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Terrestrial mud volcanoes represent surface features of channels for subsurface methane transport and, therefore, constitute an important source of methane emission from natural environments. How microbial processes regulate methane emissions in terrestrial mud volcanoes has yet to be fully addressed. This study demonstrated the geochemical characteristics and microbial communities of four mud volcano and seep sites in two geological settings of Sicily, Italy. At sites within the accretionary wedge that exhibited higher methane and sulfate concentrations, the communities were dominated by members capable of catalyzing methane and sulfate metabolisms and organic degradation. In particular, both anaerobic and aerobic methanotrophs were abundant and their abundance distribution coincided with the geochemical transition. In contrast, the sites near Mount Etna were characterized by high fluid salinity, CO2, and low methane and sulfate concentrations, with communities consisting of halophilic organic degraders and sulfur metabolizers, along with a minor presence of aerobic methanotrophs. Substantial variations in community composition and geochemistry across spatial and vertical redox gradients suggest that physicochemical contexts imposed by the geology, fluid path, and source characteristics play a vital role in shaping community composition and cycling of methane, sulfur and organic carbon in Sicily mud volcanoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After disruption in the influenza circulation due to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the intensity of seasonal outbreaks has returned to the pre-pandemic levels. This study aimed to evaluate the evolution and variability of whole-genome sequences of A(H1N1)pdm09, the predominant influenza virus in Sicily (Italy) during the season 2023–2024. The potential vaccine efficacy was calculated using the pepitope model based on amino acid changes in the dominant epitope of hemagglutinin. The HA gene sequences showed several amino acid substitutions, some of which were within the major antigenic sites. The phylogenetic analysis showed that Sicilian strains grouped into two main genetic clades (6B.1A.5a.2a.1 and 6B.1A.5a.2a) and several subclades. Notably, about 40% of sequences partially drifted from the WHO-recommended vaccine strain A/Victoria/4897/2022 for the Northern Hemisphere. These sequences mostly belonged to the subclades C.1.8 and C.1.9 and harboured the amino acid mutations responsible for the modest predicted vaccine efficacy (E = 38.12% of 53%, pepitope = 0) against these viruses. Amino acid substitutions in other gene segments were also found. Since influenza viruses are constantly evolving, genomic surveillance is crucial in monitoring their molecular evolution and the occurrence of genetic and antigenic changes, and, thus, their potential impact on vaccine efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Grotta d’Oriente, on the island of Favignana (Egadi, Sicily) has yielded a series of burials and human remains attributable to the final Epigravettian and Mesolithic. The Epigravettian burial, known as Oriente A, is characterised by funerary equipment consisting of perforated shells and a pebble with traces of red ochre. This site is one of the rare cases in which there is evidence of the use of ochre in a funerary context in Sicily and therefore the archaeological reconstruction requires the chemical-mineralogical characterization of this pigment using SEM, EDS, XRD, FORS and Raman spectroscopy. The comparative analysis of this pigment with a series of Terra Rossa from Favignana and other areas of Sicily has demonstrated that the Oriental A ochre does not derive from these sediments. This study shows the importance of applying different analysis methods for the characterization of ochres to try to define their origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cappadocia Journal of History & Social Sciences is the property of CAHIJ and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Poterium spinosum L. is a key plant species forming typical shrub communities, distributed across the Mediterranean eastern coasts. The conservation of P. spinosum is thus of the utmost importance, especially due to the ever-increasing environmental pressures like climate changes and habitat fragmentation. This study, in particular, investigated for the first time the germination variability of P. spinosum at intrapopulation level, by analysing the germination behavior of five different subpopulations growing along the coasts of Sicily. For a more exhaustive picture of the main drivers of biodiversity loss affecting the distributional area of P. spinosum, the trends of climate and land-cover changes were also studied over the periods 1931–2020 and 1958–2018, respectively. The results found significant intrapopulation variability in P. spinosum, whose germination parameters showed that fruits and seeds from distinct subpopulations respond differently to diverse temperatures. Seeds showed generally higher values of final germination percentage (FGP) compared to fruits, and at higher temperatures: the highest FGP in seeds was 70% at 20 °C, whereas in fruits was 58.2% at 15 °C. The environmental threats showed worrying trends across the study area: during 1931–2020, the average temperature increased by 1.5 °C, whereas the average rainfall declined from 710 to 650 mm. Similarly, in the period 1958–2018, the analysis of the CORINE land-cover changes showed a highly fragmented agricultural landscape, where natural areas were reduced to 2.5–5.0%. Germination variability at intrapopulation level should be considered as a fundamental adaptation strategy, which can increase the reproductive success of P. spinosum under climate and land-cover changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a spatiotemporal analysis of drought occurrence and trends across Sicily using ERA50-Land continuous gridded data is carried out. We first use the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to evaluate drought conditions at various time scales from 1950 to 2023. Then, the Modified Mann–Kendall test was employed to detect trends and Sen's slope estimator was used to quantify their magnitude. An analysis of the historical series confirms that 2002 was the most severe drought year, impacting all time scales from short-term to long-term. The spatial analysis revealed that the western regions of Sicily experienced the highest severity and frequency of drought events. In contrast, the northeastern regions were less severely affected compared with the other parts of the island. The analysis detects significant increasing trends in SPI values in the eastern coastal areas of the island, which are related to a possible historical increase in precipitation. On the other hand, the analysis of the SPEI indicates significant decreasing trends in the western part of the island, which are mainly related to increased evapotranspiration rates. These results are partially consistent with previous analyses of future climate change scenarios, where changes in the SPEI values in the island are projected to be way clearer than changes in SPI values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Actual evapotranspiration, one of the most important components of the hydrological cycle, causes 60% of precipitation to return to the atmosphere. This value increases up to 90% in dry and semi-arid areas. In recent years, with population growth, increasing water demand, and climate change, the importance of this phenomenon has doubled. Despite its importance, actual evapotranspiration remains largely unknown and its estimation by direct measurement methods is costly and time-consuming. In this regard, the Penman-Monteith method, the most accepted method for estimating reference evaporation and transpiration, also requires a lot of meteorological data. Despite the weakness of the conceptual model, using experimental methods to estimate evaporation and transpiration is still common due to its simplicity. In addition, examining the conceptual model and statistical methods without prejudice makes it possible to identify the influential variables and create experimental relationships compatible with the conceptual model. Materials and Methods The case study, with an area of 13 ha, is located in the southwest of Sicily (Italy), about five km from Castelvetrano. The landscape is flat and the soil type is relatively homogeneous. The main crops are olives (70% coverage), vineyards (24%), fruit trees (2.6%), and other garden products (3.4%). The plants are about 3.5 m tall and are arranged in a regular grid of five m by eight m (density of 250 plants per ha). The climate of the region is Mediterranean and the soil texture class, according to the USDA classification, is silty clay loam. In this research, one-hour meteorological data from 23 meteorological variables from the Sicily meteorological-agricultural station and actual evapotranspiration data extracted from the Eddy covariance method for the statistical period of 2009-2016 were used. Linear regression methods were used to investigate the relationships between the 24 variables and actual evapotranspiration. Integrated hierarchical clustering was used also to classify the 24 variables. Results and Discussion Evaluating the relationships between the 24 variables (23 meteorological variables and actual evapotranspiration) using the linear regression method led to the extraction of relationships between parameters in the form of a 24×24 matrix. In other words, to predict each variable (as a dependent variable), 23 relationships with other parameters (as independent parameters) were extracted. Then, the priority of the independent variables to predict each dependent variable was determined based on the correlation coefficient (R). The average of the 23 numerical ranks of an independent variable to predict other dependent variables indicates the degree of competence of that variable to predict other variables. The result of integrated hierarchical clustering with a 70% correlation is seven clusters. The members of cluster number one are different temperature variables (instantaneous, minimum, maximum, and average), cluster number two, rainfall variable (the only single member cluster), cluster number three, humidity variables (instantaneous, minimum, maximum, and average), cluster number four, pressure variables (station pressure and sea level pressure), cluster number five, variables of total solar radiation and evaporation and transpiration (the only cluster with non-identical members), cluster number six, different wind speed variables (instantaneous, minimum, maximum and average at the height of two and 10 m) and cluster number seven showed the wind direction variables. The summary of the classification results generally shows that the meteorological variables are independent except for the variables of the same name (such as temperature variables) all Variables with the same name were placed in a cluster, and the only variables with different names that were located in a cluster were total solar radiation and evaporation and transpiration. The representative of each cluster is the best predictor (based on rank) among the members of that cluster to predict other variables. Based on this, average temperature variables, rainfall, average relative humidity, sea level pressure, total solar radiation, maximum wind speed at a height of two m, and wind direction at a height of 10 m were determined as representatives of seven clusters. Also, the best predictor of these representatives was determined from inside and outside the cluster members. Based on the regression analysis, the best predictor of actual evapotranspiration with a correlation coefficient of more than 70% in total solar radiation. Instantaneous and minimum relative humidity variables with a correlation coefficient of about 50% (inverse relationship) took second and third place respectively to estimate actual evapotranspiration. The fourth and fifth ranks also belong to the average and maximum humidity with a correlation coefficient of about 49%. The independent variable of the duration of wetness of the leaves with a correlation coefficient of 40% has taken the sixth place. The characteristics of wind speed, temperature, wind direction, total annual rainfall, and pressure have the next ranks to estimate the actual evapotranspiration, respectively, with correlation coefficients of less than 30%. Conclusion In general, the high correlation between total solar radiation and actual evapotranspiration in a cluster indicates the key role of this meteorological variable in estimating evaporation and transpiration and is a justification for using methods based on energy balance to estimate this parameter. The high correlation between the estimation of actual evapotranspiration with the total solar radiation, considering the dependence of this variable on other climatic and hydrological variables, can be a useful point for use in watersheds lacking data and information. Also, the state of relative humidity ranks first and second respectively to predict other variables and actual evapotranspiration, indicating the key role of this variable in the case study. Contrary to some research about the key role of precipitation in the estimation of evaporation and transpiration in the Mediterranean climate, in this research no acceptable correlation was observed between the independent variable of precipitation and the dependent variable of actual evapotranspiration, although this issue may be related to the form of the equation. In this regard, instantaneous, minimum, average, and maximum relative humidity were ranked after total solar radiation. On the other hand, the total solar radiation in the estimation of the actual evapotranspiration with a correlation coefficient (71%) compared to the independent variable of relative humidity is in the first rank of the predictors, although it is ranked after the average and minimum relative humidity in the estimation of 23 meteorological variables. However, total solar radiation and relative humidity (average and minimum) were identified as two independent variables that are effective in estimating meteorological variables, especially actual evapotranspiration, and it is suggested that more research be done in watersheds with different climatic variations to discover the internal relationships of actual evapotranspiration and other climatic variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Magnisi peninsula is a small portion of land located near the largest Italian petrol-chemical pole of Augusta–Priolo–Melilli (40 km2), which, since the 1950s, devastated the local environment and landscape and unloaded directly into the sea an impressive quantity of pollutants. Unlike the terrestrial part of the area, where a Natural Oriented Reserve (NOR) called "Saline di Priolo" was established in the 2000s, no concrete legislative action has been implemented or proposed for the marine environment. At the same time, the fauna of the marine environment has not been studied in the same way as that of the terrestrial environment. As concerns the molluscan fauna, most of the information dates back to the 1800s. These studies were exclusively focused on the shells of some mollusks in the area. Instead, no study related to this area has ever been carried out on the group of sea slugs. This study conducted between 2022 and 2023, through snorkeling activities, allowed to provide the first faunistic list of the sea slugs of this area, together with information on the biology and ecology of these gastropods, highlighting the potential biodiversity present in this small stretch of coastline affected by high industrial pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Inspired by Leonardo Sciascia's novella 'The American Aunt', this article offers a new perspective on the 1943 Allied landing in Sicily, reading it through the lens of food practices and migration. Blending literary and historical analysis with the testimonies of direct witnesses of the landing, the article explores the role of food (access, products, symbolism) during late Fascism, the actual landing, and the post-1943 and post-Second World War era. The picture that emerges is a variegated landscape of experiences, pointing to starvation among the poor but also to food access for those Sicilians who lived in the countryside away from the bombarded cities, and in a Sciascia-like ironic twist, to the Sicilians' offer of fresh flavourful food to US soldiers weary of the military pre-packaged food. The article complicates the assumption that all Sicilians were starving at the time of the landing and waiting to be fed by the American soldiers coming from the Land of Abundance, a representation created by a mixture of one-sided perspectives of the war along with decades of emigration to the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is focused on the valorization of the cultural heritage represented by sulphur mines in Sicily, Italy. In particular, it represents a first approach finalized to create geo-touristic routes and improve the knowledge of the cultural and industrial Sicilian sulphur heritage. For this purpose, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to create a specific database of the study area. At the same time, a careful territorial analysis was carried out to design a possible sulphur cultural tourist itinerary, following the regional Sicilian laws of the 1990s. In order to achieve the final goal, different actions were preformed, including collection of bibliographic data and reports, sites surveys to define the actual state of the sites, and collaboration with public and private bodies such as universities, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), local governments and associations. The results achieved could represent a good grow opportunity for an economic and touristic growth. In particular, the creation of the Sulphur Cultural Itinerary represented a good way to increase the Sicilian tourist attraction. The itinerary was focused on the data available on the Touring Club's guidebook, but there were differences and improvements. The main differences concerned both the starting point, for its notable landscape, naturalistic and scientific values, and the itinerary roads, some of which were no longer accessible. The outcome reached was a starting point for all stakeholders of geoheritage, such as municipalities, tourism agencies and academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myrmeleontidae are conspicuous insects with moderate species diversity, which are reasonably well studied in Europe. However, dedicated samplings in the Mediterranean region carried out in the last years suggest that the state of knowledge of the representatives of this family occurring in outhern Europe is far from ideal. Over 40 species of antlions and owlflies are reported from Italy, of which a few are only known from the islands of the Sicilian Channel. New information: Solter liber Navás, 1912 is reported for the first time in Italy, based on specimens collected in Pantelleria Island in 2022 and 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic observations made on two 800-plus-year-old Quercus pubescens trees in the Madonie Mountains (Sicily) revealed the presence of two saprotroph and occasionally weak parasite fungi. The basiodiomycetes Laetiporus sulphureus and Pseudoinonotus dryadeus were identified by combining morphological and observation of microscopic characters with molecular analysis. The two mushrooms fall in the so-named category of “medicinal mushrooms” showing many properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, cytotoxic, hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory. Actions are proposed to safeguard old trees and, simultaneously, preserve ex situ the wood-decay fungi of potential medicinal interest.

The Magnisi peninsula is a small portion of land located near the largest Italian petrol-chemical pole of Augusta–Priolo–Melilli (40 km2), which, since the 1950s, devastated the local environment and landscape and unloaded directly into the sea an impressive quantity of pollutants. Unlike the terrestrial part of the area, where a Natural Oriented Reserve (NOR) called “Saline di Priolo” was established in the 2000s, no concrete legislative action has been implemented or proposed for the marine environment. At the same time, the fauna of the marine environment has not been studied in the same way as that of the terrestrial environment. As concerns the molluscan fauna, most of the information dates back to the 1800s. These studies were exclusively focused on the shells of some mollusks in the area. Instead, no study related to this area has ever been carried out on the group of sea slugs. This study conducted between 2022 and 2023, through snorkeling activities, allowed to provide the first faunistic list of the sea slugs of this area, together with information on the biology and ecology of these gastropods, highlighting the potential biodiversity present in this small stretch of coastline affected by high industrial pollution.

Abstract Poterium spinosum L. is a key plant species forming typical shrub communities, distributed across the Mediterranean eastern coasts. The conservation of P. spinosum is thus of the utmost importance, especially due to the ever-increasing environmental pressures like climate changes and habitat fragmentation. This study, in particular, investigated for the first time the germination variability of P. spinosum at intrapopulation level, by analysing the germination behavior of five different subpopulations growing along the coasts of Sicily. For a more exhaustive picture of the main drivers of biodiversity loss affecting the distributional area of P. spinosum, the trends of climate and land-cover changes were also studied over the periods 1931–2020 and 1958–2018, respectively. The results found significant intrapopulation variability in P. spinosum, whose germination parameters showed that fruits and seeds from distinct subpopulations respond differently to diverse temperatures. Seeds showed generally higher values of final germination percentage (FGP) compared to fruits, and at higher temperatures: the highest FGP in seeds was 70% at 20 °C, whereas in fruits was 58.2% at 15 °C. The environmental threats showed worrying trends across the study area: during 1931–2020, the average temperature increased by 1.5 °C, whereas the average rainfall declined from 710 to 650 mm. Similarly, in the period 1958–2018, the analysis of the CORINE land-cover changes showed a highly fragmented agricultural landscape, where natural areas were reduced to 2.5–5.0%. Germination variability at intrapopulation level should be considered as a fundamental adaptation strategy, which can increase the reproductive success of P. spinosum under climate and land-cover changes.

Maritime spaces have transformed rapidly the last decades. Open waters and beaches have become restricted and sometimes privatized enclosures. Different forms of extractivism have led to biodiversity loss and in particular to declining fish populations. Additionally, large-scale coastal and marine infrastructure projects, such as deepening and widening of shipping channels, have destroyed important habitats. These profound socio-ecological transformations have had an impact on geographies of resource access and control and consequently on the ability of actors to access, use and benefit from coastal and marine space. Moreover, changes in the lending policies of local banks have posed additional and severe challenges for fishers’ ability to fish. Such processes effect in particular the livelihoods of coastal and small-scale fisher communities and consequently increase existing inequalities and injustices. We suggest to bring the literature on ocean justice and access and property into dialogue and develop a heuristic for analysing inequalities and justice claims. Based on qualitative case studies focussing on the Sicily (Italy), the Elbe estuary (Germany) and the Lofoten (Norway), we show that investigating access relations facilitates the identification of unequal societal relationships with nature. Our cases illustrate that power relations in which privatization processes and access relations are embedded, determine whether injustices can be translated into justice claims and how successful these claims are. Moreover, unequal socio-ecological relations are also influenced by what we call translocal justice. Translocal justice is often lost in processes of commodification, privatization and in the rescaling of political authority and power, as local ties and confidential relationships vanish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern period, tourism is one of the most important global industries. It often appears to guarantee contact with nature, claims to protect habitats and respect principles of ecological sustainability. This paper explores Sicilian tourism and its representation in publicitary material from an ecolinguistic perspective. It asks what kind of imaginary of nature in modern Sicily can be viewed through such shots of the natural world, how these imaginaries might reflect current ecosophy, and how compatible they might be with ecological principles. It applies the heuristic notion of ‘imaginary’, current in social sciences such as sociology, psychology, and anthropology, to the context of ecolinguistic enquiry, asks how our ideas of a place and its ecosystems may be socially or culturally determined, and how these factors play into a mindset which may, or may not, be ecologically sensitive. The findings suggest that tourism photographs tend to present place images that conform to strict generic criteria, responding to public expectations and pragmatic, commercial requirements. They neither present reliable images of Sicily, nor contribute to the propagation of a specific sense of place, but rather conform to a generic pattern that tends to homogenize tourist destinations at a global level.

Abstract Potentialities and Criticalities of the Isole Ciclopi Marine Protected Area The paper analyses the Isole Ciclopi Marine Protected Area facing the hamlet of Aci Trezza within the municipality of Aci Castello in the Province of Catania, Italy. It aims to describe emerging potential and critical issues, posing the question of which actors are involved in the governance. Employing a qualitative methodology, the research revealed that the main problem is the non-implementation of the so-called command-and-control method. After establishing rules and prohibitions, resources for control and imposition of sanctions are lacking. A positive note is the increase in youth volunteer activities of cleaning the sea from plastics, showing a sound interest in the environmental education proposed by cultural and environmental associations.

This article summarises the main findings and data on the ancient peopling of the Mediterranean island of Sicily through an archaeo-anthropological perspective. The hypothesis surrounding the presence of the Lower Palaeolithic in Sicily with more ancestral species of Homo is also extensively reviewed and it is explained why there are not sufficient elements to maintain it. Finally, future multidisciplinary proposals are made to fill the gap on Sicilian cave archaeology.

The Mandorla di Avola is recognized all over the world as one of the best almond varieties. It is cultivated in a small area inside the provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa (Sicily, southern Italy). It is used in traditional Sicilian cuisine for both salty and sweet foods and of course in artisan pastry, apart from being consumed as a fruit. Due to its extraordinary organoleptic and beneficial features, the Mandorla di Avola is frequently counterfeit with almond varieties of lower quality coming from other countries. While its nutraceutical features have been studied, the possibility of authenticating it with respect to other varieties has not been explored. In this work, we used microelements determined with ICP-OES and ICP-MS as chemical descriptors to distinguish samples of Mandorla di Avola almonds from almonds coming from California and Spain, which are usually employed as substitutes in pastry. Among the different elements determined, Mn and P were found to be the best descriptors for authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Mediterranea - Ricerche Storiche is the property of Mediterranea-Ricerche Storiche and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A geometric morphometric analysis was performed on the right wing of adult Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) collected across 4 altitudinal levels in Sicily. The objective of this study was to assess differences in shape and centroid size (CS) between females and males and across elevations. The wings analyzed in this study were removed from adults of C. vicina collected with baited traps at 20, 700, 1,153, and 1,552; for this study, 19 landmarks were identified in each wing. The coordinates of the landmarks were aligned and superimposed to prevent variations due to position, orientation, and scale; they were then scaled to the same CS and recentered. CS and Procrustes differences were, respectively, used to assess variations in size and shape. Significant differences were observed in wing shape between males and females but not between all altitudinal levels. Female wings were found to be significantly larger than males (P  < 0.01). Wings of flies collected at the highest altitudinal level resulted in significantly larger wings than those collected at lower altitudes (P  < 0.001), with CS values ranging from 12.1 to 14.1. Variation in wing shape can impact thermal regulation, and therefore, oxygen content, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and solar radiation can have an effect on an insect's body and activity levels. At high elevations and lower temperatures, larger wings could mean less energy expenditure when flying to increase body temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Horses are excellent bioindicators for the assessment of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels and potential bioaccumulation of 28 mineral elements in 75 horse whole blood samples collected from five pollution-prone areas of Sicily, Italy. A direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) was used for Hg determination, and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for all other elements. A one-way ANOVA test, followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison for post hoc comparison, was applied to assess statistically significant differences between mineral elements and the five experimental groups. The levels of mineral elements in hay and concentrate were below the limits set by Regulation No. 744/2012. The mineral content of whole blood samples was slightly influenced by the region of origin of the horse. p values < 0.05 were statistically meaningful. However, the concentrations of mineral elements in horses' whole blood remained within reference ranges. In conclusion, the present study shows that the mineral content does not represent a toxicological risk for the analyzed horses. In addition, the study areas did not appear to show a high mineral element contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asterella africana is a thalloid liverwort species, which is very rare in Europe and up to now reported in Italy only from Sardinia and based on an old specimen collected by De Notaris and kept in the Herbarium of the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris (PC). In this article, we report the finding of this species in Sicily. Notes on taxonomy, ecology, distribution, and conservation status are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the genetic variability of human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is of paramount importance, especially for the potential implication of key antigenic mutations on the emergence of immune escape variants. Thus, to describe the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of hRSV circulating in Sicily (Italy), a total of 153 hRSV whole-genome sequences collected from 770 hRSV-positive subjects between 2017 and 2023, before the introduction of expanded immunization programs into the population, were investigated. The phylogenetic analyses indicated that the genotypes GA.2.3.5 (ON1) for hRSV-A and GB.5.0.5a (BA9) for hRSV-B co-circulated in our region. Amino acid (AA) substitutions in the surface and internal proteins were evaluated, including the F protein antigenic sites, as the major targets of immunoprophylactic monoclonal antibodies and vaccines. Overall, the proportion of AA changes ranged between 1.5% and 22.6% among hRSV-A, whereas hRSV-B varied in the range 0.8–16.9%; the latter was more polymorphic than hRSV-A within the key antigenic sites. No AA substitutions were found at site III of both subgroups. Although several non-synonymous mutations were found, none of the polymorphisms known to potentially affect the efficacy of current preventive measures were documented. These findings provide new insights into the global hRSV molecular epidemiology and highlight the importance of defining a baseline genomic picture to monitor for future changes that might be induced by the selective pressures of immunological preventive measures, which will soon become widely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotales, Ochrophyta), native to the Pacific Ocean and widely distributed in Asia, has been recently recognized as an emblematic case of biological invasion by marine macroalgae in European waters. Since 2015 and from the Strait of Gibraltar, R. okamurae has rapidly spread towards Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal areas exhibiting an invasive behaviour with significant ecological and socio-economic impacts. Here, we report the first morphologically and genetically confirmed observation of this species in Italy, along the north-western coast of Sicily (Gulf of Palermo). Specimens were found as drifted material and as an established population on Posidonia oceanica, representing its new eastern distribution limit in the Mediterranean Sea, as the species was previously established in Marseilles (France). Furthermore, we performed a favorability distribution model with the current introduced distribution of the species for the Mediterranean, which shows most of the western Mediterranean, including the Balearic archipelago, Corsica and Sardinia, central Mediterranean, including Sicily, and the northern coast of Africa together with eastern Mediterranean basin, as highly favorable for R. okamurae. The most probable vectors for this introduction are sea currents and maritime traffic, including fishing activities. This hypothesis was supported by some of the ranked variables in the favorability model, i.e., current velocity, and the proximity of the introduced population to fishing ports. These results are a warning that the species can cover large sea distances via sea currents, thus also threatening the ecosystems and marine resources of the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea, as these areas are forecasted to be highly favorable regions for the species. We suggest coordinated actions at the European level with stakeholders in the fishing sector regarding prevention, both because it is a highly affected sector and because it potentially has a very important role in the dispersion of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subterranean termite Reticulitermes lucifugus (Rossi 1792) is distributed in Italy and southern France, both in natural and urban environments. It comprises three lineages: i) R. lucifugus lucifugus (Rossi 1792) in the mainland, ii) R. lucifugus corsicus Clement 1977 in Corsica, Provence, Sardinia and a portion of the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy, iii) a third lineage, not yet described, identified based on the genetic analysis of a few samples from Sicily and from an isolated population in northern Italy, where it was most probably introduced by man. In this study, we characterize genetically (COII and 16S mitochondrial genes) and morphometrically (measurements of alates and soldiers) the Sicilian lineage, based on new samples collected all over the island. Our results confirm the existence of a well supported clade comprising all the samples from Sicily, neatly separated from R. lucifugus lucifugus and R. lucifugus corsicus. No other Reticulitermes species or subspecies was found in Sicily, and the Sicilian lineage was not found in peninsular Italy, suggesting that the strait separating Sicily from the mainland is an effective barrier to termite dispersal. Based on these results, we describe the Sicilian lineage of R. lucifugus as Reticulitermes lucifugus siculus ssp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Rivista Geografica Italiana is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background John M. Opitz, a towering figure in both stature and scientific achievement, left an indelible mark on the fields of genetics, pediatrics, and embryology. Born in 1935 in Hamburg to a Jewish family, Opitz’s early life was marked by adversities. Despite these challenges, he pursued a remarkable career, immigrating to the United States at 15 years and becoming a renowned scientist in institutions like Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin, where he made groundbreaking contributions to clinical genetics. Main body A testament to his compassionate nature, Opitz dedicated himself to understanding and treating rare genetic disorders, earning him eponymous recognition in several medical conditions. His impact extended beyond academia, as evidenced by his collaborative efforts with Sicilian universities to advance clinical genetics in Italy. Opitz’s teaching style emphasized simplicity, empathy, and meticulous clinical examination, leaving an indelible mark on students and colleagues. Conclusion John M. Opitz’s towering intellect, compassionate demeanor, and profound impact on medicine and genetics made him a figure of enduring significance. His legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched, the knowledge he transmitted, and the enduring friendships he forged. In remembering John Opitz, we honor not only a man, but also a myth—a symbol of resilience, humanity, and scientific excellence.

The arrival of Islam in Italy in the seventh century led to cultural acculturation and changes in several areas of life, such as literature, culture and language. The aims of this study are to: (1) Describe the process of the arrival of Islam in Italy; (2) Describe the influence of Islamic and Arabic culture in Italy. and (3) explaining the development of Arabic science and literature in Italy. This research is included in the descriptive qualitative research with a literature study approach and the data collection techniques used are reading techniques and note-taking techniques. The results of this study are: (1) The process of the arrival of Islam in Italy began when Caliph Othman bin Affan sent the prime minister Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan to attack Sicily in 652 AD. (2) There are traces of Islamic culture in the architecture of the city in the form of narrow alleys that follows the ancient Arabic style of the city of Amalfi, and the assimilation of Italian words of Arabic origin is close to 300 words; And (3) in the development of scientific and literary journals, Muslim scientists have certainly produced various major works which later became references for Western scientists. Besides that, Arabic literature also entered and developed in Sicily which became a heaven for scholars such as al-Jabr wa Maalaka, Firdaus al-Hikmah, Al-Hawi. Apart from that, Arabic literature also entered and developed in Sicily, becoming a paradise for scholars, such as the story of Layla Majnun which was outlined in the book The Secretum by Petrarch and ST. Augustine.

The first expansion of Opus Dei in Italy, in 1949, is described: this consists of an overview together with the criteria given by St. Josemaría for undertaking the trips to make Opus Dei known. With the help of the notes of Luigi Tirelli, one of the people involved in the trips, we focus on the activities carried out in Sicily (Palermo and Catania) up until the opening of the first center of the Work in Palermo (1949). To conclude, an outline of the trips to Italian cities is presented.

Intercropping landscapes characterised by the presence of certain plant features are usually considered traditional landscapes, important for their biocultural heritage. In recent decades, olive agroforestry systems previously widespread throughout Sicily have transitioned to monocultures alongside the disappearance of other tree species. To analyse the dynamics of land use, we combine mathematical representations and oral narratives of spatial change, focussing our case study on a rural area of inner Sicily, Cozzo del Lampo, characterised by a high presence of century-old olive trees. By using local geonarratives in combination with the results of change detection analysis using historical aerial images spanning 50 years (1955 – 2005), we gain insights into the relationality of people and places over time, highlighting how biocultural heritage is correlated to both local culture and ecology, and demonstrating the value of ecological perspectives to understand past and current human actions. The active engagement of the local population in the interpretation of their own (past-present) practices is key to access new ecological knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore changes in agricultural practices on Pantelleria, a small volcanic island off Sicily, and connections among humans, barley, grapevines, and animals using anthropological and sociolinguistic approaches. We analyse key features of the decline and recent revitalization of Pantescan agriculture focussing on the intercropping of barley cultivated along elevated ridges between grapevines to protect against strong winds. We also assess the use of equines, including the now-extinct Pantescan donkey, and the role of dried food products, such as viscottu (barley "biscuit"), in food security and easing of women's household responsibilities, to understand how these legacies affect today's agricultural practices and Pantescans' values. We conclude that human and non-human connectedness, and farmers' knowledge of micro topo-climatic management, including land shaping, may contribute to the formulation of agricultural strategies in a context of environmental and societal crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A five-year of monitoring (2018-2022) of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta nests in "Pozzolana di Ponente" beach on Linosa Island (Pelagie Archipelago, Italy) is here reported. To explore how temperatures affect the hatching success and the possible occurrence of any malformation in hatchlings, incubation temperature values were recorded using data loggers positioned at depths of 5 and 35 cm (for each nest) from the surface, approximately 0.5 m from the nest chamber. The obtained results highlighted important issues related to the success of hatching and the incidence of body anomalies. The temperatures recorded at different depths near the nests (5 and 35 cm) in some periods of incubation of the eggs were above optimal development temperature (i.e., ~33°C), causing high mortality rates, especially during the first two years of the survey (2018-2019). In the next three years (2020-2022), the implementation of shading cover cloths of the nests increased the survival rate and decreased the incidence of malformed individuals. Furthermore, atmospheric temperature data were extrapolated from the "Copernicus Climate Change" web service and included in our analyses to assess any changes over the timeframe analysed. Over five years (2018-2022), the average atmospheric temperature increased slightly by 1.7°C. In light of global warming, the implementation of effective and low-cost mitigation activities, such as the use of shade cloth covers to protect the nests from overheating, should be considered a suitable conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyses the activities of Genoese merchant communities in the grain trade in western Mediterranean markets. Our goal is to shed light on their ability to integrate into foreign lands, taking advantage of their privileged position within the Spanish Crown. Our analysis is focussed on two case studies, strictly connected from a theoretical point of view: Sicily and Tabarka. Both Genoese minorities living on these two islands used the port of Genoa as their commercial hub. Regarding Sicily, this study has mostly drawn information from a yet unexploited source: general average procedures drawn up in Genoa. General average (GA) was (and still is nowadays) a legal instrument used in maritime trade to share between all parties involved the expenses which can befall ships and cargoes from the time of their loading aboard until their unloading (due to accidents, jettison, etc.). These documents have been collected in an online database soon to be published as part of the ERC-funded AveTransRisk project. They offer valuable insights on shipmasters and merchants, cargo values, ports of destination, wheat prices, etc. All the sources are available on the online database resulting from the AveTransRisk project, of which we are members (). For the trade in North African wheat, we have mostly used documents related to the Genoese 'colony' of Tabarka, administered by the Lomellini family. These sources are kept in the Genoese archives as well as in the Archives Nationales of Paris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present a set of murine vascular representations from contrada Santa Anastasia (Randazzo, Sicily), dated to the 5th century BC. We offer a full archaeological contextualisation for these items, and we discuss a potential link with the role of epidemics in the past through a combination of historico-medical, palaeopathological and infectivological arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sicily hosts a significant and ancient citrus agroindustry, which includes more than 42 000 farming companies and around 20 citrus fruit‐processing companies. This study critically analyzes the citrus economy in Sicily in the early bioeconomy era with the aim to identify outcomes of general relevance for bioeconomy researchers and bioeconomy company managers working towards the full valorization of Citrus crops. These practitioners include bioeconomy company managers who need additional education in which economic and management knowledge is merged with an understanding of science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The group of Arabic medieval authors critiqued and condemned the practices of Islam among the Berber tribes in North Africa. This article delves into the medieval debate surrounding Berber Islam, exploring key themes and interpretations of Arab-Berber relations and the unique aspects of intra-religious dynamics in the medieval Islamic West. Through a comparative analysis, it examines medieval Arabic perspectives on the origins of the Berbers, the nature of Berber Islam, accusations of heterodoxy, and the perceived absence of urban culture. The essay also explores Arab authors’ perspectives on Berber rule during the Almoravid (1054–1147) and Almohad (1121–1269) periods. By examining polemical examples, it sheds light on the intricate political landscape of the Maghreb. A detailed investigation into the characteristics of Berber Islam provides insights into the Arab approach to governance in the region, as well as the successes and shortcomings thereof. The consistent negative portrayal of Berbers in Arabic narratives underscores underlying issues within the medieval Islamic politico-religious framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medieval period in Sicily was turbulent, involving successive regime changes, from Byzantine (Greek Christian), Aghlabid (Sunni Muslim), Fatimid (Shīʿa Muslim), to Normans and Swabians (Latin Christian). To shed new light on the local implications of regime changes, we conducted a multidisciplinary analysis of 27 individuals buried in adjacent Muslim and Christian cemeteries at the site of Segesta, western Sicily. By combining radiocarbon dating, genome-wide sequencing, stable and radiogenic isotopic data, and archaeological records, we uncover genetic differences between the two communities but find evidence of continuity in other aspects of life. Historical and archaeological evidence shows a Muslim community was present by the 12th century during Norman governance, with the Christian settlement appearing in the 13th century under Swabian governance. A Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates from the burials finds the abandonment of the Muslim cemetery likely occurred after the establishment of the Christian cemetery, indicating that individuals of both faiths were present in the area in the first half of the 13th century. The biomolecular results suggest the Christians remained genetically distinct from the Muslim community at Segesta while following a substantially similar diet. This study demonstrates that medieval regime changes had major impacts beyond the political core, leading to demographic changes while economic systems persisted and new social relationships emerged.

This study presents an in-depth archaeometric investigation of Iron Age ceramic assemblage dating from 950 to 750 BCE from the sanctuary at Polizzello Mountain, Sicily. The site, a key sanctuary utilized by indigenous communities for ritual activities, is examined for its strategic location, structural developments, pottery assemblages, and evidence of communal activities. The study employs petrographic analysis on thin sections, integrated with other analytical methods, to explore the technology behind pottery production. It investigates whether such production reflects a common technological knowledge shared by a broader community or if they represent a blend of different manufacturing traditions. The findings highlight that the pottery from Polizzello Mountain aligns with the well-established Sicilian tradition of combining calcareous components and grog, indicating a local tradition of pottery production with no significant compositional differences suggesting specialized production at the workshop level.

This research attempts to locate the pathways used during the Sicilian Bronze Age in the territory of the municipality of Milena (Caltanissetta, Italy), in a central area of the island. The study begins by analyzing settlement's superimposition from the Neolithic period through the Middle Ages. Using an interdisciplinary approach, it was possible to identify and hypothesize prehistoric routeways by combining UAV technology, remote sensing, and GIS applications. Thus, studying the ancient movement areas without new material evidence of their existence is possible. This methodological approach is a solution for identifying specific prehistoric pathways across the interior of Sicily. The settlement logic of the hinterland and mountainous areas on the island can sometimes be replicated in other parts of the island. The good results obtained allow us to use this case study as an example of best practices in identifying specific prehistoric routeways through the analysis of topographic features with combined technological methods to study other similar contexts.