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Sicily
Selected AbstractsPERMIAN OSTRACODS FROM THE LERCARA FORMATION (MIDDLE TRIASSIC,CARNIAN?), SICILY, ITALYPALAEONTOLOGY, Issue 3 2008SYLVIE CRASQUIN Abstract:, A rich, diverse Permian ostracod fauna has been recovered from the red and grey, laminated shales and quartz-rich shales of the Triassic Lercara Formation. Forty-seven species have been identified, 13 of which are newly described here; they belong to 26 genera of which three are new: Anahuacia lercaraensis sp. nov., Aurigerites siciliaensis sp. nov., Bairdia portellaensis sp. nov., Cristanaria? katyae sp. nov., Fabalicypris gruendeli sp. nov., Lethiersa salomonensis gen. et sp. nov., Lethiersia sinusoventralis gen. et sp. nov., Portella trapezoida gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella elongata gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella infernespinosa gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella prima gen. et sp. nov., Siciliella quadrata gen. et sp. nov., and Siciliella spinorobusta gen. et sp. nov. The assemblages contain or are composed of palaeopsychrospheric forms, which are regarded as index fossils for deep environments. The bathymetry of the different associations in life is evaluated. [source] TIME-OF-FLIGHT NEUTRON DIFFRACTION CHARACTERIZATION OF CERAMIC FINDINGS FROM SOUTHERN AND WESTERN SICILY,ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2009L. BARTOLI We present the results of a study that is part of a wider research programme regarding knowledge of the initial living phases of Sicilian agricultural and pastoral society. Three sets of ceramic samples were analysed through time-of-flight neutron diffraction (TOF-ND) to derive information about the composition of the clay and the manufacturing techniques. The first two sets of sherds came from an excavation in Licata, close to Agrigento, and are composed of findings dated around the third century bc, while the third set was of samples from prehistoric sites located in the northwestern part of Sicily. Measurements were performed to obtain a quantitative identification of the mineralogical composition of the samples in a totally non-destructive way. Hints about manufacturing techniques and firing temperatures are derived to provide information on provenance and production processes of the objects. [source] THE BLUE ENAMELS IN THE BAROQUE DECORATIONS OF THE CHURCHES OF PALERMO, SICILY: FE2+ -COLOURED GLASSES FROM LIME KILNS*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2009G. ARTIOLI Deep blue glasses coloured by octahedral Fe2+ cations are often reported as textbook examples of blue pigmentation. However, despite the possibility of laboratory synthesis under reducing conditions, to date there are no well-reported occurrences of their production and use in the past. A thorough historical, ethnographic, mineralogical, and chemico-physical investigation of the ,smaltini di calcara' from several baroque churches in Palermo, Sicily, has revealed that the blue enamels widely used for altar decorations in the 17th and 18th centuries are actually a unique case of ancient blue glasses pigmented by divalent iron cations in distorted octahedral coordination. This mixed-alkali glass was accidentally produced under severely reducing conditions in the local kilns during production of lime. [source] THE PETROGRAPHY AND CHEMISTRY OF THIN-WALLED WARE FROM AN HELLENISTIC, ROMAN SITE AT SEGESTA (SICILY),ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 3 2003G. Montana Samples of Roman thin-walled ware from Segesta (northwestern Sicily), dating back to the early Imperial period, were studied by optical microscopy (OM) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). Up to now, this class of Roman fine tableware has only occasionally been evaluated archaeometrically. Nevertheless, numerous production centres are believed to have been simultaneously active in the western Mediterranean area. Petrographic and chemical data seem to be in agreement with the archaeological hypothesis of local manufacture in Segesta for most of the analysed samples, through a comparison with kiln wasters and local raw materials. The effectiveness of thin-section petrography for determining the provenance of such a tiny tempered class of pottery and the integrated use of two different grouping procedures (petrography and chemistry) were also tested. [source] Co-inheritance of Hb Hershey [,70(E14) Ala,Gly] and Hb La Pommeraie [,133(H11)Val,Met] in a Sicilian subjectEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Antonino Giambona Abstract Objectives:,This report represents the first observation in Sicily of two rare , -globin gene variants, Hb Hershey [,70(E14) Ala,Gly] and Hb La Pommeraie [,133(H11)Val,Met], found in a 35-year-old male patient from Messina, in the north-east of Sicily during population screening for hemoglobinopathies. Methods: The occurrence of the Hb variants was assessed by cation exchange chromatography while complete blood counts were obtained using automatic cell counters. Red cell lysates were analyzed by electrophoresis at alkaline and acid pH. Stability of hemoglobin was checked by the isopropanol precipitation test and by the heat tests while inclusion bodies and reticulocyte count were determined by incubation of blood samples with brilliant cresyl blue. Molecular analysis was performed by DNA sequencing of ,- and , -globin genes. Results: We observed an abnormally high performance liquid chromatography elution with a slight reduction in mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin parameters and mutations at codon 70 GCC,GGC (Hb Hershey) and at codon 133 GTG,ATG (Hb La Pommeraie) in , -globin gene. Conclusion: Family analysis of three generations demonstrated the presence of these two mutations in trans. So it was possible to describe the phenotypes of these variants in a heterozygous state and in double heterozygous state. [source] Preliminary chemical characterization of Tunisian monovarietal virgin olive oils and comparison with Sicilian onesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Olfa Baccouri Abstract Work was carried out on the characterization of monovarietal virgin olive oils (VOO) from Tunisia and Sicily (Italy). The two main Tunisian VOO (cvv. Chétoui of the North and cv. Chemlali grown in the Center and some regions of the South) and three principal Sicilian VOO (cvv. Nocellara del Belice, Biancolilla and Cerasuola) were studied. Moreover, the Chétoui oils were tested in a rain-fed control and an irrigation regime. All olive samples were picked at three different stages of ripeness. Analyses of major components (fatty acids and triacylglycerols) and minor ones (squalene, tocopherols and phenolic compounds) were carried out. Chétoui oils had a higher level of phenolic compounds followed by Chemlali. Generally, in the Sicilian oils these natural antioxidant contents were lower. These preliminary results indicate that it was possible to classify the Tunisian and Sicilian oils tested in their original growing area based on their chemical composition. [source] Assessing the variability of hydrographic processes influencing the life cycle of the Sicilian Channel anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, by satellite imageryFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2005JESÚS GARCÍA LAFUENTE Abstract Three oceanographic surveys carried out in the Sicilian Channel during the spawning season (June to July) of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) showed a close relationship between anchovy reproductive strategy and important hydrographic structures. A time series of satellite-derived sea surface temperature images of the Sicilian Channel were analysed by means of empirical orthogonal functions and the dominant empirical modes were studied in detail. The first empirical mode captured much of the original variance and reproduced the trajectory of the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS), the principal hydrodynamic feature of the area. The time coefficients of modes 1 and 2 had seasonal signals which, when combined, accounted for the enhancement of the thermal front, clearly visible off Cape Passero (southernmost coast of Sicily) during summer. As the area constituted the principal nursery ground of the Sicilian Channel anchovy, the combination of the time coefficients of these modes was considered a potential indicator of the food particle concentration usually associated with oceanic fronts, which provided the energy requirements for larval growth. Mode 3 described the north/south displacements of the mean AIS trajectory, which modified the surface temperature regime of the anchovy spawning habitat. Therefore, the time coefficients of this mode were used as a potential indicator of anchovy spawning habitat variability. The capability of time coefficients of modes 2 and 3 to modify the main pattern depicted by mode 1 were tested successfully against in situ oceanographic observations. [source] Biological lemon and sweet orange essential oil compositionFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 6 2004A. Verzera Abstract The volatile fraction composition of sweet orange and lemon oils obtained using biological and traditional cultivation is reported. The oils came from Sicily and were industrially obtained. The aim of the research was to establish whether the use of pesticides in citrus cultivation could in,uence the essential oil composition. The volatile fraction was analysed by HRGC and HRGC,MS. The content of organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticides was determined by HRGC,FPD and HRGC,ECD. Differences in the oil composition resulted, especially in the content of carbonyl compounds; the results obtained, altogether, show that the biological oils are of higher quality in terms of their composition than traditional ones. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Biscogniauxia nummularia: pathogenic agent of a beech declineFOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2004G. Granata Summary Decline of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in Sicily and Calabria (Italy) was observed to be associated with the ascomycete Biscogniauxia nummularia. This fungus is naturally present in beech stands and to date has not been considered a primary pathogenic agent. Artificial inoculations were performed to assess its pathogenicity on beech and to determine if Sicilian and Calabrian isolates differ in virulence. Biscogniauxia nummularia played an evident primary pathogenic role under the environmental conditions studied. Virulence of the isolates was variable and did not depend neither on the geographic origin nor the environmental conditions at the sites where pathogenicity testing was performed. Résumé Le champignon ascomycète Biscogniauxia nummularia a été observé en association avec un dépérissement du hêtre européen (Fagus sylvatica) en Sicile et en Calabre (Italie). Ce champignon est naturellement présent dans les hêtraies et n'était pas considéré jusqu'à présent comme un agent pathogène primaire. Des inoculations artificielles ont été réalisées pour évaluer son pouvoir pathogène sur hêtre et déterminer si les isolats de Sicile et de Calabre présentent des différences de virulence. Dans les conditions de l'étude, B. nummularia prèsente clairement un rôle pathogène primaire. Les isolats ont une virulence variable, qui ne peut pas être reliée à l'origine géographique ou aux conditions environnementales des sites d'étude du pouvoir pathogène. Zusammenfassung Der Ascomycet Biscogniauxia nummularia wurde im Zusammenhang mit dem Absterben von Buchen (Fagus sylvatica) in Sizilien und Kalabrien (Italien) beobachtet. Der Pilz stellt eine natürliche Komponente von Buchenwäldern dar und wurde bis anhin nicht als ein primäres Pathogen eingestuft. Die Pathogenität von B. nummularia wurde mittels Infektionsversuchen an Buchen neu beurteilt, und die Virulenz von sizilianischen und kalabrischen Isolaten verglichen. Unter den getesteten Umweltbedingungen wirkte B. nummularia als primäres Pathogen. Die Virulenz der Isolate war unterschiedlich, hing aber weder von der Herkunft der Isolate noch den Umweltbedingungen an den Versuchsstandorten ab. [source] Archaeological evidence for destructive earthquakes in Sicily between 400 B.C. and A.D. 600GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Carla Bottari A systematic archaeoseismological study indicates that at least three earthquakes occurred between 400 B.C. and A.D. 600, causing destruction to numerous ancient monuments in Sicily. Evidence for these earthquakes comes from the collapse style of buildings (toppled walls, column drums in a domino-style arrangement, directional collapses, etc.), and the exclusion of other likely causes for such effects. Dating of inferred earthquakes is based on coins (accurate to within 5,10 years), pottery (accurate to within 50,200 years), and other artifacts. The oldest documented earthquake occurred between 370 and 300 B.C. and caused the collapse of two Greek temples in Selinunte. This otherwise poorly documented event was probably also the cause of extensive destruction in northeastern Sicily in the first century A.D. Destruction of some sites may be assigned to an earthquake that occurred between 360 and 374 and correlates with the A.D. 365 seismic sequence known from historical sources. This study covers a wider region and provides a more precise dating of earthquakes than previous studies. Although it focuses on a certain period (4th,3rd centuries B.C., 4th,7th centuries A.D.), it indicates that the period before A.D. 1000 is not a period of seismic quiescence in Sicily as was previously believed, but to a period characterized by strong and destructive earthquakes. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Mud volcanoes of ItalyGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Giovanni Martinelli Abstract The locations and information about the sizes of 61 mud volcanoes on the Italian mainland and Sicily, plus an area of mud diapirism in the Italian Adriatic Sea, are presented. Data about the emission products are also provided. The majority of these mud volcanoes are found where thick sedimentary sequences occur within a zone of tectonic compression associated with local plate tectonic activity: the movement of the Adriatic microplate between the converging African and Eurasian plates. The principal gas emitted by these mud volcanoes is methane, which probably originates from deep within the sediments. Other mud volcanoes, associated with igneous volcanism, produce mainly carbon dioxide. The mud diapirs in the Adriatic Sea are thought to form as a result of the mobilization of shallow gassy sediments. It has been shown that radon emissions from mud volcanoes are indicators of forthcoming earthquake events. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Shear wave splitting changes associated with the 2001 volcanic eruption on Mt EtnaGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2006Francesca Bianco SUMMARY The time delays and polarizations of shear wave splitting above small earthquakes show variations before the 2001 July 17,August 9 2001 flank eruption on Mt Etna, Sicily. Normalized time delays, measured by singular value decomposition, show a systematic increase starting several days before the onset of the eruption. On several occasions before the eruption, the polarization directions of the shear waves at Station MNT, closest to the eruption, show 90°-flips where the faster and slower split shear waves exchange polarizations. The last 90°-flip being 5 days before the onset of the eruption. The time delays also exhibit a sudden decrease shortly before the start of the eruption suggesting the possible occurrence of a ,relaxation' phenomena, due to crack coalescence. This behaviour has many similarities to that observed before a number of earthquakes elsewhere. [source] Searching for a significant correlation between volcanic tremor amplitude and SO2 emissions at Mount Etna volcano, SicilyGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2000Sabrina Leonardi Summary A strong correlation between the amplitude of volcanic tremor and the flux of SO2 has been found at Mount Etna volcano, Sicily, corresponding to enhanced volcanic activity in the period 1987,1995. We therefore suggest that tremors and SO2 emissions have a common physical origin linked to the magma dynamics of the volcano. [source] The Islamic View and the Christian View of the Crusades: A New SynthesisHISTORY, Issue 310 2008PAUL E. CHEVEDDEN Conventional wisdom maintains that the Islamic world and western Christendom held two very different views of the crusades. The image of warfare between Islam and Christendom has promoted the idea that the combative instincts aroused by this conflict somehow produced discordant views of the crusades. Yet the direct evidence from Islamic and Christian sources indicates otherwise. The self-view of the crusades presented by contemporary Muslim authors and the self-view of the crusades presented by crusading popes are not in opposition to each other but are in agreement with each other. Both interpretations place the onset of the crusades ahead of their accepted historical debut in 1095. Both interpretations point to the Norman conquest of Islamic Sicily (1060,91) as the start of the crusades. And both interpretations contend that by the end of the eleventh century the crusading enterprise was Mediterranean-wide in its scope. The Islamic view of the crusades is in fact the enantiomorph (mirror-image) of the Christian view of the crusades. This article makes a radical departure from contemporary scholarship on the early crusading enterprise because it is based on the direct evidence from Islamic and Christian sources. The direct evidence offers a way out of the impasse into which crusade history has fallen, and any attempt at determining the origin and nature of crusading without the support of the direct evidence is doomed to failure. [source] The Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of England, 1066,1266HISTORY, Issue 292 2003G. A. Loud This article looks back from the political crisis in England in the 1250s to examine English and Anglo-Norman perceptions of southern Italy and Sicily, and contacts between the two regions, over the previous two centuries. Although some at least were conscious of a common Norman heritage, commentators from England knew relatively little of the southern kingdom; certainly less than the Norman chroniclers, Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni, and even they were less well informed than has been suggested in the past. There was a period of increased diplomatic contact for a generation or so after 1160, in which the Becket dispute played a part, culminating in the visit of Richard I to Sicily during the Third Crusade although that episode did nothing to increase the warmth of Anglo-Sicilian relations. Thereafter there was relatively little contact for the next half-century, in spite of Frederick II's marriage to the sister of Henry III of England in 1235. Furthermore, Sicily was always perceived as an exotic and alien region indicating that the perceptions found in the 1250s had been anticipated at an earlier period. [source] A single mutation in the GALC gene is responsible for the majority of late onset Krabbe disease patients in the Catania (Sicily, Italy) region,,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 7 2007Willy Lissens Abstract A high proportion of patients with late onset forms of Krabbe disease is observed in a region north of Catania in Sicily. Molecular analysis in five families from this region shows that this condition is mainly due to a not previously described p.Gly41Ser substitution in the GALC gene that abolishes catalytic activity of the galactocerebrosidase enzyme, as shown by expression studies. Three patients were homozygous for this mutation, the other two were heterozygous, one with a frameshift mutation and one with a missense mutation on the second allele. Therefore, the mutation must be a mild one since it leads to late onset disease in all patients. In addition, it is on a unique haplotype indicating that it represents a founder mutation. This is also supported by the fact that the mutation was not found in three late onset patients from other regions in Sicily, in whom four novel mutations were identified. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Predicting unit plot soil loss in Sicily, south ItalyHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 5 2008V. Bagarello Abstract Predicting soil loss is necessary to establish soil conservation measures. Variability of soil and hydrological parameters complicates mathematical simulation of soil erosion processes. Methods for predicting unit plot soil loss in Sicily were developed by using 5 years of data from replicated plots. At first, the variability of the soil water content, runoff, and unit plot soil loss values collected at fixed dates or after an erosive event was investigated. The applicability of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) was then tested. Finally, a method to predict event soil loss was developed. Measurement variability decreased as the mean increased above a threshold value but it was low also for low values of the measured variable. The mean soil loss predicted by the USLE was lower than the measured value by 48%. The annual values of the soil erodibility factor varied by seven times whereas the mean monthly values varied between 1% and 244% of the mean annual value. The event unit plot soil loss was directly proportional to an erosivity index equal to , being QRRe the runoff ratio times the single storm erosion index. It was concluded that a relatively low number of replicates of the variable of interest may be collected to estimate the mean for both high and particularly low values of the variable. The USLE with the mean annual soil erodibility factor may be applied to estimate the order of magnitude of the mean soil loss but it is not usable to estimate soil loss at shorter temporal scales. The relationship for estimating the event soil loss is a modified version of the USLE-M, given that it includes an exponent for the QRRe term. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Isotope distribution of dissolved carbonate species in southeastern coastal aquifers of Sicily (Italy)HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 20 2007M. A. Schiavo Abstract Concentrations of major ions and the ,13C composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in groundwater and submarine groundwater discharges in the area between Siracusa and Ragusa provinces, southeastern Sicily, representing coastal carbonate aquifers, are presented and discussed. Most of groundwater analysed belongs to calcium bicarbonate type, in agreement with the geological nature of carbonate host rocks. Carbonate groundwater acquires, besides the dissolution of carbonate minerals, dissolved carbon (and the relative isotopic composition) from the atmosphere and from soil biological activity. In fact, ,13C values and total dissolved inorganic carbon contents show that both these sources contribute to carbon dissolved species in the waters studied. Finally, mixing with seawater in the second main factor of groundwater mineralization Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Body size structure of Pleistocene mammalian communities: what support is there for the "island rule"?INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2009Maria R. PALOMBO Abstract Islands are often regarded by scientists as living laboratories of evolution and an optimal context for the study of forces influencing evolution and diversification. Two main issues have been attentively scrutinized and debated: the loss of biodiversity and the peculiar changes undergone by island settlers, primarily changes in size of endemic vertebrates. Over time, several hypotheses have been formulated to explain the causal mechanism of body size modification. Faunas of those islands where mainland taxa migrate more than once provide the most interesting data to answer the question of whether or not trends of insular taxa result from a predictable response to differences in competition and availability of niches between insular and mainland environments. To contribute to the debate, the body size structure of the Pleistocene mammalian faunas from two Mediterranean islands, Sicily and Crete, were analyzed and compared with the structure of coeval mainland faunas. The results obtained suggest that: (i) size of endemic species does not directly depend on the area of islands; (ii) evolution and size of endemic species seems somewhat affected by the degree of isolation (constraining colonization from mainland) and physiography (sometimes permitting adaptive radiation); (iii) in unbalanced insular communities, the shift in size of non-carnivorous species largely depends on the nature of competing species; and (iv) body size of carnivorous species mainly depends on the size of the most available prey. Consequently, it is rational to suppose that the body size of insular mammals mainly results from the peculiar biological dynamics that characterizes unbalanced insular communities. Ecological interaction, particularly the intraguild competition, is the major driver behind the evolution of insular communities, leading towards an optimization of energy balance through a change in body size of endemic settlers. [source] The possible role of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the aetiology of cryptorchidism and hypospadias: a population-based case,control study in rural SicilyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 1 2007P. Carbone Abstract This was an open case,control study of the possible association between parental occupational and domestic exposures to potential endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) assessed by questionnaire and cryptorchidism and hypospadias in their offspring in the agricultural area of Ragusa. Cases of infants born between 1998 and 2002 with either of these two malformations (n = 90), and controls (n = 203), were recruited through the paediatric services (for cases) and a random sample of healthy infants attending the same services born in the same period of time (for controls). Data on occupational and environmental exposures of parents prior to and during the index case (or control), were collected through interviews with both parents. Concerning occupational exposures, we did not find a statistically significant increase in risk among parents directly involved in agricultural work. We did find a non-statistically significant increase in risk for cryptorchidism in mothers employed in agriculture [adjusted odds ratios (OR) 2.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77,11.47] and with probable exposure to pesticides (adjusted OR 2.74; 95% CI 0.72,10.42). Fathers who had indirect contact with agricultural products (transport and retail) had an increased risk (not statistically significant) for cryptorchidism (adjusted OR 2.45; 95% CI 0.63,9.59) and hypospadias and cryptorchidism combined (adjusted OR 2.24; 95% CI 0.67,7.48). Increases in risk of the two malformations pooled were also observed in relation to the mother's age below 25 (adjusted OR 1.99; 95% CI 0.97,4.09), to the presence of genital disease of the father (adjusted OR 2.41; 95%C I0.94,6.17), and the mother (adjusted OR 3.47;95% CI1.34,8.99), to low birth weight of the infant (adjusted OR 4.49; 95% CI 1.23,16.31). Increased risk was also observed for mothers consuming alcohol during pregnancy (adjusted OR 3.09; 95% CI 0.98,9.66), and for couples who conceived while using condoms (adjusted OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.02,4.41). The study therefore provides only limited support to the hypothesis of a possible association between the risk of cryptorchidism and hypospadias and the occupational exposure to EDC and agricultural work. [source] Droughts and extreme events in regional daily Italian precipitation seriesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2002Michele Brunetti Abstract This paper proposes a methodology to study daily precipitation series that include a significant proportion of missing data, without resorting to completion methods based on randomly generated numbers. It is applied to a data set consisting of 75 station records (1951,2000) covering the Italian territory. They are clustered by principal component analysis into six regions: the north-west, the northern part of the north-east, the southern part of the north-east, the centre, the south and the islands (i.e. Sicily and Sardinia). Complete annual and seasonal regional average series are obtained from the incomplete station records, and analysed for droughts and extreme precipitation events. Droughts are identified by means of two indicators: the longest dry period and the proportion of dry days. The most remarkable result is a systematic increase in winter droughts over all of Italy, especially in the north, due mainly to the very dry 1987,93 period. Extreme events are analysed considering 5 day regional totals. In this case, however, an attempt to search for a statistically significant trend is not successful because of the scarcity of events in such a short period. The reliability of the regional series is checked by computing some basic statistics concerning total precipitation, rainy days and precipitation intensity and comparing them with the same statistics computed for regional series obtained by station records completed with methods based on random number generators. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Traces of Roman Offshore Navigation on Skerki Bank (Strait of Sicily)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Christian Weitemeyer For a long time historians have been discussing to what extent offshore routes were used in the ancient Mediterranean. In 20 years of almost annual expeditions we found Roman remains dating from different centuries around Keith Reef on Skerki Bank in the Strait of Sicily. These finds include material from several sunken ships as well as many single lead anchor-stocks. We conclude from our finds that a sizeable part of the traffic between Carthage and Rome followed a direct course across the sea. © 2009 The Authors [source] Ecofriendly Protection from Biofouling of the Monitoring System at Pantelleria's Cala Gadir Underwater Archaeological Site, SicilyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Pietro Selvaggio First page of article [source] Annual trend of fish assemblages associated with FADs in the southern Tyrrhenian SeaJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 3 2007F. Andaloro Summary A study on fish assemblage associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Sicily was carried out between January 2000 and January 2001. With a fortnightly periodicity, 156 experimental hauls were carried out by means of a purse seine in a FAD-containing marine section banned to commercial fishing. A total of 14 229 fish specimens belonging to six families and 10 species was found. These species were Balistes carolinensis, Caranx crysos, Naucrates ductor, Seriola dumerili, Seriola fasciata, Tachurus picturatus, Coryphaena hippurus, Schedophilus ovalis, Thunnus thynnus, Polyprion americanus and showed all young-of-the-year undergoing a rapid growth. The applied ordination technique highlighted the existence of four assemblage periods describing the annual trend. The results confirm that fish assemblages associated with FADs are related to season, following a fish colonization tied to natural recruitment. Comparison of the ecological indices across the four periods showed that the assemblages in the periods from summer to winter were more structured than those in spring. The quantity of individuals also showed a strong variation peaking in the summer period. The results of this study reveal that FADs represent a particular nursery area for the associated species that could influence their survival. [source] Diet of young-of-the-year bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), in the southern Tyrrhenian (Mediterranean) SeaJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 4 2004M. Sinopoli Summary The diet of juvenile bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught 2 to 8 miles off NE Sicily was investigated in order to improve knowledge of the species' early life history. From 1998 to 2000, 107 specimens ranging from 63 to 495 mm (total length) were fished between July and November. Fishes were caught by trolling line or purse seine in a Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) area 2 to 8 miles offshore and as by-catch of the purse-seine sardine fishery 2 to 4 miles offshore. Most frequently found items in the T. thynnus stomachs were fishes (84.5%), crustaceans (54.6%) and cephalopods (50.5%). The largest contribution in weight was provided by cephalopods (47.3%) and fishes (46.5%), while the most abundant items were fishes (51%), cephalopods (27.2%) and crustaceans (21.1%). These results suggest that young-of-the-year tuna have an essentially piscivorous diet, although invertebrate prey provide a substantial contribution to the food array. Prey show little relationship with FADs, although one prey species (blue runner, Caranx crysos) is associated with FADs in the Mediterranean. [source] Analysis of non- Saccharomyces yeast populations isolated from grape musts from Sicily (Italy)JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008D.P. Romancino Abstract Aims:, The aim of this study was to identify the non- Saccharomyces yeast populations present in the grape must microflora from wineries from different areas around the island of Sicily. Methods and Results:, Yeasts identification was conducted on 2575 colonies isolated from six musts, characterized using Wallerstein Laboratory (WL) nutrient agar, restriction analysis of the amplified 5·8S-internal transcribed spacer region and restriction profiles of amplified 26S rDNA. In those colonies, we identified 11 different yeast species originating from wine musts from two different geographical areas of the island of Sicily. Conclusions:, We isolated non- Saccharomyces yeasts and described the microflora in grape musts from different areas of Sicily. Moreover, we discovered two new colony morphologies for yeasts on WL agar never previously described. Significance and Impact of the Study:, This investigation is a first step in understanding the distribution of non- Saccharomyces yeasts in grape musts from Sicily. The contribution is important as a tool for monitoring the microflora in grape musts and for establishing a new non- Saccharomyces yeast collection; in the future, this collection will be used for understanding the significance of these yeasts in oenology. [source] On the general dynamic model of oceanic island biogeographyJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 6 2009Simone Fattorini Abstract Aim, To investigate the biological meaning of equations used to apply the general dynamic model (GDM) of oceanic island biogeography proposed by R. J. Whittaker, K. A. Triantis and R. J. Ladle. Location, Analyses are presented for 17 animal groups living on the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the central Mediterranean, near Sicily. Methods, In addition to the mathematical implementation of the GDM proposed by Whittaker, Triantis and Ladle, and termed here logATT2 (, where S is species number or any other diversity metric, t is island age, A is island area, and a, b, c and d are fitted parameters), a new implementation based on the Arrhenius equation of the species,area relationship (SAR) is investigated. The new model (termed powerATT2) is: . For logATT2 and powerATT2 models, equations were developed to calculate (1) the expected number of species at equilibrium (i.e. when the island has reached maturity) per unit area (Seq), and (2) the time required to obtain this value (teq). Whereas the intercept in the Gleason model (S = C + z log A) or the coefficient of the Arrhenius power model (S = CAz) of the SAR can be considered measures of the expected number of species per unit area, this is not the case for the parameter a of the ATT2 models. However, values of Seq can be used for this purpose. The index of ,colonization ability' (CAB), calculated as the ratio , may provide a measure of the mean number of species added per unit area per unit time. Results, Both ATT2 models fitted most of the data well, but the powerATT2 model was in most cases superior. Equilibrial values of species richness (Seq) varied from c. 3 species km,2 (reptiles) to 100 species km,2 (mites). The fitted curves for the powerATT2 model showed large variations in d, from 0.03 to 3. However, most groups had values of d around 0.2,0.4, as commonly observed for the z -values of SARs modelled by a power function. Equilibration times ranged from about 170,000 years to 400,000 years. Mites and springtails had very high values of CAB, thus adding many more species per unit area per unit time than others. Reptiles and phytophagous scarabs showed very low values, being the groups that added fewest species per unit area per unit time. Main conclusions, Values of equilibrial species richness per unit area are influenced by species biology (e.g. body size and ecological specialization). Theoretical and empirical evidence suggests that higher immigration rates should increase the z -values of the Arrhenius model. Thus, in the same archipelago, groups with larger z -values should be characterized by higher dispersal ability. Results obtained here for the parameter d conform to this prediction. [source] Species richness, rarity and endemicity on Italian offshore islands: complementary signals from island-focused and species-focused analysesJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2008Leonardo Dapporto Abstract Aims, To investigate the relative explanatory power of source faunas and geographical variables for butterfly incidence, frequency, richness, rarity, and endemicity on offshore islands. Location, The western Italian offshore islands (Italy and Malta). Methods, Thirty-one islands were examined. Data were taken from our own field surveys and from the literature. Two approaches were undertaken, described as island-focused and species-focused, respectively. Offshore islands were allocated to their neighbouring source landmasses (Italian Peninsula, Sicily and Sardinia,Corsica) and compared with each other for faunal attributes, source and island geography. Generalized linear and stepwise multiple regression models were then used to determine the relationships of island species richness, rarity and endemicity with potential geographical predictors and source richness, rarity, and endemicity (island-focused). Species frequency and incidence were assessed in relation to geographical and source predictors using stepwise linear and logistic regression, and inter-island associations were examined using K-Means clustering and non-metric scaling (species-focused). Results, The analysis reveals firm evidence for the influence of the nearest large landmass sources on island species assemblages, richness, rarity and endemicity. A clear distinction in faunal affinities occurs between the Sardinian islands and islands lying offshore from the Italian mainland and Sicily. Islands neighbouring these three distinct sources differ significantly in richness, rarity and endemicity. Source richness, rarity, and endemicity have explanatory power for island richness, rarity, and endemicity, respectively, and together with island geography account for a substantial part of the variation in island faunas (richness 59%, rarity 60% and endemicity 64%). Source dominates the logistic regression parameters predicting the incidence of island species [13 (38%) of 34 species that could be analysed]; three ecological factors (source frequency, flight period and maximal altitude at which species live) explained 75% of the variation in the occurrence of species on the islands. Species found more frequently on islands occurred more frequently at sources, had longer flight periods, and occurred at lower altitudes at the sources. The incidence of most species on islands (84%) is correctly predicted by the same three variables. Main conclusions, The Italian region of the Mediterranean Sea has a rich butterfly fauna comprising endemics and rare species as well as more cosmopolitan species. Analysis of island records benefited from the use of two distinct approaches, namely island-focused and species-focused, that sift distinct elements in island and source faunas. Clear contemporary signals appear in island,source relationships as well as historical signals. Differences among faunas relating to sources within the same region caution against assuming that contemporary (ecological) and historical (evolutionary) influences affect faunas of islands in different parts of the same region to the same extent. The implications of source,island relationships for the conservation of butterflies within the Italian region are considered, particularly for the long-term persistence of species. [source] Fire disturbance disrupts co-occurrence patterns of terrestrial vertebrates in Mediterranean woodlandsJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 5 2006Maurizio Sarà Abstract Aim, This paper uses null model analysis to explore the pattern of species co-occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate fauna in fire-prone, mixed evergreen oak woodlands. Location, The Erico,Quercion ilicis of the Mediterranean belt (50,800 m a.s.l.) in the Madonie mountain range, a regional park in northern Sicily (37°50, N, 14°05, E), Italy. Methods, The stratified sampling of vertebrates in a secondary succession of recent burned areas (BA, 1,2 years old), intermediate burned areas (INT, 4,10 years old) and ancient burned areas (CNB, > 50 years old), plus forest fragments left within burned areas (FF, 1,2 years old) permitted the comparison of patterns of species co-occurrence using a set of separate presence/absence matrices. First, the breeding avifauna derived from standardized point counts was analysed using Stone & Roberts'C -score, and by a null model algorithm (fixed/equiprobable). Secondly, the analysis was repeated using all vertebrate species recorded in the succession. Results, Sixty-five species were recorded in the 2-year study period in the four sample treatments. Birds were found to make up the largest component (63%) of the recorded assemblage. The BA treatment had the lowest species richness, followed in order by the small, medium and large FFs, and then by the CNBs. For both analyses (birds and total vertebrates), the C -scores were quite small and not significantly different from those that could be expected by chance in the BA and INT burned areas; this indicates a random co-occurrence among vertebrates of those assemblages. Contrariwise, for both analyses in the CNBs, the C -scores were large and significantly different from the simulated indices, thereby indicating a non-random co-occurrence pattern (segregation) of vertebrates in the undisturbed woodlands. In addition, C -score values for the surviving FFs show a significant aggregation of species. Main conclusions, The null model analyses highlighted a new aspect of fire disturbance in Mediterranean woodland ecosystems: the disruption in patterns of co-occurrence in the terrestrial vertebrate community. Wildfire alters community organization, inducing, for at least 10 years, a random aggregate of species. Communities re-assemble themselves, showing the occurrence of species segregation at least 50 years after fire. [source] Morphological variation among populations of Aphanius fasciatus Nardo, 1827 (Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae) from the MediterraneanJOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2007V. Ferrito The amount of osteological variation among 11 Italian killifish Aphanius fasciatus populations was examined by the univariate and multivariate analysis of 40 morphometric and meristic variables of the skull and vertebral column. Populations were sampled in three geographically distinct areas (the Adriatic, Sardinia and Sicily). The statistical analysis confirmed that several populations were well differentiated. In particular, discriminant analysis revealed a strong discriminating power of the morphometric variables. Morphometrics of the vertebrae, bony elements of the pharyngeal jaws, supraoccipital and parasphenoid were the most important in discriminating populations. The dendrogram obtained by UPGMA cluster analysis shows the separation of the south-eastern Sicilian populations, that of the Sardinian populations and that of the central-northern Sicilian plus Adriatic populations, as well as the isolation of the Sicilian population from Pantano Viruca and of the Sardinian populations from Pauli Figu from all the others. The significance of the observed differentiation pattern is discussed. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||