Search

How did women relate to space and time when working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic? We contextualized women's relationships with their home spaces as they became nomads in their own homes during the lockdown. In face-to-face focus-group interviews conducted with 50 women who had experience with smart work or telework in Tuscany, Italy, we observed a range of strategies among women who dealt with forced closures during COVID-19. Justification and acceptance of inequality became a part of the daily life of the women, who fought against unequal distribution of time and space via negotiation, evidence, adaptation, or requests to return to workplaces. During COVID-19, Italian working women were in search of space and time in their own homes, trying relentlessly to respond to the demands of their families and fulfil work-related requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the artist's iron-based natural earth pigments, the so-called terra di Siena (raw sienna), terra di Siena bruciata (burnt sienna) and terra d'ombra (umber) have been among the yellow-brown and reddish-brown earth pigments most widely used by Italian and European painters since the Renaissance. We present the history of discovery, designation, and production of these famous pigments, their geological, lithological, and geochemical characterization, and the recognition of their genesis and places of origin, based on new geological field surveys, and on the critical analysis of textual documents and rock sample collections assembled during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In particular, the terra di Siena earth pigment exclusively originated at, and was extracted from, late Pleistocene paleo-lake basins surrounding the Monte Amiata volcano. This earth pigment consists of primarily lacustrine sediments composed of hydrated iron oxide (limonite/goethite) produced by biochemical authigenic precipitation from fresh waters rich in metal solutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science has grown in importance in recent years: many projects have been launched and records are being collected on an unprecedented scale. However, certain less charismatic invertebrate groups are still underreported and the accuracy and quality of their records in crowd-sourced citizen-science projects have rarely been investigated. Here, we used expert review to conduct quality control of nonmarine mollusc observations from central Italy on the online citizen-science platform iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/). As of December 2019, c. 400 observations of nonmarine molluscs had been reported from Tuscany on iNaturalist. Most records (59.4%) were identified to species level by the iNaturalist community and included a total of 90 taxa, providing interesting new chorological data of certain entities. Although identification of more than half the observations uploaded by the community was confirmed by expert malacologists, some major issues emerged: low quality of photographic vouchers; bias in favour of a few large common species; poor taxonomic knowledge producing incorrect identifications; and difficulty of identifying many taxa without anatomical study. Expert review remains an essential tool for verification and improvement of data quality in citizen-science projects. In this regard, information on the main diagnostic characters of the more common species (e.g. certain medium–large-sized snails and slugs) as well as tips on how to take good quality photographic images could be provided to volunteers in the form of simple guides and tutorials. High-quality training resources to support recorders and regular feedback and teamwork between scientists and citizens could prevent unverified or inaccurate records from impairing the accuracy of citizen-science datasets and offer a real opportunity to discover and conserve less charismatic taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small area estimation is receiving considerable attention due to the high demand for small area statistics. Small area estimators of means and totals have been widely studied in the literature. Moreover, in the last years also small area estimators of quantiles and poverty indicators have been studied. In contrast, small area estimators of inequality indicators, which are often used in socio-economic studies, have received less attention. In this article, we propose a robust method based on the M-quantile regression model for small area estimation of the Theil index and the Gini coefficient, two popular inequality measures. To estimate the mean squared error a non-parametric bootstrap is adopted. A robust approach is used because often inequality is measured using income or consumption data, which are often non-normal and affected by outliers. The proposed methodology is applied to income data to estimate the Theil index and the Gini coefficient for small domains in Tuscany (provinces by age groups), using survey and Census micro-data as auxiliary variables. In addition, a design-based simulation is carried out to study the behaviour of the proposed robust estimators. The performance of the bootstrap mean squared error estimator is also investigated in the simulation study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A protracted outbreak of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)– producing carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae started in Tuscany, Italy, in November 2018 and continued in 2020 and through 2021. To understand the regional emergence and transmission dynamics over time, we collected and sequenced the genomes of 117 extensively drug-resistant, NDM-producing K. pneumoniae isolates cultured over a 20-mo period from 76 patients at several healthcare facilities in southeast Tuscany. All isolates belonged to high-risk clone ST-147 and were typically nonsusceptible to all first-line antibiotics. Albeit sporadic, resistances to colistin, tigecycline, and fosfomycin were also observed as a result of repeated, independent mutations. Genomic analysis revealed that ST-147 isolates circulating in Tuscany were monophyletic and highly genetically related (including a network of 42 patients from the same hospital and sharing nearly identical isolates), and shared a recent ancestor with clinical isolates from the Middle East. While the blaNDM-1 gene was carried by an IncFIB-type plasmid, our investigations revealed that the ST-147 lineage from Italy also acquired a hybrid IncFIB/IncHIB–type plasmid carrying the 16S methyltransferase armA gene as well as key virulence biomarkers often found in hypervirulent isolates. This plasmid shared extensive homologies with mosaic plasmids circulating globally including from ST-11 and ST-307 convergent lineages. Phenotypically, the carriage of this hybrid plasmid resulted in increased siderophore production but did not confer virulence to the level of an archetypical, hypervirulent K. pneumoniae in a subcutaneous model of infection with immunocompetent CD1 mice. Our findings highlight the importance of performing genomic surveillance to identify emerging threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement and monitoring of precipitation is crucial for many applications, such as flood and drought risk assessment and management. Conventional meteorological devices for estimating precipitation (i.e., rain gauges, disdrometers, active and passive remote sensors, be they ground-based, spaceborne, or airborne) have their own strengths and weaknesses. The latter are often related to time and space resolution, coverage, and cost. In the last two decades, several studies have been carried out to exploit opportunistic signals of terrestrial microwave communication links to improve precipitation estimation capability. This study describes and evaluates a method to retrieve rainfall rate from the signal-to-noise ratio obtained from commercial interactive digital video broadcasting (DVB) receivers [referred as to smart low-noise blocks (smartLNBs)]. During a 1-year measurement campaign carried out in Tuscany (Italy) with purposely deployed instruments, the precipitation values estimated from a set of SmartLNBs were compared with measurements from co-located rain gauges and disdrometer. The normalized mean absolute error (NMAE) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) obtained comparing the total cumulative precipitation from a SmartLNB and a disdrometer are 48.8% and 7.46 mm, respectively. Encouraging results also come from comparing the total precipitation amounts as measured by the SmartLNBs and by the rain gauges, with values of NMAE (respectively, RMSE) ranging between 44% and 82% (respectively, 5.2 and 11.5 mm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana (IZSLT) and the International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations (Apimondia) set up a worldwide survey in 2015–2017 to gather information on beekeepers' perceptions concerning good beekeeping practices, the main honey bee diseases, and the technical assistance they receive. The on-line dissemination of the survey was facilitated by the "Technologies and Practices for Small Agricultural Producers" platform (TECA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). In total, 248 questionnaires were received from the European region and the results are reported here. Varroosis remains the biggest concern and is the most important reason for beekeepers' use of veterinary medicines. However, a sustainable approach to managing Varroa was detected. American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) infections are mainly managed through the shook swarm technique or burning the hives. Concerning technical assistance for disease management, beekeepers were mainly supported by their associations or expert beekeepers. Relevant data were collected and analyzed but information from many low-income countries in Africa or Asia is still missing, and more efforts are needed to fill the knowledge gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-years-old plants of Pyrus communis showing symptoms of fire blight disease were sampled in an orchard in Tuscany (Italy) during Autumn 2020. Plants were obtained the previous spring from a commercial nursery located in a region where the disease is present since 1994. The collected material was processed in the lab in order to verify the presence of the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight. Pure isolates showing white mucoid colonies and levan producers on Levan medium were putatively assimilated to E. amylovora. DNA was extracted from the cultures and analysed with three molecular assays, including duplex PCR of the 29-Kb plasmid pEA29 and the ams chromosomal region, sequencing of the 16S rDNA and recA gene regions, two real-time PCR assays on symptomatic plant tissues. All tests confirmed the presence of E. amylovora. Symptomatic and surrounding plants were removed and immediately destroyed according to the regional phytosanitary protocol. This outcome poses a serious threat for fruit orchards in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Czech Mycology is the property of Czech Scientific Society for Mycology 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.)

The "Divina!" project stems from the collaboration with the Tuscany Regional Council to celebrate the Supreme Poet and his opus in the seven hundredth anniversary of his death. The project conceived and implemented a contemporary statuary installation that exploits the Divina commedia to prompt viewers to a technological meditation on the importance of preservation, of keeping firm roots in the evolutionary and innovative path, in communication and disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Museo Naturalistico Archeologico dell'Appennino Pistoiese (MUNAP) at Gavinana (PT) hosts one of the most abundant and diverse collections of Late Palaeozoic plant fossils from the San Lorenzo Schists of the Pisani Mountains. More than 1200 rock slabs yielding plant fossils were collected from six different outcrops in Guappero Valley in the San Lorenzo a Vaccoli area (NE of the Pisani Mountains, near Lucca), the type-locality of the formation. The present study concerns two outcrops at Via Pari that are characterized by a wide range of plant fossils (20 taxa) belonging to the lycopsids (Stigmaria), sphenopsids (Calamites, Asterophyllites, Calamostachys, Sphenophyllum, Bowmanites), ferns (Acitheca, Diplazites, Cyathocarpus), seed ferns (Alethopteris, ?Autunia, gen. indet.), cordaites (Cordaites) and seeds (Carpolithes). This first description of the plant fossil collection and the revision of its stratigraphical context with respect to the surrounding famous fossiliferous sections of the Guappero Valley refine the stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework of the Late Palaeozoic successions of the Pisani Mts. and more generally of the Apennine chain. The qualitative and quantitative analyses show significant environmental variations between neighbouring outcrops in the Via Pari area - i.e., more humid conditions in 'Via Pari Buca' than in 'Via Pari Smottamento' - and suggest a latest Carboniferous (Gzhelian) instead of an early Permian age as proposed by previous authors. Moreover, the differences in composition between the plant assemblages of the Via Pari sections with the historical assemblage of the nearby Monte Vignale outcrop (containing typical Permian and more xerophytic elements) in the De Stefani Collection of the Florence Natural History Museum is explained by a younger age (early Permian) of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rare diseases (RDs) encompass a heterogeneous group of life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions that individually affect a small number of subjects but overall represent a major public health issue globally. There are still limited data on RD burden due to the paucity of large population-based epidemiological studies. The aim of this research was to provide survival estimates of patients with a RD residing in Tuscany, Italy.Methods: Cases collected in the Rare Diseases Registry of Tuscany with diagnosis between 1st January 2000 and 31th December 2018 were linked to the regional health databases in order to retrieve information on mortality of all subjects. Survival at 1, 5 and 10 years from diagnosis with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated by sex, age class, nosological group and subgroup using the Kaplan-Meier method. The effect of sex, age and period of diagnosis (years 2000-2009 or 2010-2018) on survival was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression.Results: Survival at 1, 5 and 10 years from diagnosis was 97.3%, 88.8% and 80.8%, respectively. Respiratory diseases and peripheral and central nervous system disorders were characterized by the lowest survival at 5 and 10 years. Despite a modest higher prevalence of RDs among females (54.0% of the total), male cases had a significant increased risk of death (hazard ratio, HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.38-1.58). Cases diagnosed during 2010-2018 period had a risk of death significantly lower than those diagnosed during 2000-2009 (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.82-0.96), especially for immune system disorders (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.26-0.87), circulatory system diseases (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.45-0.84) and diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.49-0.84).Conclusions: An earlier diagnosis as well as the improvement in the efficacy of treatment resulted in a decreased risk of death over the years for specific RDs. The linkage between a population-based registry and other regional databases exploited in this study provides a large and accurate mass of data capable of estimating patients' life-expectancy and increasing knowledge on the collective burden of RDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iconography of the Madonna del Parto was established in Tuscany in the fourteenth century. An intriguing detail of some of these Madonnas is the knotted belt they wear. This paper argues that these painted belts allude to the relic of the Virgin's Sacra Cintola that was venerated in Prato, and that Florentine interest in the relic developed when the FIorentines took control of the town in 1350-1351. A poem of 1340 relates the power of the relic to provide comfort to expectant mothers. I suggest that the several Florentine images of the Madonna del Parto wearing a simulacrum of the Cintola, all of which date from after 1350, sustained pregnant women and their families through the pains and uncertainties of childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sample of 13 Masonry Churches in Tuscany (Italy). • Territorial Seismic Risk Assessment. • Critical Insight into the Results obtained with expeditious approaches. Among heritage buildings, masonry churches are complex structures often characterized by an open plan layout with slender perimeter walls. Their vulnerability to earthquakes is frequently increased by the absence of adequate connections between the various parts of the structural complex, together with the presence of thrusting horizontal elements such as masonry vaults and timber roofs. In this paper, the vulnerability and the seismic risk of thirteen masonry churches located in Tuscany (Italy) have been analysed with simplified methods to establish a first screening of the risk of this heritage typology. The methods are that proposed by Lourenço and Roque in 2006 and the so-called first level of analysis (LA-1), introduced by the Italian code. For one of these churches, the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo, the analyses of second (LA-2) and third (LA-3) level have been also performed according to the same code. The results highlight the contribution of the simplified approaches to establish a first selection of the priorities for subsequent investigations and, if needed, proper interventions. Approximately one-half of the churches composing the sample have the normalized simplified indexes lower than one, indicating the need of further investigations. For the Basilica of San Francesco the results of LA-2 level of analysis confirm the conclusions obtained with the more simplified procedures, while a criticism is highlighted with the LA-3 approach when the N2 method is adopted in combination with a pushover methodology of analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandfly fever is a febrile emerging arboviral illness which is a huge threat posed to public health. Sandfly fever viruses (Sicilian, Naples, and Toscana) are endemic to the Mediterranean region. Evidence suggests an increase in the activity of sandfly-borne phleboviruses and their extension to other places. The infection is relatively benign but may cause severe clinical manifestations and complications. Sandfly fever viruses belongs to the genus Phlebovirus (family Bunyaviridae), and the four main serotypes include sandfly fever Sicilian virus, sandfly fever Naples virus, sandfly fever Cyprus virus, and Toscana virus. Sandfly fever has flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, photophobia, malaise, myalgia, and retro-orbital pain. The incubation period of the disease is 4-8 days, and the patient usually recovers within a week. The first infection provides the host with immunity. Sandfly fever viruses are transmitted through the bites of infected female sandflies, thus, the epidemiology of sandfly fever is closely related to the presence and activity of sandfly species that act as the vectors for transmission. Cases and outbreaks of the disease have been reported worldwide for more than 100 years. All in all, this disease is important for non-endemic countries because it is a travel-related and/or imported illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of studying the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Tuscany region of Italy during the first epidemic wave (February-June 2020), we define a compartmental model that accounts for both detected and undetected infections and assumes that only notified cases can die. We estimate the infection fatality rate, the case fatality rate, and the basic reproduction number, modeled as a time-varying function, by calibrating on the cumulative daily number of observed deaths and notified infected, after fixing to plausible values the other model parameters to assure identifiability. The confidence intervals are estimated by a parametric bootstrap procedure and a Global Sensitivity Analysis is performed to assess the sensitivity of the estimates to changes in the values of the fixed parameters. According to our results, the basic reproduction number drops from an initial value of 6.055 to 0 at the end of the national lockdown, then it grows again, but remaining under 1. At the beginning of the epidemic, the case and the infection fatality rates are estimated to be 13.1% and 2.3%, respectively. Among the parameters considered as fixed, the average time from infection to recovery for the not notified infected appears to be the most impacting one on the model estimates. The probability for an infected to be notified has a relevant impact on the infection fatality rate and on the shape of the epidemic curve. This stresses the need of collecting information on these parameters to better understand the phenomenon and get reliable predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefits of chronic polytherapy in reducing readmissions and death after myocardial infarction (MI) have been clearly shown. However, real-world evidence shows poor medication adherence and large geographic variation, suggesting critical issues in access to optimal care. Our objectives were to measure adherence to polytherapy, to compare the amount of variation attributable to hospitals of discharge and to community-based providers, and to identify determinants of adherence to medications.Methods: This is a population-based study. Data were obtained from the information systems of the Lazio and Tuscany Regions, Italy (9.5 million inhabitants). Patients hospitalized with incident MI in 2010-2014 were analyzed. The outcome measure was medication adherence, defined as a Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) ≥ 0.75 for at least 3 of the following drugs: antiplatelets, β-blockers, ACEI/ARBs, statins. A 2-year cohort-study was performed. Cross-classified multilevel models were applied to analyze geographic variation. The variance components attributable to hospitals of discharge and community-based providers were expressed as Median Odds Ratio (MOR).Results: A total of 32,962 patients were enrolled. About 63% of patients in the Lazio cohort and 59% of the Tuscan cohort were adherent to chronic polytherapy. Women and patients aged 85 years and over were most at risk of non-adherence. In both regions, adherence was higher for patients discharged from cardiology wards (Lazio: OR = 1.58, p < 0.001, Tuscany: OR = 1.59, p < 0.001) and for patients with a percutaneous coronary intervention during the index admission. Relevant variation between community-based providers was observed, though when the hospital of discharge was included as a cross-classified level, in both Lazio and Tuscany regions the variation attributable to hospitals of discharge was the only significant component (Lazio: MOR = 1.30, p = 0.001; Tuscany: MOR = 1.31, p = 0.001).Conclusion: Adherence to best practice treatments after MI is not consistent with clinical guidelines, and varies between patient groups as well as within and between regions. The variation attributable to providers is affected by the hospital of discharge, up to two years from the acute episode. This variation is likely to be attributable to hospital discharge processes, and could be reduced through appropriate policy levers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Several cases of acute non‐infectious cholestatic hepatitis recently appeared in Italy following consumption of Curcuma longa‐containing dietary supplements. The aim of this research was to describe the Tuscan (Italy) cases of acute hepatitis and to compare them with similar cases of hepatotoxicity published in the literature by performing a systematic review. Methods: Records of Tuscan cases of acute hepatitis were obtained from the Italian Phytovigilance system. Each spontaneous report was analysed in order to collect all relevant clinical information of patients and information concerning the Curcuma longa‐containing dietary supplement. Moreover, both the RUCAM and WHO‐UMC systems were used to evaluate the causal relationship between the use of dietary supplement and acute hepatitis. A systematic literature review was performed in MEDLINE and Embase and all case‐reports and case‐series published in English were included. Results: Seven cases of acute hepatitis occurring in Tuscany up to September 2019 are described. In all cases, hepatotoxicity was associated with Curcuma longa formulations with high bioavailability and high dosage of curcumin/curcuminoids. The causal relationship was also supported by the positive dechallenge observed in most cases. In the 23 cases identified through the systematic review, the majority of patients were concomitantly exposed to at least one other medication and 16 of them experienced a positive dechallenge. Conclusions: Within the frame of poorly controlled and regulated products, such as dietary supplements, the evaluation of Italian cases of Curcuma longa‐induced acute hepatitis and the systematic review of literature confirmed the association between Curcuma longa and liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of a PLM is a great process of change, representing a critical phase due to the inertia that characterizes some organizations. This evidence especially occurs in industry new to PLM, such as the fashion one, where a lack of clear guidelines for implementation significantly increases the risk of failure of that process. In addition, an adequate project management approach that actively includes final users during the whole process will avoid the mismatch between outcomes and requirements. To support an efficient and effective introduction of PLM, it is then important to define a structured implementation method that involves all interested users from the early stages. A literature review has been conducted as preliminary step to investigate if bottom-up approaches to PLM implementation in fashion industry have already been studied. Based on the evidences from literature review, a framework was therefore defined, detailing the step-by-step procedure to follow for effectively implement a PLM considering the peculiarities of the fashion industry. To give evidence of the applicability of the proposed framework, it has been successfully used during the implementation process of a PLM software in a real context. The Italian company involved in the case study, Graziella, belongs to the gold-working district of Arezzo, in Tuscany, and has been working for more than 60 years in the gold jewellery sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tuscan Region (Central Italy) spends about 12 million euros every year in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. In this context, this study aims to analyse the economic and environmental benefits derived from fire suppression activities. Starting from a case study of a real fire event in Tuscany, we simulated three hypothetical scenarios (with different fire durations) without fire extinction activities planned by using the open source software FARSITE. Benefits derived from fire extinction activities can be quantified as the avoided damage, which has been calculated through the estimation of the total economic value of forests not destroyed by fire thanks to the extinction action. The avoided damage is represented by the difference between values of forest areas burned by the real fire event and those burned by simulated fire. By providing an economic estimation of avoided damages, our results confirm that forest fire services and forest management have a high impact on both the economy and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banded Ca-carbonate veins in travertine deposits are efficient recorders of the compositional fluctuations of geothermal fluids flowing (or flowed) from deep reservoirs up to the surface, within fault zones. In this view, these veins represent key tools for decoding those factors that influenced the geochemical variations. We have analyzed veins developed in fractures channeling geothermal fluids forming travertine deposits. The studied veins cut a fossil travertine fissure ridge, near the Larderello geothermal area (Iano area, southern Tuscany) where geothermal fluid circulation is favored by NE-trending strike-to-oblique-slip faults and their intersections with NW-trending normal ones. U-Th dating indicates that fluid circulation occurred from (at least) 172 ka to 21 ka. In this time span, the geothermal fluid changed in composition, and the banded Ca-carbonate veins recorded these variations in terms of mineralogical and stable isotope composition and temperature (T) of deposition. We also documented for the first time the occurrence of Mn-rich black tree-shaped structures within the veins. Mineralogy coupled with stable and clumped isotope measurements allows the reconstruction of some features (i.e., crystal texture, temperature, and CO2 origin) and the inference of the processes (i.e., pH, T, and pCO2 variations) that have controlled the fluid evolution through time. Multiple-stage and one-stage deposition processes have played an important role in modifying the stable isotope composition of banded Ca-carbonate veins; temperature coupled with pCO2 also influenced their mineralogical composition. Interpreted in the context of the tectonic setting, the data show that the NW-trending faults have mainly controlled travertine deposition. Their intersection with NE-trending faults, interpreted as transfer faults, highlights the important role of transfer zones in channeling the geothermal fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, successful germination protocols for the following three annual Salsola species are presented: Salsola soda (= Soda inermis), S. squarrosa subsp. controversa, and S. tragus subsp. tragus. It is the first report of germination data for the three species for Italy. Seeds were collected in beaches and dunes along the Tyrrhenian coasts in Sicily and south Tuscany and north Latium (central Italy). The germination ability was tested at the Catania Germplasm Bank (BGS-CT) and the Tuscia Germplasm Bank (BGT) at constant and alternating temperatures (from 5 to 40°C), under both light (with a 12/12h photoperiod) and total dark. Our results show a high germination ability and germination rate for all the tested species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy sheep systems are relevant for the economy of many rural areas of the Mediterranean Basin and the optimisation of their productive factors is necessary to improve their competitiveness and to reduce their environmental impact. The objective of this study was to assess, through a farm-scale life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, the potential of reducing environmental impacts on ewe milk of an innovative farming system (IF), based on the adoption of a precision feeding approach to improve milk production and quality, compared with a conventional farming system (CF) in dairy sheep farms in Tuscany region, Italy. The LCA analysis was carried out through a cradle-to-farm-gate LCA, comparing three conventional farms with three innovative farms, using 1 kg of fat protein corrected milk (FPCM) as a functional unit. The Small Ruminants Module of Nutritional Dynamic System (NDS) software was used to estimate methane emissions due to enteric fermentation. The introduction of precision feeding strategy reduced the environmental impacts of ewe milk as a consequence of the increased milk production efficiency (+50%). Indeed, the environmental impact of ewe milk was reduced in IF by 42% as the average of the impact categories being significantly different between the two farming systems. Precision feeding is recognised as a strategy to mitigate the environmental impacts of ruminant production. Dairy sheep innovative farms (IF), using a precision feeding approach, were compared with conventional farms (CF). Environmental impacts of ewe mik were assessed through an LCA approach and a mechanistic model for ruminant diet formulation and evaluation. Precision feeding improved milk production efficiency (+50) and lowered environmental impacts. Environmental impact of ewe milk was significantly reduced in IF by 42% in eight impact categories out of 15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient suicide is one of the most frequent incidents in healthcare facilities to be reported to the National Observatory of Sentinel Events in Italy. Despite national initiatives, in Tuscany potentially preventable patient suicides still occur in both acute and community care settings. We describe here an aggregated qualitative analysis of 14 patient suicides that took place in public health services between 2017 and 2018. We outline the methodology and results of an improvement action we enacted in the healthcare system that involved reviewing and reinforcing relevant managerial strategies and clinical activities, with the aim of reducing potentially preventable patient suicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithofacies analyses and datings using calcareous nannofossils, proved to be an excellent opportunity to understand the palaeoenvironmental evolution of the area of the Tuscan coast, washed up by the Ligurian Sea. A multidisciplinary approach, through lithological and micropaleontological data, collected from fifteen boreholes and one outcrop, permitted the characterization of ten stratigraphic units in the subsurface of the Livorno area. The correlations of these units depicted a stratigraphic architecture chronologically constrained. This study detected early Pliocene (Zanclean) and early Pleistocene (Gelasian) marine deposits, referable to the outer neritic zone that were dated to the calcareous nannofossil biozones MNN13, MNN14-15 and MNN18. In addition, early Pleistocene (Calabrian) marine deposits, dated to the calcareous nannofossil biozones MNN19b, MNN19d, MNN19e, which may be attributed to different bathymetric depths on the basis of benthic foraminifers and ostracods, highlighted sea level changes. Finally, the areal distribution and the stratigraphic architecture of these units permitted the recognition and the better constraining of the sedimentary dynamics impacted by major eustatic and tectonic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter (SOM) represents a main fraction of superficial soil characterized by a mechanical-hydrological behaviour different from that of the inorganic fractions. In this study, a method to measure the SOM content was applied to 27 selected sites in Tuscany (central Italy) characterized by the presence of soil types common in the region: cambisols and regosols. The method included the contribution from root fragments, which is a fraction often neglected or underestimated in measurements, in the overall estimate of the SOM content. The retrieved SOM contents were analysed considering the vegetation cover at the sites and the selected attributes of geological interest, such as geotechnical parameters and the mineralogical composition of the soils. The SOM normalized to the bulk samples ranges between 1.8 and 8.9% by weight, with the highest values of the SOM content being associated with vegetation cover classes of forest and woodlands without shrubs. The SOM values showed close relationships with the abundance of the finer fractions (silt and clay) of the soil samples, and considering the relations with geotechnical properties, moderate correlations were found with the plasticity index, unit weight and effective friction angle, overall demonstrating the importance of considering SOM when the geotechnical and hydrological properties of soils are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current guidelines for sweat chloride analysis identify the procedures for sweat collection, but not for chloride assay, which is usually performed by methods originally not aiming at the low concentrations of chloride found in sweat. To overcome this limitation, we set up, characterized, and adopted an original inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for sweat chloride determination, which was designed for its easy use in a clinical laboratory. The method was linear in the range 8.5E−3 to 272.0E−3 mM, precision exhibited a relative standard deviation < 6%, and accuracy was in the range 99.7–103.8%. Limit of blank, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation were 2.1 mM, 3.2 mM, and 7.0 mM, respectively, which correspond to real concentrations injected into the mass spectrometer of 3.9E−3 mM for LOD and 8.5E−3 mM for LOQ. At first, the method was tested on 50 healthy volunteers who exhibited a mean chloride concentration of 15.7 mM (25–75th percentile 10.1–19.3 mM, range 2.8–37.4 mM); then, it was used to investigate two patients with suspected cystic fibrosis, who exhibited sweat chloride values of 65.6 mM and 81.2 mM, respectively. Moreover, the method was cross-validated by assaying 50 samples with chloride concentration values in the range 10–131 mM, by both ICP-MS and coulometric titration, which is the technology officially used in Tuscany for cystic fibrosis newborn screening. The reference analytical performances and the relatively low cost of ICP-MS, accompanied by the advantageous cost of a single sweat chloride assay, make this technology the best candidate to provide a top reference method for the quantification of chloride in sweat. The method that we propose was optimized and validated for sweat samples ≥ 75 mg, which is the minimum amount requested by the international protocols. However, the method sensitivity and, in addition, the possibility to reduce the sample dilution factor, make possible the quantification of chloride even in samples weighting < 75 mg that are discarded according to the current guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "history" of places exists as a stratification process of events that have occurred over time in a specific place, leaving more or less appreciable physical traces. The "memory" of the places, instead, is the result of a conscious choice of events to be handed down to future generations constructing the identity of a community and a recognisable image of places. It is in this sense that the project conducted in Quota, a mountain village in central Tuscany, Italy should be interpreted and set. The urban redevelopment process led to the design and reconstruction of a small agricultural artefact, particularly important to the local community given its location near a public fountain. Initially identified as the subject of an exercise to be conducted as part of the Thematic Seminar "Survey, redevelopment and redesign of architecture and environment", the redesign offered an opportunity to "re-invent" a neglected corner of the village taking as reference the traces of the ancient village fountains to create the plot of a new "story" involving the small local community. The reconstruction was carried out using traditional techniques with stone ashlars and cement mortar. To complete it, a corten steel staircase designed with reverse engineering methods and modelled using experimental 3D photo-modelling was created. The "Quota chestnut dryer" proved to be a virtuous process involving various subjects to enable the recovery of a degraded area, a possible model for the preservation of villages in the Apennines of central Italy, authentic sites of collective memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of local chestnut and traditional techniques related to their use and consumption are considered of primary importance to promote their nutritional/nutraceutical values. Fruit of four local chestnut cultivars ('Carpinese', 'Pontecosi', 'Capannaccia' and 'Morona') from Garfagnana (Italy) were analysed under nutritional and antioxidant aspects and compared with their flour obtained through a traditional thermal-drying process. Raw fruit contained significative amounts of P, K and Mg (~ 149, 1960 and 50 mg 100 g−1 dry weight, respectively) and they were characterised by a good moisture content (~ 49%) and starch (~ 50 g 100 g−1 dw). The traditional thermal-drying processes affected the carbohydrate content of dried chestnut showing a higher sucrose and lower starch content as compared to raw fruits. Traditional thermal-drying processes negatively influenced also total phenol content (TP) and total antioxidant activity: flours from all cultivars contained lower amounts of TP than raw fruit except for 'Morona' in which these compounds remained unchanged. This study provides new useful information about the evaluation of nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics of Tuscany local chestnuts and the effects of a traditional thermal-drying processing method, helping consumers and producers to valorise these "forest products". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arachnology Letters / Arachnologische Mitteilungen is the property of Arachnologische Gesellschaft e.V. 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.)

Thallium-bearing samples of alum-(K) and voltaite from the Fornovolasco mining complex (Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy) have been characterized through X‑ray diffraction, chemical analyses, micro-Raman, infrared (FTIR), Mössbauer, and X‑ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Alum-(K) occurs as anhedral colorless grains or rarely as octahedral crystals, up to 5 mm. Electron-microprobe analysis points to the chemical formula (K0.74Tl0.10)Σ0.84(Al0.84Fe0.14)Σ0.98S2.03O8·12H2O. The occurrence of minor NH 4 + $\text{NH}_{4}^{+}$ was detected through FTIR spectroscopy. Its unit-cell parameter is a = 12.2030(2) Å, V = 1817.19(9) Å3, space group P a 3 ¯. $Pa\bar{3}.$ Its crystal structure has been refined down to R1 = 0.0351 for 648 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 61 refined parameters. The crystal structure refinement agrees with the partial substitution of K by 12 mol% Tl. This substitution is confirmed by XAS data, showing the presence of Tl+ having a first coordination shell mainly formed by 6 O atoms at 2.84(2) Å. Voltaite occurs as dark green cubic crystals, up to 1 mm in size. Voltaite is chemically zoned, with distinct domains having chemical formula (K 1.94 Tl 0.28 ) ∑ 2.22 ( Fe 3.57 2 + Mg 0.94 Mn 0.55 ) ∑ 5.06 Fe 3.06 3 + Al 0.98 S 11.92 O 48 ⋅ 18 H 2 O ${{\left({{\text{K}}_{1.94}}\text{T}{{\text{l}}_{0.28}} \right)}_{\sum 2.22}}{{\left(\text{Fe}_{3.57}^{2+}\text{M}{{\text{g}}_{0.94}}\text{M}{{\text{n}}_{0.55}} \right)}_{\sum 5.06}}\text{Fe}_{3.06}^{3+}\text{A}{{\text{l}}_{0.98}}{{\text{S}}_{11.92}}{{\text{O}}_{48}}\cdot 18{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}\text{O}$ and (K 2.04 Tl 0.32 ) ∑ 2.36 ( Fe 3.83 2 + Mg 0.91 Mn 0.29 ) ∑ 5.03 Fe 3.05 3 + Al 0.97 S 11.92 O 48 ⋅ 18 H 2 O , ${{\left({{\text{K}}_{2.04}}\text{T}{{\text{l}}_{0.32}} \right)}_{\sum 2.36}}{{\left(\text{Fe}_{3.83}^{2+}\text{M}{{\text{g}}_{0.91}}\text{M}{{\text{n}}_{0.29}} \right)}_{\sum 5.03}}\text{Fe}_{3.05}^{3+}\text{A}{{\text{l}}_{0.97}}{{\text{S}}_{11.92}}{{\text{O}}_{48}}\cdot 18{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}\text{O},$ respectively. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the occurrence of minor NH 4 + $\text{NH}_{4}^{+}$ also in voltaite. Its unit-cell parameter is a = 27.2635 Å, V = 20265(4) Å3, space group F d 3 ¯ c. $Fd\bar{3}c.$ The crystal structure was refined down to R1 = 0.0434 for 817 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo) and 87 refined parameters. The partial replacement of K by Tl is confirmed by the structural refinement. XAS spectroscopy showed that Tl+ is bonded to six O atoms, at 2.89(2) Å. The multi-technique characterization of thallium-bearing alum-(K) and voltaite improves our understanding of the role of K-bearing sulfates in immobilizing Tl in acid mine drainage systems, temporarily avoiding its dispersion in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verticillium spp., including V. nonalfalfae and V. dahliae, are known vascular wilt pathogens of the invasive Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven) in the United States and in Europe. Herein we provide evidence of the presence of a previously unreported wilt disease of A. altissima in Tuscany (Central Italy). Several isolates were collected from two locations and identified as V. dahliae, based on microscopical features of conidiophores, conidia and microsclerotia. Genomic DNA was extracted from the mycelium, the ITS region was amplified and the sequence was deposited in GenBank as VdGL16 (accession no. MK474459). BLASTn analysis showed 100% similarity with V. dahliae. To confirm pathogenicity of VdGL16, inoculations of Ailanthus seedlings were performed with the root dipping technique whereas mature trees were steminoculated. All inoculated seedlings exhibited wilt symptoms after 20 days, while mature Ailanthus trees showed wilting and dieback after six months. The pathogen was easily re-isolated from seedlings and re-identified as V. dahliae, thus satisfying Koch's postulates. Results from intraspecific resistance screening of nine seed sources from across Italy revealed that Ailanthus provenances from all the six sampled regions were susceptible to V. dahliae. Stem inoculated adult plants exhibited abundant production of epicormic sprouts along the stem within six months, and most of these sprouts wilted following initial dieback of the main stem; furthermore, sprouting from the crown was intense. Petioles and rachises tissues of leaves fallen from infected trees were a good source for re-isolation of the pathogen; we proved that such petioles and rachises can effectively transfer the fungus to healthy Ailanthus seedlings via root infections. Host-specificity of the V. dahliae isolate VdGL16 was also determined on 40 non-target species/varieties/cultivars. The isolate caused disease in herbaceous species belonging to five botanical families: Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Leguminoseae, Linaceae and Solanaceae. Given the difficulties in countering Ailanthus invasion with mechanical and chemical methods, the biological control using Verticillium may provide an efficient, low cost and sustainable control of this invasive species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing has become an important mean to assess crop areas, specially for the identification of crop types. Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a free platform that provides a large number of satellite images from different constellations. Moreover, GEE provides pixel-based classifiers, which are used for mapping agricultural areas. The objective of this work is to evaluate the performance of different classification algorithms such as Minimum Distance (MD), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Na¨ıve Bayes (NB) on an agricultural area in Tuscany (Italy). Four different scenarios were implemented in GEE combining different information such as optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, indices and time series. Among the five classifiers used the best performers were RF and SVM. Integrating Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) slightly improves the classification in comparison to the only S2 image classifications. The use of time series substantially improves supervised classifications. The analysis carried out so far lays the foundation for the integration of time series of SAR and optical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Front-face fluorescence spectra of honey samples can be used as authentication and quality assessment method. Honey is a natural pure food produced by honeybees from the nectar of various plants, and its chemical composition includes carbohydrates, water, and some minor compounds, which are very important for honey quality and authentication. Most of honey's minor components are related to the botanic origin, climate, and geographic diversity. In this work, we report an original case study on monofloral honey samples of twelve different botanic origins produced in Tuscany (Italy) based on the 'semi-quantitative' analysis of emission, excitation, and synchronous front-face fluorescence spectra. This is the first front-face fluorescence study of Italian honey samples and, to our knowledge, the first fluorescence investigation of honey from inula (Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton), marruca (Paliurus spina-christi Mill.), lavender (Lavandula L. 1753), sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.), arbutus (or strawberry tree) (Arbutus unedo L., 1753), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants. Results obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy are discussed in terms of characteristic spectral emission profiles typical of honey of different botanic origins. Moreover, the spectral analysis based on the decomposition of the front-face fluorescence (FFF) spectra in terms of single main fluorophores' components is here proposed to identify several minor compounds, such as amino acids, phenolic acids, vitamins, and other fluorescent bioactive molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild grapevine, Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sylvestris (Gmelin, Hegi) is spontaneous to Europe and common in Tuscany. In this study, wild grapevines were identified in 22 populations from eight locations in Tuscan Maremma (Grosseto and Siena province). The plants were propagated by cuttings, collected in a vineyard, genotyped by nuclear simple sequence repeats (SSRs), chloroplast SSRs and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and compared to locally cultivated varieties (Vitis vinifera L. subsp. sativa) and to non- vinifera and non- vitis genotypes. The identity analysis revealed that some individuals were redundant genotypes, suggesting natural vegetative propagation. In addition, four of the supposed V.v. sylvestris were in fact naturalized V.v. sativa. The majority of putative sylvestris genotypes had chlorotype A, while the remainder had chlorotype D, as the majority of Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa cultivated in Italy. Some of the recovered sylvestris genotypes appeared to be natural crosses with cultivated grapevine varieties in Tuscany, and their chlorotype suggests a higher pollen flow from sativa to the sylvestris genotypes than in the opposite direction. In addition, other genotypes appeared to be crosses within sylvestris , sylvestris - sativa or sylvestris - sylvestris siblings, or equivalent relationships. These relationships suggest a noticeably level of sexual reproductive activities among sylvestris and sylvestris - sativa genotypes. A cluster and structure analysis clearly differentiated the true sylvestris from the sativa , and the non- vinifera or non- vitis genotypes, and also highlighted a possible introgression of sylvestris into some Italian and French cultivated varieties. The results therefore suggest that, in addition to the primary ancient center of domestication from the Near East to Central Asia, the introgression among cultivated and wild grapevine occurred in other centers of diversification along the migration routes, contributing to the domestication processes, and suggesting that these processes are still ongoing despite the reduction in populations of sylvestris. The results also highlight that the GrapeReSeq 18K Vitis genotyping chip are suitable for non- vitis genotyping and that the range of SNPs heterozygosity in sylvestris appears to be up to 6% less and does not overlap the heterozygosity range of sativa genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing fish consumption along with rising competition in the global seafood market has brought fisheries and aquaculture producers to adopt several differentiation and marketing strategies. Labelling schemes were thus introduced to respond to a growing demand for traceable and sustainable products. However, the proliferation of quality labels brought to general confusion, calling for collective and public fish labels to ease decision-making. In our case study region (Tuscany, Italy), a number of policy-driven efforts were deployed for establishing regional labelling schemes for fisheries products with no observable impact on the market. Meanwhile, local companies have implemented a number of successful private and regional labels. The purpose of this research is to contribute to potential options for collective regional labelling schemes of fisheries and aquaculture products, through a case study analysis, building on agro-food value-chain and management approaches. Our empirical results highlight key issues and perspectives on labelling policies for local fisheries and aquaculture products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geologija (0016-7789) is the property of Geological Survey of Slovenia 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.)

The spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (L.) is considered the main vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Apulia (Italy), however, another species of the same genus is present in Italy: Philaenus italosignus Drosopoulos et Remane. Recently its competence in acquiring the bacterium from infected olives and transmitting it to other plants was verified in the laboratory. The spittlebug seems to be confined to areas where its larval host plant (Asphodelus ramosus L.) is present, though no precise data on its distribution are available. This study confirms the occurrence of P. italosignus in Tuscany, where it was found on A. ramosus (at high population densities) and also on olive trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring major public works progresses is strongly a prominent topic. Citizens often ask about the state of "in progress" infrastructures such as highways or railways or any extensive work. On the other hand, governments, at different levels, need to offer cool information to share their effort and improve civic engagement, accountability and transparency. This is truer when dealing with works referring to the mitigation of hydrogeological risk: It is important for any type of user to know the exact state of progress or the entry into operation of this type of infrastructures also for an effective management of the emergency and of public security. Official reports on construction sites progresses often show huge delays that have however physiological causes due to long approval processes of the ongoing administrative single deeds. This delay can be of several months that sound unacceptable when dealing with government needs. We propose here an application aimed to wide scale public work monitoring using Copernicus Sentinel-2 data: The method requires a deep preliminary analysis of the project and of the work processes; Sentinel-2's data are used to define the changes and the effective state of the pixels in the area using a suitable algorithm. Thanks to the high frequency of Sentinel-2 data acquisition, it is possible to perform a frequent monitoring integrating remote sensed data with available high-resolution images and official reports, offering an effective view of the progresses of the work. the aim of this paper is to conceive an open source platform that offers citizens and stakeholders a "global eye" on the entire construction site and near-real time update, providing a vision of the changes taking place and improving accountability and transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current note responds to the critical contribution of Dr. Eastaugh on Chiesi et al. (2011). That paper did not aim at applying BIOME-BGC to simulate stand growth, which requires a thorough modification of the model functions. In contrast, only a parameter setting was changed in order to adjust the predicted carbon storages during the simulation of quasi-equilibrium conditions. The adjustment was calibrated on volume statistics derived from the Tuscany forest inventory and is suitable for regional scale applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an abstract of the paper "Etruscan Origins: Novel Clues from mtDNA," which has been published within this issue of the journal American Journal of Human Genetics. The paper focuses on the mitochondrial DNA of people residing in Tuscany, Italy. People who are living in this region are popular with the name Etruscans.

We attempt a characterization of the geotechnical and hydrological properties of hillslope deposits, with the final aim of providing reliable data to distributed catchment-scale numerical models for shallow landslide initiation. The analysis is based on a dataset built up by means of both field tests and laboratory experiments over 100 sites across Tuscany (Italy). The first specific goal is to determine the ranges of variation of the geotechnical and hydrological parameters that control shallow landslide-triggering mechanisms for the main soil classes. The parameters determined in the deposits are: grain size distribution, Atterberg limits, porosity, unit weight, in situ saturated hydraulic conductivity and shear strength parameters. In addition, mineral phases recognition via X-ray powder diffraction has been performed on the different soil types. The deposits mainly consist of well-sorted silty sands with low plastic behavior and extremely variable gravel and clay contents. Statistical analyses carried on these geotechnical and hydrological parameters highlighted that it is not possible to define a typical range of values only with relation to the main mapped lithologies, because soil characteristics are not simply dependent on the bedrock type from which the deposits originated. A second goal is to explore the relationship between soil type (in terms of grain size distribution) and selected morphometric parameters (slope angle, profile curvature, planar curvature and peak distance). The results show that the highest correlation between soil grain size classes and morphometric attributes is with slope curvature, both profile and planar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I explore various current myths that lead foreigners, especially North Europeans and North Americans, to choose to visit/live in Florence or Tuscany for a while or forever. Is it possible to discern any shared, collective representations? If so, how do such myths fit into the contemporary everyday life of the city? Can we identify a pathway from the aesthetic quest for "authentic" Italian life to cultural encounters with Italians in the flesh? My hypothesis is that one of the leitmotifs of foreigners' experiences is a romantic, and to a lesser degree, intellectual approach towards "Florence without Florentines". If so, there is nothing new "Under the Tuscan Sun": the Grand Tour narrative is alive and kicking. Contemporary experiences of Florence and Tuscany continue to be shaped by the social imaginary inherited from the early nineteenth century. Travellers and sojourners come to Florence with a set of expectations shaped through filmic and literary representations and see what they expect to see, not least because the Italians are equally complicit in performing their part in this ritualised experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of Fibla maclachlani (Albarda, 1891) (Raphidioptera, Inocelliidae) has been recorded in Tuscany (central Italy) since 2005 according to information derived from both a biodiversity survey project and citizen science activities. The species, whose natural distribution includes the three main islands of central Mediterranean--Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily--was most likely introduced into Tuscany through the raw cork trade from Sardinia. Further molecular comparative analyses are needed to confirm this hypothesis. This would be the first case of human-mediated jump dispersal in this family and a rare example of upstream colonization from island to continent. Two isolated records of F. maclachlani, an old (1905) and a very recent one (2018), are also reported from Calabria. The presence of F. maclachlani in Calabria remains unclear, the most reliable hypotheses are either the natural presence of the species at low population density or its introduction from Sicily at some point. The non-native populations of F. maclachlani currently coexist in the Italian peninsula in sympatry with the native inocelliid Parainocellia bicolor (A. Costa, 1855), a condition otherwise unknown among European species of this family. Future interactions between the two species are unpredictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caliciopsis pinea has been historically described as a secondary pathogen of pines. However, it has recently been associated with severe damages on Pinus radiata in Italy. Our study focused on the description of the seasonal spore dispersal of C. pinea and its relation to meteorological conditions (temperature, leaf wetness, relative humidity and precipitations). For this experiment one infected P. radiata plantation was sampled in Tuscany (Italy). A rotating arm spore trap together with a weather station were installed to sample the aerospora for 24 h every week from May to November 2016. Exposed tapes from spore traps were directly analyzed after DNA extraction by qPCR using specific primers and TaqMan MGB probe. The study shows an irregular occurrence of the inoculum of C. pinea throughout the whole sampling period with peak levels in mid-June and early August. The statistical analysis of the DNA and climatic data clearly show the strong influence of precipitation on the spore production of this pathogen. Furthermore, the very low detection limit of the qPCR experiment shows the efficacy and suitability of rotating arm spore traps for early detection of this pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human diet is characterized by highly energetic molecules, but it also requires non-energetic compounds that are equally useful for cell functioning and for preserving the organism's health status. These "functional" molecules are represented by a wide variety of plant secondary metabolites, such as terpenoids, vitamins and polyphenols with antioxidant power. Widespread commercial crop varieties often contain scarce levels of functional molecules, because they have been mostly selected for productivity, rather than for the content of secondary metabolites. Different scenarios (global economic situation, foreseeable environmental changes) are pushing farmers to review the use of high yield crops and to focus on the valorization of locally-adapted plants. This renewed interest is strengthened by the growing need of consumers for functional foods with beneficial effects on human health and by the willingness to promote sustainable low-input agricultural practices exploiting local climate, soil, water, and (micro)biota. Here, we want to discuss a specific case study concerning locally-adapted crops in Tuscany (Italy). Analyses of nutraceutical molecules in locally-grown crop varieties (namely tomatoes, sweet cherries and onions) have shown that they are characterized by substantially higher functional molecule contents than commercial varieties. Our goal is to promote the high-throughput study of locally-adapted varieties to understand, in a medium-term perspective, whether the cultivation of such plants is a valuable support for the diet and an adequate local economic resource. Such plants can provide a boost to the regional economy, by diversifying the local crop-market landscape. Moreover, the exploitation of locally-grown plants results in the manufacture of fully-traceable products (from the raw bioresource to the finished product) with a "0 km" concept that minimizes the C footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new lineages CAN-5 and CAN-6 were recognised in four populations of Monacha cantiana (Montagu, 1803) s.l. from the Italian Apuan Alps by joint molecular and morphological analysis. They are different from other M. cantiana lineages known from English, Italian, Austrian and French populations, i.e. CAN-1, CAN-2, CAN-3 and CAN-4, as well as from the other Italian Monacha species used for comparisons (M. parumcincta and M. cartusiana). Although a definite taxonomic and nomenclatural setting seems to be premature, we suggest that the name or names for these new lineages as one or two species should be found among 19th century names (Helix sobara Mabille, 1881, H. ardesa Mabille, 1881, H. apuanica Mabille, 1881, H. carfaniensis De Stefani, 1883 and H. spallanzanii De Stefani, 1884). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, the circular bioeconomy has been recognized as key approach to increase the competitiveness of enterprises and economic growth in the European Union (EU) member countries. Forest-based sector plays a key role in the circular bioeconomy. The aim of the present study is to analyze the forest-wood chain at local level following the circular bioeconomy approach. A set of indicators to quantify the 4R ("Reduce", "Reuse", "Recycle", "Recover") of circular economy has been defined and tested in a study area in Italy (Monte Morello forest in Tuscany region). The indicators identified and tested are: improving production process efficiency; reuse and life-span of wood products; optimization of potential wood assortments and energy recover from the wood products. By means of the indicators and a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), the current forest management strategy applied in the study area has been compared with other possible forest management scenarios in order to evaluate the optimum solution. The results show that the current forest management strategy did not optimize the productive function because the wood harvested is wholly allocated for bioenergy production. The economic value and the life-span of wood products can be increased by means of the wood harvested valorization. Anyway, the results show a favorable balance concerning the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission - considering the fossil fuel substitution effect - and the bioenergy production from deadwood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new data on the 4.2 ka event in the central Mediterranean from Corchia Cave (Tuscany, central Italy) stalagmite CC27. The stalagmite was analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ18O) and trace elements (Mg, U, P, Y), with all proxies showing a coherent phase of reduced cave recharge between ca. 4.5 and 4.1 ka BP. Based on the current climatological data on cyclogenesis, the reduction in cave recharge is considered to be associated with the weakening of the cyclone center located in the Gulf of Genoa in response to reduced advection of air masses from the Atlantic during winter. These conditions, which closely resemble a positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) type of configuration, are associated with cooler and wetter summers with reduced sea warming, which reduced the western Mediterranean evaporation during autumn–early winter, further reducing precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Coldiretti, Italy still continues to hold the European Quality record in extra virgin olive oils with origin designation and protected geographical indication (PDO and PGI). To date, 46 Italian brands are recognized by the European Union: 42 PDO and 4 PGI (Tuscan PGI, Calabria PGI; Tuscia PGI and PGI Sicily). Specific regulations, introduced for these quality marks, include the designation of both the geographical areas and the plant varieties contributing to the composition of the olive oil. However, the PDO and PGI assessment procedures are currently based essentially on farmer declarations. Tuscan PGI extra virgin olive oil is one of the best known Italian trademarks around the world. Tuscan PGI varietal platform is rather wide including 31 specific olive cultivars which should account for at least 95% of the product. On the other hand, while the characteristics of other popular Italian extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) cultivars from specific geographical areas have been extensively studied (such as those of Coratina based blends from Apulia), little is still known about Tuscan PGI EVOO constituents. In this work, we performed, for the first time, a large-scale analysis of Tuscan PGI monocultivar olive oils by 1H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analyses (MVA). After genetic characterization of 217 leaf samples from 24 selected geographical areas, distributed all over the Tuscany, a number of 202 micro-milled oil samples including 10 PGI cultivars, was studied. The results of the present work confirmed the need of monocultivar genetically certified EVOO samples for the construction of 1H-NMR-metabolic profiles databases suitable for cultivar and/or geographical origin assessment. Such specific PGI EVOOs databases could be profitably used to justify the high added value of the product and the sustainability of the related supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]