and conservation of natural systems. In protected areas, where sustainable development is always subordinate to conservation efforts, maps are largely used to represent habitats, development pressures, tourist facilities or legal restrictions such as the zoning of a protected area. Some authors have recently developed a methodology that allows the production of a set of maps for the management of marine protected areas. In this paper, we present the application of this methodology to the case study of the marine protected area ‘Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: From January to December 2008, 265 horses slaughtered in Sardinia (Italy) were examined for the presence of Rhinoestrus spp. (Diptera: Oestridae) through the examination of the nasal cavities and pharynges. Larvae were detected in 49% of the horses, with a mean intensity of infestation of 16.09 and abundance of 7.95. A total of 2108 larvae were collected, 66% of which were classified in first instar (L1), 22% in second instar (L2) and 12% in third instar (L3). The most frequent localization of larvae was the ethmoid, while the less one the larynx. According to the dynamics of Rhinoestrus larval stages, three periods in the chronobiology can be considered, the diapause (September–February) characterized by an absolute prevalence of first larval stage; the active phase of the endogenous phase (February–September) with an increase in the percentages of L2 and L3, and the exit phase (May–September), pointed by a further increase of L1. Morphological examination of L3 larvae revealed the presence of the Rhinoestrus purpureus features in 8% of the examined larvae, of 8% of the Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus features, while in 84% of the larvae were evidenced intermediate features. Contrastingly biomolecular analysis of the COI gene of the larvae evidenced uniformity at genetic level, confirming the presence of a unique species in the Mediterranean area. The results of the present paper, reveal the wide diffusion of rhinoestrosis among Sardinian horses, and suggest the need for applying appropriate control measures. Chemotherapy should be very useful if administered during the diapause period, for reducing the presence of L1 stages and interrupting thus the life cycle of this myiasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pinna nobilis is the largest endemic bivalve of the Mediterranean Sea, declared protected since 1992. Although hydrodynamic stress induced by waves is known to influence density, size and orientation of P. nobilis, the effect of other hydrological features is unknown. This paper considers a P. nobilis population living within a Posidonia oceanica meadow in the Gulf of Oristano (Sardinia, Italy). We hypothesize that spatial differences in density and orientation of P. nobilis may be related to significant wave height (HS), wave direction (DW), bottom current direction (DBC) and bottom current speed (SBC). A population of P. nobilis was investigated at different sites and its distribution was correlated to hydrodynamics by means of a numerical modeling approach. The spatial distribution was patchy, with a density of 0.06–6.7ind.100m−2. A non-uniform distribution of shell orientations (OS) was demonstrated in 4 sites out of 6. DBC and SBC were the main factors affecting OS, while waves had little influence. A SBC of 0.07ms−1 appears to be the threshold for inducing specimen directionality with shells aligned to the current and the ventral side exposed to the flow. This suggests that feeding strategy is a key factor in determining OS, in addition to drag minimization. We also highlighted the role of adjacent lagoons in supporting high densities as a result of high food availability. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of modeling techniques in explaining the spatial distribution pattern of P. nobilis and in contributing to our knowledge of its ecological traits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently practitioners are approaching spatial and environmental planning by adopting methods and tools drawn from Complexity Science. The strength of these methods is not only apparent in their systemic coherence but also in their capacity to consider a variety of components as a whole system. Given this background, the aim of this paper is to apply a methodology, tested for the Italian insular region of Sardinia, to an analysis of commuter accessibility in the United States through an indicator-based strategy. Spatial measures are applied to study the level of accessibility for commuters at the county level. The analysis provides us with an assessment of the accessibility for U.S. commuters and allows for the consideration of spatial planning objectives for U.S. counties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explores the genetic structure and signatures of natural selection in different sub-populations from the Island of Sardinia, exploiting information from nearly 700 000 autosomal SNPs genotyped with the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP 6.0 Array. The genetic structure of the Sardinian population and its position within the context of other Mediterranean and European human groups were investigated in depth by comparing our data with publicly available data sets. Principal components and admixture analyses suggest a clustering of the examined samples in two significantly differentiated sub-populations (Ogliastra and Southern Sardinia), as confirmed by AMOVA (FST=0.011; P<0.001). Differentiation of these sub-populations was still evident when they were pooled together with supplementary Sardinian samples from HGDP and compared with several other European, North-African and Near Eastern populations, confirming the uniqueness of the Sardinian genetic background. Moreover, by applying several statistical approaches aimed at assessing differences at the SNP level, the highest differentiated genomic regions between Ogliastra and Southern Sardinia were thus investigated via an extended haplotype homozygosity (EHH)-based test to point out potential selective sweeps. Using this approach, 40 genomic regions were detected, with significant differences between Ogliastra and Southern Sardinia. These regions were subsequently investigated using a long-range haplotype test, which found significant REHH values for SNPs rs11070188 and rs11070192 in the Ogliastra sub-population. In the light of these results and the overlap of the different computed statistics, the region encompassing these loci can be considered a strong candidate to have undergone selective pressure in Ogliastra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an overview of the main Pennsylvanian sites in Italy yielding associations rich in plants and/or palynomorphs. So far in Italy, the principal outcrops are located in the Southern Alps, Tuscany and Sardinia. In the Western Southern Alps and bordering Switzerland, Westphalian outcrops are small and scattered. Nevertheless, one of them yielded an abundant fossil flora, stored at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Milan, (Venzo and Maglia Collection). In the Carnic Alps, (Eastern Southern Alps), continental deposits of Moscovian to Gzhelian age also occur near the border with Austria. They have produced a high number of preserved plant fossils, presently stored in the Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale of Udine. In Tuscany, the two main sections yielding Westphalian to Autunian floras are those of the Iano and Pisani Mountains. A rich collection of plant fossils from those sites is hosted at the Museo di Storia Naturale of Florence University and at the Museum of Natural History of Pisa University. In Sardinia, plant fossil sites are located in the south west and central east parts of the island. The San Giorgio Basin (Iglesiente subregion) and the Tuppa Niedda section (Arburese subregion) are late Westphalian-early Stephanian in age. In the Barbagia at Seui-Seulo and the Gerrei subregions, other continental basins yielded transitional "Stephanian-Autunian" fossil plant associations. The slabs are stored as part of the Lovisato Collection at the Lovisato Museum of the Chemical and Geoscience Department of Cagliari University. Smaller historical outcrops of Carboniferous age are also known from other Italian regions, such as Liguria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper assesses the potential impact on air fares as a result of removing Public Service Obligations (PSOs) that have been imposed on air services between the island of Sardinia and selected cities on the Italian Mainland. Results show that removing conditions and restrictions set by the PSO would result in higher fares and reduced fare stability. There are also likely to be traffic mix substitution effects with a greater proportion of inbound tourists at the expense of the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFRs) market. Liberalisation is also expected to lead to higher load factors and reduced seating capacity in the summer months while lower load factors and reduced capacity/frequency would be expected in winter. These observations would be especially marked on routes between the Mainland and the Northern Sardinian airports of Olbia and Alghero. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hydrozincite [Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6] precipitation from Naracauli waters (SW Sardinia) is, among other things, promoted by a microbial community made up of a filamentous cyanobacterium (Scytonema sp.) and a microalgae (Chlorella sp.). Hydrozincite bioprecipitation is responsible for the natural removal of harmful metals, especially Zn, from the stream waters. Thus, hydrozincite could be used to attenuate metal pollution in mining waters. Information on environmental conditions which promote the biomineralization process is fundamental for the development of remediation strategies. This paper aims to investigate the variables controlling the biomineralization process, and seasonal variation of the hydrochemical factors that affect hydrozincite precipitation. Hydrozincite morphology varies depending on the environmental conditions. Specifically, changes were observed between samples collected in late spring and samples collected in summer, and among samples precipitated under different water flow conditions. According to field observations, correlated with speciation and equilibrium calculation, the maximum intensity in hydrozincite precipitation occurs in the late spring during rainy years. In these conditions, the hydraulic regime in the stream reaches stationary conditions, and saturation index values with respect to hydrozincite reach their highest values. Concomitantly, the Zn2+/ molar ratio reaches values close to 1, indicating that kinetic processes have a role on the hydrozincite biomineralization process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sardiniens Bronzefiguren (Bronzetti) und Steinskulpturen der Spätbronze- und frühen Eisenzeit gehören zu den wichtigsten archäologischen Zeugnissen der Insel und den beeindruckendsten Bildwerken der westeuropäischen Vorgeschichte. Sie stellen die Forschung noch immer vor Probleme, Chronologie und Bedeutung der Bilder werden kontrovers diskutiert. Dieser Beitrag behandelt die Ikonografie der Bronzefigurinen und -miniaturen mit ihren Archetypen. Die zwei großen, klar unterscheidbaren Stilgruppen der Bronzetti werden auf Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten untersucht. Die Identifikation von Werkstattgruppen und Künstlern spielt eine wichtige Rolle für das Verständnis der Chronologie. Die mögliche Funktion der Figuren an deren wichtigsten Fundstätten, den sardischen Heiligtümern, wird ebenfalls erläutert. Da Sardinien in ein weit gespanntes Netz von Seerouten zwischen Ost und West eingebunden war, muss auch die Ikonografie in einen größeren, mediterranen Kontext gesetzt werden. Dazu werden Vergleiche mit Bildwerken der wichtigsten Kontaktregionen gesucht, die durch den Güter- und Ideenaustausch der Spätbronze- und Früheisenzeit eng mit der Insel verbunden waren. Dies liefert, vor allem durch überregional anzutreffende Archetypen, weitere Hinweise auf Bedeutung, Funktion und Chronologie der Bilder. Zahlreiche Innovationen und politische Veränderungen prägten das Kulturgefüge des Mittelmeerraumes ab ca. 1200 v. Chr. Der phönizische Handel ab ca. 800 v. Chr. hat wiederum neue Entwicklungen im Westen zur Folge, und auch die Ikonografie wandelt sich deutlich. Unter diesen Gesichtspunkten werden Hypothesen zur religiösen, politischen und sozialen Bedeutung der Bildwerke sowie deren Entstehung im Kontext von Kulturkontakten wie * This paper has been written as an initial contribution to the project 'Pictorial art and social change in the Western Mediterranean from the LBA to the EIA (c. 1200-500 BC)' at the Universität Freiburg, Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Abteilung Urgeschichtliche Archäologie, funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), No. HU 974/7-1. Migration, Kolonisierung und Fernhandel betrachtet. Dabei spielt das Verhältnis von staatlich organisierten Gesellschaften zu nicht-staatlichen eine besondere Rolle. Sardinian bronze figurines ('bronzetti') and stone sculptures of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age are among the most important archaeological evidence of the island and the most impressive pictorial representations of West European prehistory. Despite this, however, their meaning and chronology are not fully understood and continue to be a matter of debate. The article examines the iconography of the bronze figurines and miniatures with their archetypes. The two large, clearly distinguishable stylistic groups of the bronzetti are analysed in terms of their differences and similarities. The identification of workshops and artists plays an important role in understanding the chronology. The possible function of the figurines at their most important find sites, the Sardinian sanctuaries, is also discussed. Sardinia was part of a wide network of sea routes between the East and the West, so the iconography has to be viewed in a larger, Mediterranean context. To this end, comparisons are made with pictorial art from the most important contact regions which had close connections with the island during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age through the exchange of goods and ideas. This gives further insight into the meaning, function and chronology of the images, especially by means of archetypes from other regions. Numerous innovations and political changes were characteristic of Mediterranean culture starting around 1200 BC. The Phoenician trade beginning around 800 BC led to new developments in the West, and the iconography changed markedly as well. Against this background, the article considers hypotheses on the religious, political and social significance of the pictorial representations and their origination in the context of culture contact, such as migration, colonisation and long-distance trade. The relationship of hierarchical societies and nonhierarchical ones plays a special role in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The edible sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus is commercially exploited in many European countries. In recent years, however, its stocks have shown a large reduction in several regions because of overfishing. This paper reports the effects of harvesting on P. lividus population structure in shallow rocky reefs from a central-western Mediterranean area where this activity is intensively practiced. Density, size (test diam), and biomass of sea urchin were assessed in October 2004 (just before the fishing season) and in May 2005 (immediately after the fishing season) at two locations where intense P. lividus harvest occurs and at two controls within an adjacent Marine Protected Area (MPA) where P. lividus harvest is prohibited. Density, size, and average biomass of P. lividus were significantly higher at the protected areas than at the exploited ones. In particular, large-sized specimens (test diam >5 cm) were notably less abundant at the fished locations; however, very similar results were detected for both the periods examined (i.e., before and after the fishing season), suggesting that effects of pressing activity of harvest through the past years may have produced effects much more evident than those attributable to the single fishing season. These results reveal the existence of a heavy-fishing impact on P. lividus in northwestern Sardinia and the urgent need of regulating its harvesting to prevent severe direct effects on its populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the area burned by single wildfires may range over many orders of magnitude, only a handful papers has explored the factors that contribute to drive fire ignitions into large burns. While in southern Europe most fire ignitions are of human origin, fire propagation is mostly influenced by weather conditions, topography and fuel type. In this framework, the phenological status of vegetation represents the primary driver influencing fuel availability and moisture content. Therefore, any investigation on fire behavior requires the capability of capturing spatio-temporal changes in coarse-scale vegetation phenology that are descriptive of changes in fuel conditions. The aim of this study is thus to apply a habitat suitability modelling tool originally developed in wildlife science for reconstructing the phenological niche of the ignition points of wildfires from remotely-sensed multitemporal NDVI profiles in Sardinia (Italy) in the period of 2000–2008. Overall, our findings indicate that wildfires occur preferentially in remotely-sensed phenological conditions that considerably differ from the mean phenological conditions in Sardinia. When compared to the entire set of ignition points (irrespective of the resulting fire size), ignitions resulting in burned areas larger than 20ha are preferentially associated to a longer and later fire season showing also marked preference for higher fuel loads. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sardinian populations of the snake Hemorrhois (= Coluber) hippocrepis are likely the most endangered populations of snakes in Italy. Major threats to survivorship are the anthropogenic habitat alteration and the extremely low population density, while nothing is known about the potential effects that climate change could exert on this species. The main goal of this paper is to provide helpful instruments for the short- and long-term conservation of H. hippocrepis in Sardinia. By means of an ecological modeling approach, we derived the Sardinian whip snake habitat suitability map, and we compared the potential range extent under present condition and future climatic scenarios. Results clearly show an alarming trend for H. hippocrepis conservation: changing climate conditions will cause a dramatic reduction on suitable surface since 2020, with a further collapse by 2050 (down to 11 km2). We also identified areas of species potential persistence up till 2050, where prospective management initiatives could have the greatest probability of success in this region. In particular, only one existing protected area will likely still keep suitable habitats for H. hippocrepis. Therefore, we suggest that very careful management of this relictual area should be implemented by now if we really want to save these exceedingly threatened snake populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of socioeconomic conditions on health and mortality between birth and adulthood within the Sardinian community of Alghero, based on data from civil registers and military conscription lists for the period 1866-1925. Socioeconomic status does prove to have a significant effect on chances of survival especially in infancy and late childhood, although no clear trend in mortality differentials by SES emerges for the period studied. The determining role of SES in creating differentials in health status in early adulthood is much more evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the dynamics of the commuting system of two insular regions of Italy, Sardinia and Sicily, inspected as complex networks. The authors refer to a 20-year time period and take into account three census data sets about the work and study-driven inter-municipal origin-destination movements of residential inhabitants in 1981, 1991 and 2001. Since it is likely that the number of municipalities (in this case, the vertices of the system) does not display sharp variations, the authors direct the study to the variation of the properties emerging through both a topological and a weighted network representation of commuting in the time periods indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Originally associated to arid regions, vulnerability to land degradation (LD) has rapidly spread in temperate areas, such as the Mediterranean basin. In this region LD increased in the last years due to worsening climate conditions, land-cover changes, soil erosion and anthropogenic pressures. Increasing land vulnerability is mutually linked with an increasing risk of disturbance propagation: the spatio-temporal distribution of areas with different degrees of LD determines different dynamic patterns of the disturbance; in turn, LD is strongly affected by the disturbance occurrence regime, which alters the status quality of a given territory. These considerations invite a comparison between vulnerability to LD and fire occurrence, since historically, in the Mediterranean areas, fire represents one of the main disturbance sources, which is mostly human-induced and with a strong seasonality pattern. Under certain conditions, LD may create conducive conditions for fire to thrive that in turn if repeated may alter the quality status of a landscape, setting the interested area into a LD-fire feedback dynamic. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between fire incidence and LD and their potential feedbacks in Sardinia during two reference periods, 1990 and 2000. Results indicated that in areas already affected by high LD vulnerability there is a sort of LD-fire spiralling connection that can be seen as a ‘mutual early-warning system’ with strong implications on fire prevention strategies and landscape quality status monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sardinia shows a clear lack of herpetological data due to an evident paucity of herpetological surveys. This gap of knowledge is worthy of attention, since Sardinia hosts a rich herpetofauna with a large proportion of endemic species, and distribution data are crucial for targeting conservation efforts. In this paper we provide new distribution data for Sardinian reptiles, with the aim of updating our knowledge on their specific distribution. Data were opportunistically recorded during ten years of field research in Sardinia, carried out in more than twenty campaigns from April 1999 to June 2009. All the eighteen reptile species belonging to the Sardinian fauna were recorded. A total amount of 293 faunistic data were collected from 178 different localities covering the entire study area. Within this dataset, 137 faunistic data fall outside known species' ranges as reported in the Atlas of Italian amphibians and reptiles. In conclusion, data presented here produced a remarkable increase of knowledge on Sardinian reptiles' distribution. Nevertheless, it should be evidenced that, notwithstanding the present updating, the knowledge of Sardinian reptiles' distribution is probably still far from being exhaustive. Thus, further investigations are strongly required for obtaining a complete picture and identifying conservation priorities in terms of isolated species/populations and areas of high diversity and endemicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses, estimates and forecasts tourism demand for the region of the Sardinia (Italy). Seasonal and non-seasonal unit root tests are employed on monthly data for the sample period from 1987 to 2002. Two approaches are implemented: a quantitative analysis (i.e. a standard dynamic OLS and a SARMA with interventions) and an experts' opinion qualitative approach. A full range of diagnostic tests is provided. An ex-ante forecasting exercise is run for the period between January and December 2003 and actual data are compared with the experts' expectations and the quantitative results. Overall, evidence is provided that an integrative forecasting approach leads to more accurate forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terra Nova, 22, 369–377, 2010 The emplacement of Variscan HT metamorphic rocks in Sardinia (Italy) occurred in a transpressive regime related to the oblique collision between Gondwana and Laurussia during the Early Visean ( c. 340 Ma)–Bashkirian ( c. 320 Ma). The restored directions of the main structural features in NE Sardinia allow us to infer a NE–SW-oriented direction of shortening during this time, as has been established for the French Massif Central and the Maures-Tanneron Massif, which could lead to the exhumation of HT rocks by telescoping processes. Field evidence and finite strain analysis emphasize that the exhumation of HT metamorphic rocks could be driven by a restraining bend that developed in NE Sardinia along dextral transpressive shear zones. The tectonic model proposed in this paper allows us to conclude that crustal melt production, usually attributed to extensional regimes, can be related to compressional/transpressional regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of genetic resources characterization of some pasture species from the germplasm collection held at ISPAAM-CNR in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. According to the peculiarities of each species, some of the uses suggested by the experimental results were phytoremediation, wildfire prevention, biomass production for bioenergy, forage production and multiple uses, bioactive compounds for health care of domestic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to new "clean coal technologies", there is a renewed interest in coal and its exploitation: hence, to better evaluate a region's potentiality, and the difficulties of coal extraction, it is important to define geometry, setting and thickness of the coal seams within the embedding rocks in detail. Geophysical methods, and in particular seismic tomography across the tunnels, may provide the requested information. This paper presents the results of a seismic tomographic survey done in 2006 in the Monte Sinni mine, SW Sardinia, Italy. The tomographic velocity field obtained is compared with the coal-lithologies thickness after coal extraction. We conclude that there is an inverse correlation between seismic velocity and amount of coal, which confirms the validity of the tomographic approach in such field, and encourages to further optimize the acquisition and analysis procedures to gain a greater understanding of the mineralized seam setting and of its lateral variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a quantification of the short and long-run impacts of the recent credit guarantee scheme agreed by the regional policy maker in Sardinia (Italy) in support of local SME's. Specifically, taking the expected value of several hypothesized economic scenarios, we first calculate the credit additionality to be ascribed to the implementation of the policy. Then, by exploiting previous findings referring to the specific Italian case (Zecchini and Ventura, 2006), we are also able to calculate the expected reduction in the cost of capital provision enjoyed by the targeted firms. Finally, starting on these two direct effects, the "economic additionality", in terms of higher Investments, Value Added and Labour Units, is also calculated. Simulations concern both annual and cumulated values till the 2020 and refer to a suitable ATECO sectorialization of the regional economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal sulfide tailings of the Sardinian (Italy) abandoned Baccu Locci arsenic mine show high concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, lead, and zinc in acid percolate (pH = 4) and have been classified as "dangerous waste." This paper shows that the release of toxic metals can be strongly reduced when the tailings are placed on a reactive permeable bed (7 wt %) of porous, alkaline pellets of transformed red mud (TRM). During a laboratory percolation test, two columns with 80 kg of waste, of which one contained a bottom layer of TRM pellets, were each alimented with 600 L of de-ionized water. Comparing pH, electroconductivity, metal, and sulfate concentrations of collected percolate from both columns demonstrates efficient neutraliza- tion (pH = 7.4) and removal of metals (80 to 99%) for the column with the permeable reactive bottom layer. Water Environ. Res., 82, 319 (2010). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we present the results of an application of in situ non-destructive acoustic techniques to analyse the state of preservation of a colonnade of an ancient Church in the Central Sardinia (Italy). In particular, low-frequency ultrasonic tests and seismic longitudinal wave transmission tomography (SLWTT) techniques were applied on the columns of the Church in order to provide information on their state of preservation and to detect possible defects, such as zones of weakness, damages and cracks in its inner parts that cannot be visually examined. In order to improve the velocity input model for the SLWTT, a new experimental procedure based on the calculation of the cross-correlation function was proposed and usefully applied. An estimate of the accuracy of longitudinal wave velocity measurements by SLWTT methods was carried out by application of a standard error analysis based on the law of propagation of uncertainty. Based on the results obtained with the ultrasonic and seismic investigations, we located microcores that confirmed information from the above non-invasive investigations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The paper describes the methodological and innovative approach, which aims to evaluate the potential risk of nitrate pollution in aquifers from agricultural practices by combining intrinsic aquifer vulnerability to contamination, according to the SINTACS R5 method, with agricultural nitrates hazard assessment, according to the IPNOA index. The proposed parametric model adopts a geographically based integrated evaluation system, comprising qualitative and semi-quantitative indicators. In some cases, the authors have modified this model, revising and adjusting scores and weights of the parameter to account for the different environmental conditions, and calibrating accordingly. The method has been successfully implemented and validated in the pilot area of the Alghero coastal plain (northwestern Sardinia, Italy) where aquifers with high productivity are present. The classes with a major score (high potential risk) are in the central part of the plain, in correspondence with the most productive aquifers, where most actual or potential pollution sources are concentrated. These are mainly represented by intensive agricultural activities, by industrial agglomerate and diffused urbanisation. For calibrating the model and optimizing and/or weighting the examined factors, the modelling results were validated by comparison with groundwater quality data, in particular nitrate content, and with the potential pollution sources census data. The parametric method is a popular approach to groundwater vulnerability assessment, in contrast to groundwater flow model and statistical method ones: it is, indeed, relatively inexpensive and straightforward, and use data commonly available or that can be estimated. The zoning of nitrate vulnerable areas provides regional authorities with a useful decision support tool for planning land-use properly managing groundwater and combating and/or mitigating desertification processes. However, a careful validation of the results is indispensable for reliable application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a precursor to land management and biodiversity conservation, hierarchical landscape classification and mapping has recently received renewed attention. Since climate is the main factor affecting the coarse-scale spatial distribution of vegetation types, the first step to deal with for developing a hierarchical landscape classification is to categorize the landscape based on the climatic variables that influence the biological systems. Climate also plays an important role in characterizing wildfire regimes. Through its influence on biomass production, climate controls fuel availability. At the same time, climate affects fuel moisture, which is the main determinant for fire ignition and propagation. The influence of climate on coarse-scale landscape classification and fire regimes invites a comparison of phytoclimatic maps to wildfire data. The main objectives of this paper are: (1) to evaluate the phenological uniqueness of the main phytoclimatic regions of Sardinia (Italy) based on five-year data (2000-04) of SPOT-Vegetation NDVI profiles, and (2) to evaluate to what extent the wildfire time series associated to the phytoclimatic regions of Sardinia differ in their temporal properties over the same time span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The first dropped transonic flight test (DTFT) of the USV Program, performed with Castor, the first of the two spacecrafts developed within the USV Program, was performed on Saturday 24th February 2007, from Tortolì Airport in Sardinia. At 8:30 a.m. the 340000m3 stratospheric balloon lifted off from the East coast of Sardinia, bringing the flying test bed (FTB) up to 20.2km before release within the isolated sea polygon controlled by Italian air force test range in Salto di Quirra (PISQ). The mission ended at 10:30 a.m. with the splash-down of the space vehicle. The flight itself was very good, with a nose-up manoeuvre under transonic conditions, reaching a maximum Mach as high as 1.08. The mission target was completely achieved as some 2 million measures were taken related to flight data, housekeeping, as well as 500 aerodynamic and structural experimental sensors. Unfortunately, the vehicle has been damaged more than expected during splash-down. Many national and international institutions and industries contributed to the mission carrying out, under the supervision and technical guide of CIRA: Italian Space Agency, Italian Air Force, Italian Navy, Italian Civil Aviation Authority, Italian Company for Air Navigation Services, Port Authorities, European Space Agency, Techno System Dev., Vitrociset, Carlo Gavazzi Space, Space Software Italia, Alcatel Alenia Space Italy, ISL-Altran Group. The paper reports the actual status of post-flight data analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Archaeolacerta bedriagae is a rock lizard endemic to Corsica and Sardinia. Four subspecies have been recozied to date on the basis of morphological traits. Previous allozyme investigations revealed high genetic differentiation among populations of the species. Based on these results some authors hypothesized that more than one species of Archaeolacerta may occur on Corsica and Sardinia. In this paper we investigated allozyme variation at 19 gene loci in 5 populations belonging to all subspecies of A. bedriagae in order to study genetic differentiation among populations from Corsica and Sardinia, and to compare our results with those obtained in previous studies carried out on allozyme variation and taxonomy of the species. Low levels of genetic differentiation (average Nei's D = 0.026) and heterogeneity (mean FST = 0.147) were found comparing the A. bedriagae populations, and there was no evidence of interruption or restriction of gene flow. This is in agreement with the available molecular and morphometric data, while it is not in accordance with allozyme data reported in the previous studies. Our data do not support the hypothesis of an unrecognized criptic species of Archaeolacerta in Corsica and Sardinia, and indicate that the definitive assessment of the taxonomic status of the A. bedriagae populations requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents secular changes in height, weight, sitting height, relative sitting height, BMI and estimated lower limb length in two samples of Italian adult females from Sardinia (Cagliari) and Latium (Rieti). The samples consist of 579 healthy women from the province of Cagliari and 138 from the town of Rieti, aged 20.0–39.9 years, measured in the period 2003–2006. The women were divided into four 5-year age groups. The anthropometric variables were considered according to different socioeconomic status (SES) in the Cagliari sample, while the Rieti sample was considered as a whole, as the SES was homogeneous. ANOVA results suggest that the secular trend was very slow or had come to a halt in the Rieti sample but continues in the Cagliari sample, as shown by the statistically significant differences for estimated lower limb length (p≤0.02), and relative sitting height (p≤0.05). However, these differences disappear after ANCOVA with sibship size and socioeconomic status controlled for, suggesting that they depend mainly on the composition of the Cagliari sample in terms of SES. Therefore, it can be hypothesised that the secular trend might be very slow or has stopped in the Cagliari subsamples homogeneous for SES. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The low variability of MIS 5.5 sea level (M.I.S = Marine Isotopic Stage) with respect to the present day sea level, allows the Sardinian coast to be used as an eustatic reference for the entire Mediterranean region. This level is generally at 7 ± 2 m above current sea level along the Sardinian coast. One sector along the Orosei Gulf (eastern Sardinia) includes a characteristic and well conserved tidal notch that changes in elevation from 7.6 to 11.5 m over only 30 km, tilting upwards towards the north. Generally, height deviations of such a tidal notch would be due to tectonic or volcanic activity. The Sardinia coast however, is considered to have too little tectonic activity, and also too small post-glacial rebound in order to explain the anomaly. The remaining possibility is Neogene-Quaternary continental and/or submarine volcanic activity, which we investigate as a possible cause for the observed anomalies. In this paper, our goal is to explain the anomaly by modelling recent volcanic loading or updoming related to magmatic intrusion emplacement. We review the literature on the recent volcanic deposits, both on-shore and off-shore, and investigate to what extent volcanic loads can influence the coastline from a theoretical standpoint, using the isostatic flexure model and a range of loads. We find that the observed notch height anomaly cannot be explained by volcanic loading, but must be produced by an upward welling due to the emplacement of volcanic material, as produced for instance by a laccolith or batholith. The upward movement could be related to the submarine volcano only recently detected, or to a source located on the eastern Sardinia coast near Orosei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the area of Punta Funtanas (Arbus, Central-West Sardinia) some small surfaces of Miocene limestones crop out, partially covered with Quaternary calcarenites and Plio-Quaternary basalts. The biggest of these outcrops forms a fossil wave-cut shore platform of up to 50 m wide with an altitude above sea level of approximately 4–5 m. On this platform a wide variety of dissolution landforms can be observed. These morphologies are related to the influence of the seawater (zone of wave action, marine splash and spray zone, up to progressively more continental environments) and to biokarst processes (erosional action of marine organisms, algae and micro-organisms) and are arranged in bands parallel to the coast, corresponding to different morphological zones. This paper describes all the karst landforms observed in this coastal area from a morphological and genetic point of view. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the southern regions of Mediterranean Europe, the greatest part of water resources for supply systems come from artificial reservoirs. Eutrophication is one of the most serious problems affecting the quality of water stored in reservoirs. A simplified approach that includes water quality aspects as water use limiting factors in a multi-reservoir optimization model can be achieved by adoption of the Trophic State Index (TSI). This paper makes some improvements on the optimization model already presented by Sechi and Sulis in the management of large systems. Particularly, it addresses the possibility of dynamic attribution of quality indexes in the LP model. The application of the optimization approach to different operating rules in a real multi-reservoir system in southern Sardinia highlights the need for joint consideration of quality and quantity aspects for effective water management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract  Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) has been used to interpret flow directions in ignimbrites, but no study has demonstrated that the AMS fabric corresponds to the flow fabric. In this paper, we show that the AMS and strain fabric coincide in a high-grade ignimbrite, the Nuraxi Tuff, a Miocene rhyolitic ignimbrite displaying a wide variability of rheomorphic features and a well-defined magnetic fabric. Natural remanent magnetization (NRM) data indicate that the magnetization of the tuff is homogeneous and was acquired at high temperatures by Ti-magnetite crystals. Comparison between the magnetic fabric and the deformation features along a representative section shows that AMS and anisotropy of isothermal remanent magnetization (AIRM) fabric are coaxial with and reproduce the shape of the strain ellipsoid. Magnetic tests and scanning electron microscopy observations indicate that the fabric is due to trails of micrometer-size, pseudo-single domain, magnetically interacting magnetite crystals. Microlites formed along discontinuities such as shard rims and vesicle walls mimicking the petrofabric of the tuff. The fabric was thus acquired after deposition, before late rheomorphic processes, and accurately mimics homogeneous deformation features of the shards during welding processes and mass flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of a study of more than 2400 specimens in the collection of fossil vertebrates from Fiume Santo in north-west Sardinia. This locality represents the westernmost documentation of the Tusco-Sardinian palaeobioprovince, which was in existence during the late Tortonian in the North Tyrrhenian area. During the Tortonian, the region that presently corresponds to southern Tuscany and the Sardinian Massif (Central Italy) was occupied by a complex of large islands characterised by endemic vertebrate populations. Morphological features, adaptations and trophic structure (e.g. low diversity and scarce carnivore taxa), mainly in the mammal faunas, attest to a long period of isolation from the continental palaeobioprovinces of the Mediterranean and Central Europe. The greatest numbers of fossil remains of the well-known endemic Oreopithecus fauna of the so called V0–V2 assemblages, are found at several sites in southern Tuscany (e.g. Montebamboli, Casteani, Baccinello). In Sardinia this endemic fauna occurs only at the Fiume Santo locality, from which 11 taxa have been recognized: Crocodylia indet., Chelonii indet., Oreopithecus bambolii, Mustelidae indet., Eumaiochoerus cf. E. etruscus, Umbrotherium azzarolii gen. et sp. nov., Tyrrhenotragus gracillimus, Bovidae gen. et sp. indet. (?Neotragini), Maremmia cf. M. lorenzi, Etruria viallii gen. et sp. nov., Turritragus casteanensis gen. et sp. nov. Analysis of these fossils and comparison with material from localities in Tuscany has led to a re-evaluation of the latter and to the description of three new endemic taxa among the ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this paper we describe the outline and results of a 7-year screening programme for thalassaemias and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in 13- to 14-year-old students from the Sardinian population. Method: This programme had several steps: formal education on thalassaemia, request of informed consent by parents, blood testing and genetic counselling. Results:Out of 63,285 subjects tested, 6,521 (10.3%) were heterozygotes for β-thalassaemia, 16,175 (25.6%) for α-thalassaemia and 101 were carriers of a haemoglobin variant. One thousand four hundred and twenty (16.4%) males were hemizygotes for G6PD deficiency and 1,893 (20.6%) females were heterozygotes. Conclusion: The uptake of the programme was remarkably high and homogeneous across the island, indicating and confirming a great interest of the Sardinian population in any initiative directed at the prevention of homozygous β-thalassaemia. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]