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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]

This paper tries to summarize the results of studies from different areas of knowledge supporting the idea that temperamental traits, such as "reckiess/hyper-exploratory" attitudes, commonly believed to be associated with psychopathology, surprisingly turn out as adaptive under specific stress conditions. In particular, this paper analyzes an ethologic line of research on primates suggesting models for a sociobiological interpretation of mood disorders in humans; a study that found high frequencies of a genetic variance associated with bipolar disorder in people without bipolar disorder but with hyperactivity/novelty-seeking traits; the outcomes of socio-anthropological-historical surveys on the evolution of mood disorders in Western countries in the last centuries; surveys on changing societies in Africa and African migrants in Sardinia; and studies that found higher frequencies of mania and subthreshold mania among Sardinian immigrants in Latin American megacities. Although it is not unequivocally accepted that the prevalence of mood disorders has increased, it would be logical to suppose that a nonadaptive condition should have disappeared over time; mood disorders, on the contrary, persist and their prevalence might have even increased. This new interpretation could lead to counter discrimination and stigma towards people suffering from the disorder and would be a central point in psychosocial treatments in addition to pharmacological therapy. Our aim is to hypothesize that bipolar disorder, strongly characterized by these traits, may be the result of the interaction between genetic characteristics, not necessarily pathological, and specific environmental conditions rather than a mere product of an aberrant genetic profile. If mood disorders were mere nonadaptive conditions, they would have disappeared over time; however, their prevalence paradoxically persists if not even increases over time. The hypothesis that bipolar disorder may result from the interaction between genetic characteristics, not necessarily pathological, and specific environmental factors seems more credible than considering bipolar disorder as a mere product of an aberrant genetic profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The arrival of the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic in the European continent has pushed public veterinary authorities to act immediately in order to contain its spread by applying the regulatory guidance of the current Animal Health Law of the European Union (Regulations EU 2016/429). Control and surveillance measures, in accordance with Regulations 2020/687 and 2023/594, have been implemented. Moreover, protection and surveillance areas have been created around the infected holdings and the wild boar cases. This paper analyzes the advantages and critical points of the legal framework for the control of ASF in wild boar, focusing on the role of official veterinary services in European Union Member States (EU MS). Recently, the African swine fever (ASF) epizootic has been reported in domestic pigs and wild boars in several European Union Member States (EU MS) and epidemiological evidence has accumulated which indicates that wild boar play a key role in maintaining and spreading the disease. Thanks to the experience gained when managing ASF outbreaks in Sardinia (Italy) and Eastern Europe, Directive 2002/60 CE was issued. This directive represented an important step forward in controlling the disease, particularly the risk of spreading the virus to wild animals. Since 2021, according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429, which is also called "Animal Health Law—AHL", when the MS competent authority suspects or confirms ASF (a cat. A listed disease) in wild animals, it is mandatory to conduct surveillance in the wild boar population and implement the necessary control measures. Within AHL, Regulations (EU) 2020/687 and 2023/594 established special ASF control measures in kept and wild porcine animals, and their products and by-products, focusing on and underlying old and new responsibilities that vets (both public and private ones) have to accomplish under the new regulations. The new change in the legal framework deals with specific measures to be applied in the wild and represents a great challenge for MS veterinary services. Some of these measures have been well established in the last two decades, particularly those related to application in the farming system, while other measures are still new to veterinary health management and require a holistic approach in terms of intensity, considering all geographical, ecological, productive, cultural and social features of the involved EU MS. In this contribution, the authors intend to focus on specific measures which have been issued in order to limit or stop the spread of ASF in a wild, "boundless" ecosystem. These measures expand the field of competence of the official veterinary service to wild areas in addition to farm activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results obtained from an archaeometric study of a bronze Nuragic small boat model (Sardinia, Italy) dating from the Early Iron Age (presumably 9th–7th centuries BC). The artifact comes from an unknown location in Sardinia and is one of the objects that came to the Museum of Turin in the 19th century. This model is of particular interest as it is a unique Nuragic boat model containing a human figure among its decorations. The artifact is kept in the collection of the Royal Museum of Turin (Italy) and is a typical example of Sardinian manufacture from the Early Iron Age. This study was carried out using a combination of non-invasive techniques with energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) integrated with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and Raman spectroscopy, which allowed the characterization of the alloy of the artifact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate fuel mapping is crucial for effectively determining wildfire risk and implementing management strategies. The primary challenge in fuel type mapping lies in the need to develop accurate and efficient methods for identifying and categorizing the various combustible materials present in an area, often on a large scale. In response to this need, this paper presents a comprehensive approach that combines remote sensing data and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to discriminate between fire behavior fuel models. In particular, a CNN-based classification approach that leverages Sentinel-2 imagery is exploited to accurately classify fuel types into seven preliminary main classes (broadleaf, conifers, shrubs, grass, bare soil, urban areas, and water bodies). To further refine the fuel mapping results, subclasses were generated from the seven principles by using biomass and bioclimatic maps. These additional maps provide complementary information about vegetation density and climatic conditions, respectively. By incorporating this information, we align our fuel type classification with the widely used Standard Scott and Burgan (2005) fuel classification system. The results are highly promising, showcasing excellent CNN training performance with all three metrics—accuracy, recall, and F1 score—achieving an impressive 0.99%. Notably, the network exhibits exceptional accuracy in a test case conducted in the southern region of Sardinia, successfully identifying Burnable classes in previously unseen pixels: broadleaf at 0.99%, conifer at 0.79%, shrub at 0.76%, and grass at 0.84%. The proposed approach presents a valuable tool for enhancing fire management, contributing to more effective wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts. Thus, this tool could be leveraged by fire management agencies, policymakers, and researchers to improve the determination of wildfire risk and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einstein Telescope (ET) is a proposed underground infrastructure in Europe to host future generations of gravitational-wave (GW) detectors. One of its design goals is to extend the observation band of terrestrial GW detectors from currently about 20 Hz down to 3 Hz. The coupling of a detector to its environment becomes stronger at lower frequencies, which makes it important to carefully analyse environmental disturbances at ET candidate sites. Seismic disturbances pose the greatest challenge since there are several important mechanisms for seismic vibrations to produce noise in ET, for example, through gravitational coupling, stray light, or through harmful constraints on the design of ET's control system. In this paper, we present an analysis of the time-variant properties of the seismic field at the Sardinia candidate site of ET connected to anthropogenic as well as natural phenomena. We find that temporal variations of source distributions and of the noise spectra generally follow predictable trends in the form of diurnal, weekly, or seasonal cycles. Specific seismic sources were identified such as road bridges, which produce observable disturbances underground. This information can be used to adapt a detector's seismic isolation and control system. [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]

Despite the high accuracy of conventional acoustic hydrographic systems, measurement of the seabed along coastal belts is still a complex problem due to the limitations arising from shallow water. In addition to traditional echo sounders, airborne LiDAR also suffers from high application costs, low efficiency, and limited coverage. On the other hand, remote sensing offers a practical alternative for the extraction of depth information, providing fast, reproducible, low-cost mapping over large areas to optimize and minimize fieldwork. Satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) techniques have proven to be a promising alternative to supply shallow-water bathymetry data. However, this methodology is still limited since it usually requires in situ observations as control points for multispectral imagery calibration and bathymetric validation. In this context, this paper illustrates the potential for bathymetric derivation conducted entirely from open satellite data, without relying on in situ data collected using traditional methods. The SDB was performed using multispectral images from Sentinel-2 and bathymetric data collected by NASA's ICESat-2 on two areas of relevant interest. To assess outcomes' reliability, bathymetries extracted from ICESat-2 and derived from Sentinel-2 were compared with the updated and reliable data from the BathyDataBase of the Italian Hydrographic Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aria cryogenic distillation plant, located in Sardinia, Italy, is a key component of the DarkSide-20k experimental program for WIMP dark matter searches at the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. Aria is designed to purify the argon, extracted from underground wells in Colorado, USA, and used as the DarkSide-20k target material, to detector-grade quality. In this paper, we report the first measurement of argon isotopic separation by distillation with the 26 m tall Aria prototype. We discuss the measurement of the operating parameters of the column and the observation of the simultaneous separation of the three stable argon isotopes: 36 Ar , 38 Ar , and 40 Ar . We also provide a detailed comparison of the experimental results with commercial process simulation software. This measurement of isotopic separation of argon is a significant achievement for the project, building on the success of the initial demonstration of isotopic separation of nitrogen using the same equipment in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss the presence of volcanic pozzolans in the structural mortars of the Roman Temple of Nora in Sardinia (3rd c. AD), represented by pyroclastic rocks (pumices and tuffs) employed as coarse and fine aggregates. The provenance of these materials from the Phlegraean Fields was highlighted through a multi-analytical approach, involving Polarized Light Microscopy on thin sections (PLM), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Quantitative Phase Analysis by X-ray Powder Diffraction (QPA-XRPD), and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) investigations. These volcanic pozzolans, outcropping in the Bay of Naples between Pozzuoli and the Vesuvius, are traditionally associated with the pulvis puteolana, the famous pozzolanic ash prescribed by Vitruvius and Pliny in order to confer strength and waterproofing capabilities to ancient concretes. This is the first evidence of the trade of this volcanic material from the Neapolitan area to Sardinia, starting at least by the Middle Imperial Age. The use of the pulvis puteolana in the Roman Temple of Nora seems primarily targeted to strengthen above-ground masonries, while waterproofing capabilities were not strictly pursued. This opens new questions about the construction reasons for which the demand and commercialization for this product was intended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the structural map of the Barrabisa Complex, an E-W ribbon-like migmatitic massif exposed in the northern part of Sardinia. The migmatites consist of metatexites and diatexites with variable melt proportion, grading in the central part of the complex to a foliated peraluminous granodiorite. Xenotime/monazite dating indicates that the foliated granodiorite pluton emplaced in upper Carboniferous times (≈307–313 Ma) within a narrow E-W ductile top-to-the east shear zone cutting through a Variscan high-grade metamorphic basement composed of orthogneisses, metasedimentary-derived migmatites and subordinate amphibolites. Field geological mapping, coupled with structural and micro-structural analysis, allowed us to distinguish the granodioritic pluton and three metamorphic units characterized by variable melt to protholith ratio, that represent a continuous transition from metatexite to diatexite with high melt concentration, to foliated granodiorite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moroccan locust has been considered one of the most dangerous agricultural pests in the Mediterranean region. The economic importance of its outbreaks diminished during the second half of the 20th century due to a high degree of agricultural industrialization and other human-caused transformations of its habitat. Nevertheless, in Sardinia (Italy) from 2019 on, a growing invasion of this locust species is ongoing, being the worst in over three decades. Locust swarms destroyed crops and pasture lands of approximately 60,000 ha in 2022. Drought, in combination with increasing uncultivated land, contributed to forming the perfect conditions for a Moroccan locust population upsurge. The specific aim of this paper is the quantification of land cover land use (LCLU) influence with regard to the recent locust outbreak in Sardinia using remote sensing data. In particular, the role of untilled, fallow, or abandoned land in the locust population upsurge is the focus of this case study. To address this objective, LCLU was derived from Sentinel-2A/B Multispectral Instrument (MSI) data between 2017 and 2021 using time-series composites and a random forest (RF) classification model. Coordinates of infested locations, altitude, and locust development stages were collected during field observation campaigns between March and July 2022 and used in this study to assess actual and previous land cover situation of these locations. Findings show that 43% of detected locust locations were found on untilled, fallow, or uncultivated land and another 23% within a radius of 100 m to such areas. Furthermore, oviposition and breeding sites are mostly found in sparse vegetation (97%). This study demonstrates that up-to-date remote sensing data and target-oriented analyses can provide valuable information to contribute to early warning systems and decision support and thus to minimize the risk concerning this agricultural pest. This is of particular interest for all agricultural pests that are strictly related to changing human activities within transformed habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of this paper is the diagnostic campaign performed on the polychrome wooden statue, revered as St. John, stored in the church dedicated to the "Beata Vergine d'Itria" (Blessed Virgin of Itria), (Noragugume town, Sardinia, Italy). The restoration of the statue gave the occasion to investigate micro-samples from the wooden support and from the polychromy in order to gather information that could be useful for the intervention. In fact, there was limited information on this fine carved statue and its iconographic pattern appeared to be not strictly canonical. Moreover, these kinds of artworks, having religious significant for the faithful, have been generally modified over time to satisfy possible changes in artistic or religious needs or ecclesiastical reforms. The aims of this study are: (i) support the restorers in defining the conservation status of the statue, and (ii) perform a series of analyses to identify the wood and the materials of the painting layers. Specifically, wood micro-sample was examined under the microscope in order to investigate the anatomical characteristics useful to identify the species; pigments were studied through X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS); organic materials were analysed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); and, lastly, the panting technique was investigated through micro-stratigraphy (MS). The analysis performed on the micro-sample taken from the support allowed for identifying the wood as poplar. XRF detected chemical elements that could be associated to pigments such as azurite, blue smalt, red lead, white lead and ochres, and Au for the gilding. SEM-EDS confirmed these pigments and allowed to find also other elements useful to suggest the presence of further materials such as Ag in the metal foil. FTIR detected proteinaceous binder and siccative oils that were mapped in the micro-stratigraphy by using histochemical tests. All this information was used by the restorers to address the intervention from the cleaning to the final retouching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of nuraghes throughout the Island of Sardinia still raises many questions. In this paper, we apply spatial statistical methods to investigate their relations with topographical features and with related objects nearby. We use the non-stationary G- and J-functions. To model interactions with topographic variables we use the non-stationary Poisson model. We find that the elevation of the nuraghes show a uniform distribution between 0 and 400 m, and with a peak in distances to holy wells of approximately 5 km. As expected, we found a clustered pattern, with clustering occurring in the mid-west, the centre and the south west of the Island. We further observed a very strong interaction with domus de janas, and a strong spatial interaction for distances in the range between 0 and 1000 m with the pre-Nuragic dolmens and menhirs, and the collective funerary structures, the so-called Nuragic giants' tombs. We conclude that the study is useful to quantify spatial patterns of pre-historic sites, in particular if these occur in a great abundancy and provides new insight into the spatial relations of the different pre-historic objects and buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale magnetic fields reveal themselves through diffuse synchrotron sources observed in galaxy clusters such as radio halos. Total intensity filaments of these sources have been observed in polarization as well, but only in three radio halos out of about 100 currently known. In this paper we analyse new polarimetric Very Large Array data of the diffuse emission in the galaxy cluster Abell 523 in the frequency range 1–2 GHz. We find for the first time evidence of polarized emission on scales of ∼2.5 Mpc. The total intensity emission is observed only in the central part of the source, likely due to observational limitations. To look for total intensity emission beyond the central region, we combine these data with single-dish observations from the Sardinia Radio Telescope and we compare them with multifrequency total intensity observations obtained with different instruments, including the LOw Frequency ARray and the Murchison Widefield Array. By analysing the rotation measure properties of the system and utilizing numerical simulations, we infer that this polarized emission is associated with filaments of the radio halo located in the outskirts of the system, in the peripheral region closest to the observer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the global level, the quantity of goat milk produced and its gross production value have increased considerably over the last 2 decades. Although many scientific papers on this topic have been published, few studies have been carried out on bulk goat milk samples. The aim of the present study was to investigate in the field the effects of farming system, breed type, individual flock, and stage of production on the composition, coagulation properties (MCP), curd firming over time parameters (CF t), predicted cheese yield (CY%), and nutrient recovery traits (REC) of 432 bulk milk samples from 161 commercial goat farms in Sardinia, Italy. We found that the variance due to individual flock was of the same order as the residual variance for almost all composition and cheesemaking traits. With regard to the fixed effects, the effect of farming system on bulk milk variability was not highly significant for the majority of traits (it was lower than individual flock), whereas the effects of breed type and stage of production were much higher. More specifically, the intensive farms produced milk with the best concentrations of almost all constituents, whereas extensive farms exhibited faster rennet coagulation times, a slower rate of curd firming, lower potential curd firmness, and lower percentages of fat and energy recoveries in the fresh curd. Farms rearing the local breed, Sarda, alone or together with the Maltese breed, produced milk with the best concentrations of fat and protein, superior curd firmness, and better predicted percentage of fresh curd (CY CURD) and recovery traits. The results show the potential of both types of breed, either for their quantitative (specialized breeds) or their qualitative (local breeds) attributes. As expected, the concentrations of fat, protein fractions, and lactose were influenced by the stage of production, with samples collected in the early stage of production (in February and March) having a greater quantity of the main constituents. Somatic cells reached the highest levels in the late stage of production, which corresponds to the goats' advanced stage of lactation (June–July), although no differences were present in the logarithmic bacterial counts between the early and late stages. Regarding cheesemaking potential, bulk milk samples of the late stage were characterized by delayed rennet coagulation and curd firming times, the lowest values of curd firmness, and a general reduction in CY%, and REC traits. In conclusion, we highlight several issues regarding the effects of the most important sources of variation on bulk goat milk, and point to some critical factors relevant for improving dairy goat farming and milk production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nuragic civilization (Sardinia, Italy, XVIII–VIII B.C) developed a flourishing bronze metallurgy with strong connections with other civilizations from the Mediterranean basin. Within the large bronze production, there are some peculiar representations of human figures, known in the archaeological environment of Sardinia as bronzetti, depicting warriors, priests, and offerers. In this paper, an interesting couple of Nuragic statuettes representing offerers, one from the Pigorini Museum in Rome and another from the Musei Reali in Turin, were analyzed. They have been investigated with X-ray fluorescence integrated with Monte Carlo simulations (XRF-MC). The combined methodology provides more accurate results, ranging from the structural characterization to the identification of the corrosion layers to the estimation of the composition of the alloy of the artifact. One of the most striking results regards the heads of the offerers: both heads are covered with a thick iron-based layer, even though the whole artifacts are made of a copper alloy. To understand the reason behind this peculiar corrosion patina, several hypotheses have been considered, including the possibility that these iron mineralizations are the consequence of an ancient superficial treatment, intending to confer a chromatic effect on the figurine's head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse to what extent the willingness to pay of art gallery visitors for the preservation of cultural artefacts is affected by the identity traits of the objects. To this purpose, we designed a discrete choice experiment that took place during a major exhibition dedicated to the artist Costantino Nivola (1911–1988) in Sassari (Sardinia, Italy). His works are known worldwide and many of them were produced after he moved from Sardinia to the United States in 1939. As a result, both the American and the Sardinian culture show up in his works and, in particular, were clearly visible in the exhibition under study. The discrete choice experiments allowed us to elicit respondents' preferences towards the identity features stemming from Nivola's artefacts. The results confirm the importance of this component indicating that its presence almost doubles respondents' willingness-to-pay for the acquisition of these artefacts to a permanent collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sardinia Radio Telescope is a quasi-Gregorian system with a shaped 64 m diameter primary reflector and a 7.9 m diameter secondary reflector. It was designed to operate with high efficiency across the 0.3–116 GHz frequency range. The telescope is equipped with a cryogenic coaxial dual-frequency L-P band receiver, which covers a portion of the P-band (305–410 MHz) and the L-band (1300–1800 MHz). Although this receiver has been used for years in its original design, with satisfactory results, it presents some parts that could be upgraded in order to improve the performances of the system. With the passing of time and with technology advances, the presence of unwanted human-made signals in the area around the telescope, known as radio frequency interferences, has grown exponentially. In addition, the technology of the receiver electronic control system became obsolete and it could be replaced with next-generation electronic boards, which offer better performances both service reliability and low generation of unwanted radio frequency signals. In this paper, a feasibility study for improving the L-P band receiver is discussed, taking into account the mitigation of the main radio frequency interferences. With this study, it is possible to have a sensitive instrument that can be used for scientific research at low frequencies (P- and L-bands), which are usually populated by signals from civil and military mobile communications, TV broadcasting and remote sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Cycling is a climate-friendly means of transport that enables people to reduce their use of motorized transport and makes human settlements more inclusive and resilient. In Italy, the development of cycling has recently been boosted by the approval of Law no. 2/2018, which makes it compulsory for all Italian regions to draw up a regional cycling mobility plan. Objective: To meet this regulatory provision, the Region of Sardinia approved the Regional Plan for Cycling Mobility in December 2018. Drawn up by the Sardinian Regional Transport Agency and the transportation research group of the University of Cagliari, the plan aims to lay out a regional cycle network to promote the use of the bicycle as a means of transport for both every day and tourist–recreational needs. One of the main objectives of the plan is to make the inland areas of the island more accessible, as the development of such areas tends to have been neglected compared to the coastal areas linked to seaside tourism. Hence, the plan intends to contribute to the increase of tourist flows into rural areas, which can be a strategic segment of local development. Results: By analysing the methodology adopted to lay out Sardinia's regional cycle network, the aim of the current paper is to show how the planning of an integrated cycle network in an island context can improve sustainable mobility and accessibility in the rural areas through which it passes. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that many rural settlements along the routes of the planned cycle network are sufficiently near each other for people to travel between them by bicycle. Conclusions: Therefore, the cycling infrastructure could prompt a sustainable increase in the accessibility and connectivity of inland areas and stimulate the formation of clusters of small, interconnected towns and villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an update of the species of the genus Eucera Scopoli, 1770, subgenus Tetralonia Spinola, 1838 from Sardinia is reported, based on data collection as well as on recent survey carried out at Gennargentu Massif. Seven species are recorded, four of which are newly added: Eucera fulvescens (Giraud, 1863), E. gennargentui sp. nov. Nobile, Catania & Bella, E. julliani (Pérez, 1879), and E. nana (Morawitz, 1873). The new species, Eucera (Tetralonia) gennargentui Nobile, Catania & Bella is described from the high altitude of Gennargentu Massif. Details on distributions, host plants, and other biological aspects are given for each species treated. The taxonomic comparison of the taxa belonging to the subgenus Tetralonia from Sardinia, including E. gennargentui sp. nov., are discussed taking into account both morphological and COI barcode sequences. An identification key to Eucera (Tetralonia) species from Sardinia is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of Island Studies within the academe and the introduction of concepts such as 'islandness' and 'islandscape' have accompanied a general rethinking of the concept of insularity which encompasses the reflection over a cinematic representation of islands and islanders. The use of islands as cinematic landscapes and settings has reinforced cultural, mythical, and identity stereotypes associated with the island imagery built-up in literature, as well as the construction of the islander as a character exhibiting specific behavioural features. The film Cainà. L'isola e il continente (Gennaro Righelli, 1922) is emblematic insofar as it is the first feature film shot in Sardinia and its character is not just a symbol of feminine rebellion against a patriarchal society, but it also serves as an allegory of an unspoiled island, such as it was considered and depicted at that time. As islanders ourselves, we have wondered to what extent Cainà adheres to the stereotypes of islandness and insularity conventionally ascribed to islands and, in this specific case, to Sardinia. Our paper aims to examine the genesis of the Sardinian insular imagination through the lens of the cinematic construction of 'islanderness' and 'islanderscope', an assortment of agency representing islanders -- and islands -- on screen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a comprehensive cartographic product, this paper aims to illustrate the evolution of the urban geomorphological setting of the urban coastal belt of Cagliari (southern Sardinia, Italy, western Mediterranean Sea). The geomorphological map (1:14,000) presented herein summarizes different data (e.g. urban development, anthropogenic features, geomorphological elements, recent deposits, sedimentological distribution, hydrodynamics and ecological components) acquired through an integrated sea-land approach and a multidisciplinary-multitemporal investigation. The main significant environmental changes are linked to urbanization, the development of port infrastructures (embankments along the shoreline and the construction of the canal harbour), remediation work and filling activities, and the hardening of dune and beach systems and cliffs. These man-made interventions have increased the vulnerability of the shore zones to flood hazards and risks, which are linked to sea-level rises and global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a comprehensive cartographic product, this paper aims to illustrate the evolution of the urban geomorphological setting of the urban coastal belt of Cagliari (southern Sardinia, Italy, western Mediterranean Sea). The geomorphological map (1:14,000) presented herein summarizes different data (e.g. urban development, anthropogenic features, geomorphological elements, recent deposits, sedimentological distribution, hydrodynamics and ecological components) acquired through an integrated sea-land approach and a multidisciplinary-multitemporal investigation. The main significant environmental changes are linked to urbanization, the development of port infrastructures (embankments along the shoreline and the construction of the canal harbour), remediation work and filling activities, and the hardening of dune and beach systems and cliffs. These man-made interventions have increased the vulnerability of the shore zones to flood hazards and risks, which are linked to sea-level rises and global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years, the building sector has been marked by the progressive exploitation of raw materials and the growing production of waste. The product and process innovations, based on waste valorisation starting from their geographical location and identification, prefigure potential reductions of environmental impacts. This paper presents the methodology and findings of the mapping of waste from construction and manufacturing processes, carried out in Sardinia to identify possible scenarios of valorisation. The geographical location of waste production both in construction and manufacturing processes, along with their possible reuse, have allowed the definition of some supply chains which are able to process their own waste, according to industrial symbiosis scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone moulds were basic elements of metallurgy during the Bronze Age, and their analysis and characterization are very important to improve the knowledge on these artefacts useful for typological characterization. The stone moulds investigated in this study were found during an archaeological field survey in several Nuragic (Bronze Age) settlements in Central Sardinia. Recent studies have shown that photogrammetry can be effectively used for the 3D reconstruction of small and medium-sized archaeological finds, although there are still many challenges in producing high-quality digital replicas of ancient artefacts due to their surface complexity and consistency. In this paper, we propose a multidisciplinary approach using mineralogical (X-ray powder diffraction) and petrographic (thin section) analysis of stone materials, as well as an experimental photogrammetric method for 3D reconstruction from multi-view images performed with recent software based on the CMPMVS algorithm. The photogrammetric image dataset was carried out using an experimental rig equipped with a 26.2 Mpix full frame digital camera. We also assessed the accuracy of the reconstruction models in order to verify their precision and readability according to archaeological goals. This allowed us to provide an effective tool for more detailed study of the geometric-dimensional aspects of the moulds. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the potentialities of an integrated minero-petrographic and photogrammetric approach for the characterization of small artefacts, providing an effective tool for more in-depth investigation of future typological comparisons and provenance studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides evidence on how the variability of the power produced by a wind farm and its revenue are affected by implementing a ramp-rate limitation strategy and by adding a storage device to the system. The wind farm receives penalties whenever the ramp-rate limitations are not respected and may be supported by batteries to avoid this scenario. In this paper, we model the battery usage as a discrete time homogeneous Markov chain with rewards thanks to which it is possible to simulate the state of the charge of the battery and to calculate the amount of penalties suffered by the wind farm during any period. An application is performed considering the power produced by a hypothetical wind turbine located in Sardinia (Italy) using real wind speed data and electricity prices from a period of 10 years. We applied the concept of ramp-rate limitation on our hourly dataset, studying several limitation scenarios and battery capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazardous facilities raise issues of public acceptance, largely driven by citizens' beliefs, which should be thoroughly understood to inform assessment of welfare changes and possible compensation measures for local populations impacted by their presence. Modelling the socio-psychological drivers of public acceptance would help such understanding, yet this approach is seldom used in project appraisal. The current paper aims at filling this gap, in a valuation study dealing with a military facility located in Sardinia (Italy). A hybrid choice model is applied to the data, which integrates a rich socio-psychological framework with the choice model, resulting in a complex multi-layer structure. Results show that place attachment, sense of community and trust in institutions influence the perception of environmental and health risks, and the perception of economic benefits. The latter factors are negatively correlated and directly influence the utility of the attributes characterising the alternatives, driving the preference toward the proposed scenarios. These findings have important practical implications, giving guidance to calibrate welfare compensations and to define policy measures aimed at socio-economic regeneration. [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]

Sardinia is an Italian island in the Mediterranean characterized by secular isolation and the singular genetic characteristics of its inhabitants. Findings obtained in populations with diverse genetic make-up and cultural background indicate gender differences and/or similarities in drinking characteristics of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Knowledge of these characteristics in AUD patients is useful to improve access to treatments. This paper investigated the drinking characteristics of 66 female and 282 male outpatients with AUD, born from 1937 to 1991, living in Sardinia, and compared their characteristics with those of AUD patients living in other countries. Most Sardinian patients were men, approximately 3 years younger than women; women consumed lower amounts of alcohol than men but did not differ from men in the severity of AUD. Men were more often single than women, while a higher proportion of women reported that their mother or spouse was affected by AUD. Anxiety and depression were more prevalent among women while a higher proportion of men were affected by substance use disorders. Women were older than men at the age of first drink, regular drinking, and onset of AUD, and progressed faster than men from regular use to AUD onset. Women did not differ from men in age at first request for care, and in the lapse from AUD onset to first request for care. Women and men waited for more than 8 and 9 years, respectively, before receiving medical treatment. Gender differences progressively decreased among younger patients. Although the scarce number of women in some cohorts limits the strength of these findings, drinking characteristics of Sardinian patients did not vary significantly from those of AUD patients living in other countries. These results suggest that the number of Sardinian women with AUD is increasing and services for treatment of AUD should (a) consider women's specific needs, and (b) realize effective policies to reduce latency prior to accessing medical treatment for both men and women with AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Recently, several studies have highlighted the global decline of pollinators. This has increased concern for the long-term sustainability of plant biodiversity, food production, human nutrition, and human well-being. In Europe, approximately 40% of bee species are threatened in some countries. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the richest areas of diversity of wild bees. Sardinia, the second largest island in the basin, has a flora and fauna with many endemic taxa. Until recently, a number of 316 species of bees was reported on the island. However, the identification of the bee fauna of Sardinia still remains incomplete compared to other islands of the Mediterranean Basin, such as Sicily, Malta, Cyprus, and the Balearic Islands. It is very important to know and protect the potentially rich bee biodiversity of Sardinia, considering that the different factors that now threaten wild pollinators in Europe could lead to its impairment. This paper reports 20 new records of bee species from Sardinia based on observations made in different coastal and mountain ecosystems of the island. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the systematics and distribution of the Sardinian bee fauna. In Sardinia, the second largest Mediterranean island, 316 species of bees are known. Here, for the first time, the following 20 taxa are reported: Colletes cunicularius (Linnaeus, 1761), and C. eous Morice, 1904 (Colletidae); Andrena humilis Imhoff, 1832, A. granulosa Pérez, 1902, A. cineraria (Linnaeus, 1758), A. pallitarsis Pérez, 1903, A. rugulosa Stöckhert, 1935, A. savignyi Spinola, 1838, and A. tenuistriata Pérez, 1895 (Andrenidae); Sphecodes reticulatus Thomson, 1870 (Halictidae); Lithurgus tibialis Morawitz, 1875, Chelostoma emarginatum (Nylander, 1856), Dioxys cinctus (Jurine, 1807), Coelioxys caudatus Spinola, 1838, C. obtusus Pérez, 1884, and Megachile ericetorum (Lepeletier, 1841) (Megachilidae); and Nomada melathoracica Imhoff, 1834, N. pulchra Arnold, 1888, Eucera proxima Morawitz, 1875 and Tetralonia malvae (Rossi, 1790) (Apidae). N. pulchra is reported for the first time in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the fresh waters of Sardinia (Italy), the non-indigenous crayfish species Procambarus clarkii has been reported from 2005, but, starting from 2019, there have been several reports of a new non-indigenous crayfish in southern and central areas of this Mediterranean island, and its morphology suggests that this species may be the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis. Forty-seven individuals of this putative species were analyzed, using the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I as molecular marker to identify this crayfish and investigate the level of genetic variability within the recently established population. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses were carried out on a dataset including sequences from the Sardinian individuals and from all congenerics available in GenBank. Results showed that the new Sardinian crayfish belong to the species P. virginalis. All the sequences belonging to P. virginalis from European countries are identical, with only few exceptions found among Sardinian individuals. In conclusion, this paper highlights the occurrence of a new further alien species in the Sardinian fresh waters, which are already characterized by the high presence of non-indigenous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Liguro-Provençal basin was formed as a back-arc basin of the retreating Calabrian–Apennines subduction zone during the Oligocene and Miocene. The resulting rotation of the Corsica–Sardinia block is associated with rifting, shaping the Ligurian Basin. It is still debated whether oceanic or atypical oceanic crust was formed or if the crust is continental and experienced extreme thinning during the opening of the basin. We perform ambient noise tomography, also taking into account teleseismic events, using an amphibious network of seismic stations, including 22 broadband ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs), to investigate the lithospheric structure of the Ligurian Basin. The instruments were installed in the Ligurian Basin for 8 months between June 2017 and February 2018 as part of the AlpArray seismic network. Because of additional noise sources in the ocean, OBS data are rarely used for ambient noise studies. However, we carefully pre-process the data, including corrections for instrument tilt and seafloor compliance and excluding higher modes of the ambient-noise Rayleigh waves. We calculate daily cross-correlation functions for the AlpArray OBS array and surrounding land stations. We also correlate short time windows that include teleseismic earthquakes, allowing us to derive surface wave group velocities for longer periods than using ambient noise only. We obtain group velocity maps by inverting Green's functions derived from the cross-correlation of ambient noise and teleseismic events, respectively. We then used the resulting 3D group velocity information to calculate 1D depth inversions for S-wave velocities. The group velocity and shear-wave velocity results compare well to existing large-scale studies that partly include the study area. In onshore France, we observe a high-velocity area beneath the Argentera Massif, roughly 10 km below sea level. We interpret this as the root of the Argentera Massif. Our results add spatial resolution to known seismic velocities in the Ligurian Basin, thereby augmenting existing seismic profiles. In agreement with existing seismic studies, our shear-wave velocity maps indicate a deepening of the Moho from 12 km at the south-western basin centre to 20–25 km at the Ligurian coast in the north-east and over 30 km at the Provençal coast. The maps also indicate that the south-western and north-eastern Ligurian Basin are structurally separate. The lack of high crustal vP/vS ratios beneath the south-western part of the Ligurian Basin preclude mantle serpentinisation there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]