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The north-eastern border of CA represents the accretionary system developed during its continuous collision with Apulian block. The tardive oblique tectonic component is highlighted by pervasive NW-SE crustal transpressive left-lateral strike slip faults developed from the Upper Miocene to Quaternary tectonic stages. The seismotectonic and landslides Main Map represents the update of the main faults, the style of their arrangement and kinematics, the seismotectonic features and landslide area distribution with risk implications. Seismotectonics allows us to recognise a vertical crustal zonation with the distribution of earthquakes and their focal mechanism solution. The prevalent modality of ruptures depicts a mainly transcurrent and compressive solution in mid-lower crust portions respectively. This data, together with the historical seismicity analysis of the area, lead to consider the NW-SE strike-slip faults improved on the Main Map, as recent and tectonically active. The areal distribution of landslide and susceptibility of the area is due to the interaction between seismotectonic peculiarity, lithological typologies and fault zone architectures. Landslides and flood phenomena of this sector involve many municipalities, major and minor infrastructures and economic and social activities. The landslides and the faults have been identified, mapped and classified, originally at detail scale and, then, represented at 1:50,000 scale in the Main Map, included as supplementary material. The geo-structural and geomorphological data were analysed in a geographic information system allowing data management and implementation. The work presents an updated knowledge framework of risk conditions of the study zone, available to plan and reduce the fundamental elements that determine the landslide and seismic risks in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time, Dolichopoda palpata was the only species of this genus thought to live in the cave habitats of the Calabrian region. The results of our study, based on morphological and molecular data, highlight the existence of three species in the Calabria region. In particular, our data demonstrate the occurrence of two well-separated species, one in the northern Tyrrhenian area and one in the Calabrian Ionian area, attesting to the validity of D. calabra Galvagni 1968, and the discovery of a new species, D. apollinea sp. nov. Both species appear to be geographically very limited. Dolichopoda calabra occurs in the mountain region between Scalone Pass in the north and the Savuto Valley in the south (a district called 'Catena Costiera'), whereas D. apollinea sp. nov. appears to be distributed on the eastern slope of Pollino Massif. On the other hand, D. palpata shows a vast distribution, occurring in caves from La Sila in the north to the Aspromonte Massif in the extreme south of Calabria. About 1/3 of the Italian Dolichopoda species are present in this relatively small geographical area, supporting the importance of Calabria as a geographical region characterised by a high level of biodiversity. It shows the maximum values of genetic diversity and species richness in comparison with the rest of the Italian peninsula. This fact could be related to the palaeogeological and palaeoclimatic history of the region, as it was affected by glaciation events and eustatic movements. The combination of these two conditions that occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene transformed the Calabria into a vast archipelago of little islands, favouring the isolation of populations and the consequent speciation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphological characteristics, phytochemical composition of Pimpinella anisoides fruits was investigated. The morphological analysis of the monocarps contributed to distinguish P. anisoides from other related Pimpinella species used for commercial purposes, in particular P. anisetum and P. anisum. Our study showed that these fruits are different for their surface and shape: in particular, P. anisoides monocarps are glabrous, whereas the other two species are strigose. Two main compounds were identified in the essential oil of the five studied accessions: limonene (46.78-50.74%) and anethole (38.50-42.77%) whose sum ranged between 85.28 and 93.51%. estragole and β-phellandrene were other two representative compounds. All other volatiles accounted for less than 1% of the total volatile composition. One-way ANOVA analysis showed significant differences in almost all volatiles, whereas non-significant differences were found in the compounds detected in very low quantity. Hierarchical cluster analysis allowed to group the five accessions in three main clusters. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that the first two principal components explained 71.80% of total variance. Results show that morphological and phytochemical features of the ripe fruits of P. anisoides can be used to distinguish this species from others, to avoid commercial sophistications and for a better conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon gas from the ground is the main source of indoor concentrations in buildings, regardless of construction characteristics. According to Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, EU Member States must establish national reference levels for indoor radon concentrations in workplaces and draw up a National Radon Plan. In Calabria (Southern Italy), maps of indoor measurements at regional scale are not available. A set of 1434 average annual measurements, taken between 2010 and 2021, has been analysed. For a limited sector, a geostatistical approach allowed to map the expected concentrations at ground floor, the spatial uncertainty of estimates, and the probability of exceedance of the 300 Bq m−3 Italian threshold for workplaces. Highest values characterize the eastern border of the Sila massif. Obtained maps might be used to optimize locations of additional dosimeters, based on geological constraints. Such studies may support urban planning policies and provide recommendations on building techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surroundings of Corigliano and Rossano (NE Calabria) were damaged by a short-lasting and localized rainstorm on 12 August 2015, when more than 230 mm of rain in sixteen hours caused damage exceeding 100 million euros. In the Map, shallow landslides triggered by the event are shown at 1:50,000 scale, together with areas affected by soil erosion and flooding, and most damaged sites; historical landslides are also mapped. The main slope-stability controlling factors are mapped at 1:200,000 scale, and an event-based geomorphological landslide inventory of the most damaged sector (Citrea basin) is provided at 1:10,000 scale. Isohyets (cumulative over 16 h), as obtained by interpolating rain-gauge and weather-radar data by Kriging techniques, are shown together with the density of event landslides. Estimated rain maxima (ca. 506 mm in 16 h) by far overcome measured ones, and ground effects well fit the sectors heavily stricken by the storm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study focusing on traditional uses of wild plants for gastronomic and medicinal purposes was carried out among three linguistic communities in Calabria, southern Italy. Ninety interviews with local elderly informants were conducted among Occitans and Arbëreshë, two linguistic minorities, and the dominant culture of autochthonous Calabrians. We recorded 85 taxa belonging to 39 botanical families and 66 different detailed use-reports including 35 culinary and 31 medicinal uses. Our overall data show the permanence of traditional ecological knowledge related to wild and semi-domesticated food and medicinal plants; however, high similarity indices among the three communities demonstrate that traditional ecological knowledge is following the pathway of homogenization and standardization toward the dominant culture, facilitated by a context of linguistic erosion, limited intergenerational transmission, and a centuries-old diffusion with Calabrian culture. Moreover, our study calls for further field surveys in isolated areas of Calabria to analyze how traditional ecological practices can be key tools in the development of local small-scale economies through the promotion of artisanal food entrepreneurship of wild food plant transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the environmental adaptability of Lavandula multifida L., a plant species presents in the Western Mediterranean Basin with a threatened peripheral population in Southern Italy. Germination capacity, activities of some hydrolyzing enzymes associated with germination and antioxidative pathway of Calabrian L. multifida were quantified in comparison with a Spanish core population. The Calabrian population showed a lower germination ability and it can be related to the small size of the population and associated inbreeding depression. Difference between two populations in enzymatic assays and antioxidative pattern during germination and early seedling development may in part explain a different ability of these two populations to respond to external cues and a diverse environmental adaptability. The study on germination strategies of isolated populations is important to define possible programmes to preserve genetic biodiversity of autochthon plants populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 1:350,000 high-resolution magnetic anomaly map of Calabria (Southern Italy), obtained by merging the results from two low-altitude aeromagnetic surveys performed in southern and northern Calabria. Magnetic anomalies of Calabria are of low intensity, and mostly range from 11 to –9 nT. Northern Calabria is characterized by positive anomalies in the Tyrrhenian margin (Coastal Chain) that turn into negative values moving eastward in the Sila Massif. Southern Calabria is characterized by slightly positive anomaly values, interrupted by a null magnetic anomaly corridor roughly corresponding to the eastern margin of the Gioia Tauro basin. Finally, anomaly values turn systematically negative in the Messina Straits. Due to the unprecedented resolution (low flying height, spatial sampling along the flight line of ∼5 m and 1–2 km flight line spacing), the new map highlights, in detail, the geometry and setting of the upper crustal features. As Calabria is one of the most seismically active regions in Italy, hit by several high-magnitude earthquakes in recent centuries, the interpretation of this new map will hopefully contribute to new insights into the crustal geological setting, location and dimension of the main seismogenic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seasonal variation of liver glycogen, lipids and melanomacrophages were investigated in a non-hibernating population of Pelophylax kl. esculentus from Calabria by histochemical methods and computer-assisted image analysis. Twenty individuals of both sexes were sampled in a tank in Roseto Capo Spulico (Cosenza, Calabria) in four periods of the year 2016 (February, May, July, October). Portions of liver from each individual were included in paraffin for glycogen and melanomacrophages, and epoxydic resin-araldite for lipid analysis. Sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) for glycogen (with diastase-PAS as control) or osmium-tetroxide for lipids, or left unstained for melanomacrophages (appearing naturally black due to melanin). Image analyses were performed on 9–12 grayscale converted pictures per individual. Total areas per µm2 of glycogen, lipids and melanomacrophages, as well as counts of lipid droplets and melanomacrophages and mean area of single lipid droplets and melanomacrophages, were measured. Statistical analyses were performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with bootstrap resampling. Significant variation among sampling periods was found for each variable. Glycogen and lipids co-vary, with higher values observed in October–February and lower values in May–July, whereas melanomacrophages reach a peak in May and have much lower values in the other months. It is concluded that, in the absence of a hibernating period, reproduction is the main force regulating the annual cycles of reserve storing and melanin production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calabria (Southern Italy) is one of the Italian regions most affected by desertification phenomena. This study presents a detailed analysis of the sensitivity to desertification of an economically important agricultural area in the province of Crotone. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas methodology, developed during the European Union MEDALUS project, has been applied by means of a consistent set of pedological, vegetation, climatic and management data of the study area. Analysis of 15 biophysical and social-economic indicators and an evaluation of 4 Quality Indices allowed the classification of the study area into potential, fragile and critical areas in relation to desertification. The main result is a pronounced sensitivity to desertification of the area: about 46% of the land emerges as being already affected by degradation phenomena, falling within the worst class (‘critical’), while about 39% of the area belongs to the ‘fragile’ class. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper illustrates the methodology and techniques for the compilation of a thematic (engineering) geological map based on detailed mapping of the weathering grade of crystalline rocks occurring in a portion of the Sila Massif close to the San Giovanni in Fiore Village (Calabria, Italy). The map (1:5000 scale), covering an area of about 20 km2, was compiled combining new geological and structural data with the results of a weathering grade field survey. The methodology, used to distinguish and map the weathering grade classes, was performed using qualitative criteria, semi-quantitative tests, and petrographic analysis of weathered rock samples. The Main Map, presented in this paper, aims to provide a useful tool for land-use planning, for geological hazard assessment and engineering perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates the compilation of an engineering geological map based on structural architecture and weathering grade of crystalline rocks occurring in the central-western portions of the Mucone River basin (Sila Massif, Calabria, Italy). The map, drawn at 1:10,000 scale and covering an area of about 100 km2, was compiled by combining new geological and structural data with the results of a weathering-grade field survey. Five weathering classes, each characterized by comparable mechanical behaviour, have been mapped, from the class VI (residual and colluvial soils) to class II (slightly weathered rock). Both qualitative and semi-quantitative criteria (e.g. rock colour, discolouration processes, samples broken by hand and hammer, sound of the rock when it is struck by a geological hammer, Schmidt Hammer tests) were used to distinguish and map weathering-grade classes at outcrop scale. The thematic map presented in this paper aims to provide a useful tool for land planning policy, for the evaluation of geological and geotechnical hazard and for environmental and engineering perspectives of land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural-geological field survey (1:10,000 scale) of the south-western portions of the Aspromonte Massif (southern Calabria, Italy) clearly reveal a nappe-pile stack made of three main tectono-metamorphic units piled-up by means of tectonic contacts with associated cataclastic or mylonitic rocks developed at various crustal depth. These three units are from top to bottom: the Stilo Unit, the Aspromonte-Peloritani Unit (APU) and the Madonna di Polsi Unit. As part of an ongoing project, we have constructed a structural and metamorphic GIS database based on 285 sampling stations, which allows for metamorphic and structural maps to be obtained in the form of the metamorphic zoning of the SU.. This unit, made up of low greenschist- to low amphibolite-facies Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks, lies through a brittle tectonic contact over the APU, which is made up of amphibolite-facies metamorphic rocks intruded by late Hercynian peraluminous both locally overprinted by Alpine type metamorphism. The petrographic-derived metamorphic zonation chart here presented has been created after the detailed petrographic analysis of about 80 thin sections and the recognition of mineral assemblages of a thermal metamorphic aureole (biotite, muscovite and andalusite blastesis) produced by Late Hercynian magmatic bodies intruded into metapelites (Punta d'Atò granitoids, outcropping in the northern part of the mapped area). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The presented maps provide an example of the synoptic display of multi-scale geological features characterizing the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the crystalline basement terranes in a poly-orogenic-multistadial evolutionary scenario. The petro-structural map of the eastern Aspromonte Massif (southern Calabrian Peloritani Orogen) is characterized by a nappe-like edifice composed by the superimposition of three crystalline basement tectonic units which, sharing the same Alpine-Apennine reworking, underwent a different metamorphic evolution, mostly derived from the Hercynian orogenic cycle. This geological framework is completed by the suture deposition of a Oligocene-Miocene syn-orogenic clastic formation, partly roofed by the back-thrusting of a clay-rich mélange. In order to understand the potential relationships within the complex dataset deriving from the geological investigations of this crystalline basement area, a geo-database, capable of handling multi-scale information from field-derived structural data (i.e. foliation, lineation, fold- and fault-related structures) to micro-scale derived ones (i.e. thin-section analysis, electron microscope and microprobe investigations, thermodynamic modeling outputs) has been constructed, according to the international standards using the Geo-Scientific Markup Language developed by the Commission for the Management and Application of Geo-science Information. Proposed outputs will show the relationships between field-related geological features, showing collected samples and the subsequent laboratory investigations. These are fundamental to achieving reliable results in geological contexts, such as those for reconstructing the tectono-metamorphic evolution of crystalline basement terrains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The 1:25.000 scale geological map of the central area of Catena Costiera aims to provide a picture of the tectonic setting of the metamorphic units belonging to the Alpine collisional belt of Northern Calabria, Italy. The exposed successions of the study area have been investigated by structural analyses, petrographic, petrological and geochemical studies whose results are summarised in the geological map. In this area, two HP-LT metamorphic, oceanic-derived units, referred as the Mongrassano and Cozzo Cervello units, have been distinguished on the base of their stratigraphic and tectono-metamorphic evolution. Both the oceanic-derived units show a polyphase deformation history developed under retrograde metamorphism in a subduction zone by underplating and exhumation into an accretionary wedge. These units are overthrust by continental-derived units, referred as the Sila and Castagna units, consisting of medium and high-grade metamorphic rocks. While the Castagna unit displays an Alpine HP/LT metamorphic overprint, the Sila unit escaped any subduction-related metamorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study reports an analysis of the spatial drought patterns for a region of southern Italy (Calabria) based on a homogenous monthly precipitation data set of 129 rain gauges for the period 1916–2006. Drought was expressed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and drought events were analyzed using both the short-time (3 and 6 months) and the long-time (12 and 24 months) SPI. In particular, in order to characterize the SPI spatial pattern, index data of the three most severe drought events were interpolated and mapped using a geostatistical approach. Results show that these heavy drought episodes have widely affected the Calabria region and the drought that occurred in 2002 was the worst in terms of spatial extent both at short- and long-time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been Albanians in Italy since 1448 and they have retained a sense of their own identity over the years. Many are Byzantine Catholics but, after the start of the Pentecostal outpouring in the 20th century, a number of them, now Italio-Albanians, moved to Pentecostalism. Most live in Calabria and Sicily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study updates Pavari's phytoclimatic map in a region of southern Italy, Calabria (between 37° 50′ and 40° 10′ N and 15° 30′ and 17° 20′ E). A set of homogeneous monthly precipitation and temperature series registered in Calabria and relative to the period 1916–2010 were used. First, temperature data from 28 thermometric stations, over a 30-year period, were homogenized and processed. A multiple regression analysis was carried out between temperature data (annual average temperature, average of minimum temperature and average temperature of the coldest month of the year) as dependent variables and some geographical variables (altitude of the station, continentality and solar radiation) as independent variables. Then, temperature maps of the region were calculated and, finally, temperature and rainfall maps were intersected to define Pavari's phytoclimatic map. The results obtained in this study allow the identification and the delineation of three phytoclimatic belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species is described here from the Presila in Calabria (S Italy) and namedCentaurea calabra. It belongs toCentaureasect.Phalolepisand is related to theC. deustagroup, namely toC. sarfattiana. Taxonomical characteristics, distribution, and ecology of the newCentaureaare also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration and resettlement of Jewish exiles after 1492 and the successive expulsions of the early sixteenth century was a long and drawn-out process. In fact, the majority of the exiles did not go directly to the Ottoman Empire, and even those who finally reached it as first-generation immigrants did so by staggered waves of migration. The Venetian colonies in the Mediterranean played an important role in this process, both as relatively safe destinations and as ports of transit on the way eastward. Nevertheless, Venetian attitudes towards the arrival of Sefardi, Sicilian, Apulian, and Portuguese Jews in the Stato da Mar have rarely been considered in this context, independently from the topic of Jewish presence in the colonies in general. Corfu offers the opportunity for a case study. The present article examines Venetian policies towards Jewish refugees, immigrants, and conversos who came to Corfu in the aftermath of the expulsions from the Iberian Peninsula and southern Italy. It also attempts to tackle some questions related to the chronology of the successive waves of Jewish settlement on the island in this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temporal and spatial evolution of the pumping-induced ground subsidence in the Gioia Tauro plain (Southern Italy) is investigated exploiting multi-temporal analysis of PSInSAR (Permanent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) data from ERS 1/2 (1992–2001) and ENVISAT (2002–2006) satellites. The PSInSAR derived ground deformation velocity maps and related displacement time series reveal that subsidence rates as high as 10–15 mm/yr are observed in 1992–2006, with the highest velocities (up to 23 mm/yr) occurring between 1992 and 2000 in the central portion of the Plain. Ascending and descending data are combined to extract the vertical and east-west components of ground motions, and reveal the presence of predominant components in the vertical direction due to the compaction of Quaternary sediment in the basin. Aquifer compaction is a consequence of groundwater abstraction. An acceleration index is computed to synthesize the temporal changes between the observed displacements in the two intervals, 1992–2001 and 2002–2006. Deceleration of motions is observed in most of the plain with velocity reductions of about 65% from 1992–2001 to 2002–2006; only a few narrow areas in the southern sector reveal significant increases of motion velocities in the 2002–2006 period, with subsidence velocities exceeding by about 30% those observed in 1992–2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scarce information available about the presence and distribution of freshwater fishes in southern Italy, and ichthyological information about Calabrian lotic systems is practically inexistent. This paper reports the current status of the freshwater fish fauna in some of the most important lotic systems of Calabria. Ichthyological samplings were performed at 54 stations along 16 Calabrian rivers. Sixteen fish species belonging to eight families were found, and their presence and distribution is discussed on the basis of biogeographic considerations. The freshwater fish fauna of the area has been dramatically altered by the introduction of allochthonous species, mainly originating from the Po plain catchments. This is a prime example of faunistic transformation of a Mediterranean area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates a revealing moment in Italian history, during which a court of law in Rome became a complex arena of emotions. Building on Barbara Rosenwein's concept of ‘emotional communities', the analysis presents the trial as an episode in which divergent communities' styles were adjudicated as part of an attempt to establish more uniform emotional standards for a relatively new polity. The murder victim, a circumspect official based in the capital, and his assassin, an exuberant circus acrobat from the distant provinces, represented different communities within the national fabric, and embodied opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. The court exalted the victim's self-control and condemned the murderer's unmediated emotional exploits. Yet, the trial was not a simple object lesson in restraint vanquishing emotion. Instead, the analysis focuses on the way the state, eager to garner the legitimacy deriving from keen public participation in its processes, trod a fine line between the sober decorum of a court of law and the emotional colour of an ancient Roman circus. Ultimately, this case study suggests that for historians the task of discerning ‘emotional communities' is complicated by the fact that any such community is likely to be fraught with fault lines, among which variables such as gender, class, and geographical region are intersected by more volatile factors such as personal opportunity, social context, and historical moment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

More than ever, minorities reflexively engage with global frameworks in their endeavour to promote distinctiveness. Scaling local diversity through specific frameworks has resulted in familiar commensurable languages of international claim recognition. By presenting the case of the Grecanici – a Greek linguistic minority of Southern Italy – this paper critically assesses the creative mingling of global structures and local particularities which effects commensurable languages of representation. These languages in their global dimension reveal a certain degree of commensurate social commentary between global agents and local actors. This commentary is veryoften structured around master tropes such as awareness, victimization and consumption. Despite their global applicability, languages of representation do not necessarily imply commensurability at the local level. Often it is only after careful mediation by skilled rhetors that commensurability on a local level becomes possible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Levels of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) in “Provola” cheese samples from Calabria, smoked naturally and using commercial smoke-flavouring, have been determined. A comparative study of BaP and BaA concentrations was carried out on rind, exterior zone, core and slice of these samples. Quantitative determination of BaP and BaA was ascertained by HPLC using fluorescence detection. Levels of BaP and BaA were found in all smoked “Provola” cheese samples, but higher in cheese smoked with natural methods (0.46-1.13 µg kg-1 for BaP and 1.38-9.29 µg kg-1 for BaA) compared to samples smoked using commercial flavouring (0.085-0.32 µg kg-1 for BaP and 1.20-2.98 µg kg-1 for BaA). The smoking process contributes to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contamination; however, for improved food safety, the use of commercial buffered smoke is preferable to traditional smoking procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on the geomorphological evolution of the central sector of Ilice Torrent basin, Italy, where deeply weathered crystalline rocks are present. Based on archival research, multitemporal air photo analysis, and geomorphological surveys, the study gives new insights into an area extensively affected by mass movements. The Santo Miele complex landslide is the main landform in the area. In 1996 it underwent a phase of reactivation, which in turn caused serious damage to public infrastructure and private properties. Based on analysis of the study area during the period 1955-2004, five geomorphological maps were produced, integrated by field surveys conducted between 2005 and 2006. Since 1955 several landslides have been recognized, with a relevant increase in the areal extent of unstable areas in 1979. Slope instability has been documented since at least the 16th century, when the Santo Miele landslide was already active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of research concerning the application of techniques alternative to chemical pesticides for control of parasites, the C.R.A. Experimental Institute for Olive Growing for many years has been performing a large investigation in order to detect sources of genetic resistance in olive germplasm. In the present study we observed the behavior related to the olive fly (Bactrocera oleae) infestation and Camarosporium dalmaticum infection of ten olive cultivars farmed under the same agronomic and climatic conditions in Calabria, Southern Italy. The sampling and the data collecting were carried out in three different ripening times.The drupe amount of oleuropein and cyanidine was detected by laboratory analyses in order to verify a possible correlation between these molecules and the level of infestation/infection of the above-mentioned parasites. The obtained data were submitted to analysis of variance. In relation to the fungal infection the results displayed that cvs Tonda nera dolce showed the lowest susceptibility, while the cv Giarraffa turned out to be the most susceptible. The less susceptible cultivars to the phytophagous were Tonda nera dolce and Bhardi Tirana. Since the less susceptible cultivar to olive fly attacks are the same observed in relation to the susceptibility to olive fruit rot, it is suggested a relation between the olive fly infestation and the fungal infection. It suggests the utility to achieve these results both to transfer directly to the farmers' world and to emphasize ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian populations and communities of Pinus leucodermis Antoine were studied in the Pollino National Park (Calabria/Basilicata, southern Italy). The relationships between the structure of P. leucodermis populations, and physical and biotic factors were evaluated. The species revealed a three-component pattern in the studied areas. Each component is characterized by a specific spatial distribution, community composition and population structure. The mature populations of P. leucodermis showed low recruitment rates. Moreover, we recorded young populations of P. leucodermis, which mostly occur close to the lower part of its altitudinal range, suggesting a downward expansion that appears to be connected with fire events. A suitability model based on Mahalanobis distances was built using topographic and climatic continuous variables. The predictive model showed that P. leucodermis occurs in less than 10% of its potential distribution area within the Pollino National Park. The species does not appear to be endangered at the regional level. However, its conservation status in Italy is affected by a restricted range (28 km2), by its isolation with respect to the species in the Balkan peninsula, and by the difficulties in originating durable populations in suitable areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An anonymous Vita written in the years immediately following Joachim of Fiore's death presents him as an alter-Jeremiah or Ezekiel, a prophet of the exile. His life is described as a transmigration from the Holy Land, where he received his first revelation, to the monastery he founded in Fiore, or as a journey from exile to redemption. Calabria becomes the new Holy Land, blessed by the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the thirteenth-century Kabbalist Abraham Abulafia depicts Sicily as the place where prophecy will be renewed and the Messiah revealed. He refers to himself as Zachariah, the prophet of redemption, particularly in work in which his connection with Christians is emphasized. This article suggests that Abulafia adapted the Joachite teachings which he would have encountered in Sicily and southern Italy to a polemical dialogue with his Christian counterparts in an attempt to prove to them that he was the one who would bring the redemption and unification of Jews and Christians in a spiritual understanding of the divine Name. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]