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Written sources and iconographic evidence suggest that honey and beehive products, used in culinary, medicinal, and technological functions since pre‐Neolithic times, were likely known and used in Phoenician and Punic Sardinia. The role of these resources is nonetheless poorly understood because no direct evidence survives on a macroscopic level. Significant advances in the knowledge about beeswax and beehive products processing in the past have been offered in recent decades by organic residue analyses (ORA), an approach that enables the characterisation of surviving chemical compounds or suites of compounds that provide information relating to human activity in the past. The relatively recalcitrant nature of lipid compounds comprising beeswax means that this commodity is among the products that can be unambiguously identified through ORA. Here we present and discuss the results of analyses undertaken on 368 pottery sherds from Phoenician and Punic Sardinia (eighth to third century BCE). These analyses offer direct evidence for the presence of beehive products on the island, suggesting the use of honey for culinary purposes in pots, and possibly connecting one specific vessel category with beeswax decanting during beekeeping and honey production processes. Our results also now clearly illustrate the widespread use of beehive products in pre‐Roman Sardinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies suggest that X-linked glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency entails a proinflammatory state that may increase the risk of several disease conditions. However, it is not clear how this relates to the degree of enzyme insufficiency and, in heterozygous females, to skewed inactivation of the X chromosome. This study aimed to (i) investigate the enzyme activity in a cohort of 232 subjects (54.3% females) from Northern Sardinia, Italy, further stratified into three subgroups (G6PD normal, partial deficiency and total deficiency); (ii) measure the levels of some non-specific inflammatory markers, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and those derived from cell counts, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), in relation to the underlying molecular defect and X inactivation. G6PD activity was measured in red blood cells according to G6PD/6PGD ratio, and X-chromosome inactivation was assessed by the HUMARA method. Overall, ESR was increased in males with total deficiency compared with normal males (15.0 ± 7.2 vs. 11.9 ± 6.2, p = 0.002, Tukey's test), albeit not in males with partial deficiency. High-sensitivity CRP was slightly increased in males with total deficiency, compared to males with normal G6PD activity (5.96 ± 3.39 vs. 3.95 ± 2.96, p = 0.048). In females, neither marker showed significant differences across the subgroups. MLR was significantly and progressively increased from normal to totally deficient subjects with intermediate values in partially deficient subjects (0.18, 0.31 and 0.37, ANOVA p = 0.008). The NLR and PLR were not different in the three subgroups. Our findings show that G6PD deficiency may be associated with a proinflammatory profile, especially in elderly females, and worsened by the concomitant asymmetric inactivation of the X chromosome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, untargeted metabolomics was used to shed light on the impact of different pasture-based diets on the chemical profile of Sarda sheep milk. The study considered 11 dairy sheep farms located in Sardinia, and milk samples were collected in 4 different periods, namely January, March, May, and July 2019, when all sheep had 58, 98, 138, and 178 days in milk, respectively. The animal diet composition was based on the intake of grazed herbage in natural pasture, hay, and concentrate. Overall, the combination of two comprehensive databases on food, namely the Milk Composition Database and Phenol-Explorer, allowed the putative identification of 406 metabolites, with a significant (p < 0.01) enrichment of several metabolite classes, namely amino acids and peptides, monosaccharides, fatty acids, phenylacetic acids, benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and flavonoids. The multivariate statistical approach based on supervised orthogonal projections to latent structures (OPLS-DA) allowed us to predict the chemical profile of sheep milk samples as a function of the high vs no fresh herbage intake, while the prediction model was not significant when considering both hay and concentrate intake. Among the discriminant markers of the herbage intake, we found five phenolic metabolites (such as hippuric and coumaric acids), together with lutein and cresol (belonging to carotenoids and their metabolites). Additionally, a high discriminant power was outlined for lipid derivatives followed by sugars, amino acids, and peptides. Finally, a pathway analysis revealed that the herbage intake affected mainly five biochemical pathways in milk, namely galactose metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and aromatic amino acids involved in protein synthesis (namely tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage 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.)

In Mediterranean agropastoral areas, land abandonment is a key driver of wildfire risk as fuel load and continuity increase. To gain insights into the potential impacts of land abandonment on wildfire risk in fire-prone areas, a fire-spread modeling approach to evaluate the variations in wildfire potential induced by different spatial patterns and percentages of land abandonment was applied. The study was carried out in a 1200 km2 agropastoral area located in north-western Sardinia (Italy) mostly covered by herbaceous fuels. We compared nine land abandonment scenarios, which consisted of the control conditions (NA) and eight scenarios obtained by combining four intensity levels (10, 20, 30, 40%) and two spatial patterns of agropastoral land abandonment. The abandonment scenarios hypothesized a variation in dead fuel load and fuel depth within abandoned polygons with respect to the control conditions. For each abandonment scenario, wildfire hazard and likelihood at the landscape scale was assessed by simulating over 17,000 wildfire seasons using the minimum travel time (MTT) fire spread algorithm. Wildfire simulations replicated the weather conditions associated with the largest fires observed in the study area and were run at 40 m resolution, consistent with the input files. Our results highlighted that growing amounts of land abandonment substantially increased burn probability, high flame length probability and fire size at the landscape level. Considering a given percentage of abandonment, the two spatial patterns of abandonment generated spatial variations in wildfire hazard and likelihood, but at the landscape scale the average values were not significantly different. The average annual area burned increased from about 2400 ha of the control conditions to about 3100 ha with 40% land abandonment. The findings of this work demonstrate that a progressive abandonment of agropastoral lands can lead to severe modifications in potential wildfire spread and behavior in Mediterranean areas, thus promoting the likelihood of large and fast-spreading events. Wildfire spread modeling approaches allow us to estimate the potential risks posed by future wildfires to rural communities, ecosystems and anthropic values in the context of land abandonment, and to adopt and optimize smart prevention and planning strategies to mitigate these threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores the main climate teleconnections influencing the Western Mediterranean Basin to outline homogeneous fire‐prone weather domains combining cross‐correlation time series and cluster analysis. We found a zonal effect of the Scandinavian pattern over the entire region with an interesting alternation of phases from positive during winter‐spring (increased rainfall leading to fuel accumulation) to negative (dry conditions) modes during summer controlling burned area and fire size. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) dominates the number of fires over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) while the Western Mediterranean Oscillation pattern modulates fire activity over the Mediterranean coast in the IP (linked to westerly winds), Southern France, Corsica and Sardinia (rainfall regulation). These distinctive influence traits resulted in three different domains splitting the IP into a Mediterranean rim along the coast (from southern Spain to southwestern France) and an inland and western region (Portugal plus western Spain); and a third in southeastern France, Corsica and Sardinia. Plain Language Summary: We synthetized the climate influence on wildfire activity over the Western Mediterranean Basin into three distinctive configurations. We applied computer‐assisted statistical analysis on historical fire records from national/regional agencies and climate‐related data [the so‐called climate teleconnection indexes; e.g., "El Niño" or the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)]. Burned area size over the entire basin tends to be larger under the confluence of rainy winter‐spring and sudden heat waves and dry spells during summer, which is governed by the Scandinavian pattern. In the Mediterranean coast of Spain fires occur more frequently under sustained calm and warm conditions while they grow larger when winds blow from the western side of the Iberian Peninsula. These conditions depend on the NAO and Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMOi) pattern, respectively. Fire activity in Southern France, Corsica and Sardinia seems to be linked to the lack of rainfall, which is regulated by the atmospheric conditions over the Mediterranean sea, mostly controlled by the WeMOi pattern. Key Points: We found three distinctive but homogenous domains of influence of climate teleconnections patternsThe Scandinavian pattern exerts a zonal influence over the western Mediterranean basin. North Atlantic Oscillation controls the Iberian Peninsula and Western Mediterranean Oscillation the Mediterranean coastPositive moisture winter‐spring anomalies coupled to short‐term dry and warm conditions boost most of the wildfire activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last century, a progressive rise in stature, known as the 'secular trend', was documented worldwide, and especially in Sardinia, it has reached a peak in Europe. However, this situation recently ceased in several populations. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the stature secular trend has significantly leveled off in the Sardinian younger generations. Height measurements were retrieved from a database of patients undergoing digestive endoscopy, spanning generations between 1920 and 1990. Sex-specific principal component regression models were fitted to decompose stature variation into the contribution of age, period, and birth cohort. A steady increase in stature was observed in generations born after 1920, with an upward surge in those born after 1950. However, a significant leveling off was observed among cohorts born after 1970 among both sexes, as mean heights stabilized at 171.1 cm with a standard error (SE) of 0.9 cm among men and a mean of 160.1 cm (SE = 0.9 cm) among women. Our findings support a significant slowdown in the secular trend of stature among the latest Sardinian generations. Several factors, including the consumption of low-quality food, lack of physical activity, and late motherhood, among others, may explain the decline in the secular trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires are known to change post-fire watershed conditions such that hillslopes can become prone to increased erosion and sediment delivery. In this work, we coupled wildfire spread and erosion prediction modelling to assess the benefits of fuel reduction treatments in preventing soil runoff. The study was conducted in a 68 000-ha forest area located in Sardinia, Italy. We compared no-treatment conditions v. alternative strategic fuel treatments performed in 15% of the area. Fire behaviour before and after treatments was estimated by simulating 25 000 wildfires for each condition using the minimum travel time fire-spread algorithm. The fire simulations replicated historic conditions associated with severe wildfires in the study area. Sediment delivery was then estimated using the Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT). Our results showed how post-fire sediment delivery varied among and within fuel treatment scenarios. The most efficient treatment alternative was that implemented near the road network. We also evaluated other factors such as exceedance probability, time since fire, slope, fire severity and vegetation type on post-fire sediment delivery. This work provides a quantitative assessment approach to inform and optimise proactive risk management activities intended to reduce post-fire erosion. We coupled wildfire spread and erosion prediction modelling to examine how fuel management can be used to mitigate potential fire impacts on soil erosion. Post-fire sediment delivery varied among and within fuel treatments, as a function of exceedance probability, time since fire, slope steepness, fire severity and vegetation type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Capitale Culturale: Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage is the property of Il Capitale Culturale Studies on the Value of Cultural Heritage 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.)

Wildland fires represent a major threat to Quercus suber L. ecosystems, which provide relevant socioeconomic and ecological services in the Mediterranean Basin. In this work, we analyzed recent wildland fire dynamics in cork oak woodlands along the fire-prone areas of Sardinia (Italy), Corsica (France) and Catalonia (Spain). We first characterized geographic extent and main characteristics of cork oak woodlands in these regions and analyzed how environmental (climate and elevation) and socioeconomic factors (population and land uses) vary in the areas covered by Quercus suber L. We then evaluated how wildfires affected cork oak stands and, by logistic regression analysis, to what extent wildfires in cork oak areas were related to the above set of environmental and anthropic explanatory variables. Results revealed specific variations across study areas in cork oak characteristics as well as in environmental and social factors. We highlighted the spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires on cork oak woodlands, in terms of extent, seasonality, frequency and main driving factors. In the period 2003–2015, the percentage of cork oak woodlands burned ranged from 3.42% in Corsica to 11.30% in Sardinia. A few large and severe wildfires accounted for most of the area burned in cork oak woodlands. The most significant predictive variable that explained the spatial variation in wildland fire ignitions inside or nearby cork oaks was summer precipitation, while the weight of other factors varied depending on the region. This study provides evidence on recent fire dynamics in cork oak woodlands and gives valuable information and insights for the implementation of forest management and planning strategies in the Mediterranean area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfire simulators and decision support systems can assist the incident command teams in charge of tactical wildfire suppression. This paper presents a web-based wildfire simulator developed to provide real-time support for wildfire management. The paper describes the overall software architecture, the modelling chain characteristics and the results produced by the simulator considering a set of actual wildfires that occurred in the island of Sardinia, Italy. The simulator consists of a graphical user interface that deals with data input–output management, a mass-consistent model devoted to the downscaling of wind fields, and a module that provides a spatially explicit representation of wildfire propagation. The simulator is a client‐server application that is operated through a web-based graphical user interface that leaves the computational work to a dedicated server; most of the code is parallelised in order to minimise computational run-time. The validation phase demonstrated the capabilities of the simulator in providing wildfire predictions with a substantial agreement with actual wildfires, and a computational cost suitable for faster than real-time applications. The simulator is proposed as a tool to provide assistance to civil protection and fire management agencies during the incident response phase. The simulator is also appropriate for the training of personnel. This paper presents a web-based wildfire simulator designed for the real-time support of wildfire management operations. The simulator is a client–server application parallelised to minimise computational run-time. The paper shows the simulator capabilities on a set of actual wildfires. The simulator is also suitable for training personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed wildland fire occurrence and size data from Sardinia, Italy, and Corsica, France, to examine spatiotemporal patterns of fire occurrence in relation to weather, land use, anthropogenic features, and time of year. Fires on these islands are largely human caused and can be attributed to negligence, agro-pastoral land use, and arson. Of particular interest was the predictive value of a fire weather index (FWI) that is widely used by fire managers to alert suppression crews. We found that an increase in the FWI from 30 to 60 produced on average an approximate eightfold increase in the odds of a large fire, regardless of the time of year during the fire season or land use type. Total area burned per fire season was positively correlated with the number of days with FWI > 40 over the period studied. Strong interactions between time of year and land type were also observed for both the probability of ignition and large fire. For example, the estimated odds of a large fire on agricultural lands in southern Sardinia was approximately 10 times larger than the forest and shrubland land type for areas close to roads, early (May) in the fire season. Conversely, toward the end of the fire season (September), we estimated the odds of a large fire in these same areas at about half the value estimated for the forest land classes. Of the explanatory variables analyzed, only FWI had an effect on the probability of a large fire ( P < 0.1). The results of the study can be used in several ways including the following: (1) allocating fire detection and suppression resources to specific locations during the fire season; (2) prioritizing fuel breaks along specific road segments that have high predicted ignition rates; (3) refining the current fire danger indices; and (4) parameterizing wildfire simulation models to test how changing land use and climate change may affect spatial patterns in burn probability and intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat-wave events are commonly recognized as adverse impacts on agriculture, forests, and economic activities. Several studies showed that future climate changes in the western Mediterranean Basin will lead to an increase in extreme weather events, mainly in the summer season. For this reason, it is crucial to improve our knowledge on the effects of extreme temperature events on wildland fire activity. This work analyses the relation between high temperature days (air temperature higher than 25°C at 850 hPa) and large wildland fires in Sardinia (Italy) during the period 1991-2009. Our results showed that the influence of high temperature days on large wildland fires was remarkable. Neither the number of fires nor the area burned decreased under high temperature days, although a decrease of both parameters was observed on other days. Additionally, the average size of fires, the probability of large fire occurrence, the daily area burned and daily number of fires were higher on high temperature days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the spatiotemporal changes in wildfire regime and exposure in a fire-prone Mediterranean area (Sardinia, Italy) in relation to changes in ignition patterns, weather, suppression activities, and land uses. We also used wildfire simulations to identify fine-scale changes in wildfire exposure of important features on the island. Sardinia experienced a sharp reduction in fire number and area burned between the periods 1980-1994 and 1995-2009. Despite this decrease, losses and fatalities from wildfires continue. This suggests that localized areas and seasons of high wildfire risk persist on the island. Our analysis showed (1) a reduction in area burned (60,000-20,000 ha/year) and ignitions (3,700-2,600 fires/year), (2) an advance of 15 days for the fire season peak, (3) an increase in spring temperatures, and (4) an increase in fire exposure for WUI areas. Little change was noted for land use types and associated fuels. Most likely the reduction in fire activity may be due to a combination of social factors and suppression capabilities. On the other hand, simulation modeling suggested pockets of high wildfire exposure in specific places. The combined empirical analyses and simulation modeling provided a robust approach to understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of wildfire risk on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used simulation modelling to analyse spatial variation in wildfire exposure relative to key social and economic features on the island of Sardinia, Italy. Sardinia contains a high density of urban interfaces, recreational values and highly valued agricultural areas that are increasingly being threatened by severe wildfires. Historical fire data and wildfire simulations were used to estimate burn probabilities, flame length and fire size. We examined how these risk factors varied among and within highly valued features located on the island. Estimates of burn probability excluding non-burnable fuels, ranged from 0-1.92 x 10[sup -3], with a mean value of 6.48 x 10[sup -5]. Spatial patterns in modelled outputs were strongly related to fuel loadings, although topographic and other influences were apparent. Wide variation was observed among the land parcels for all the key values, providing a quantitative approach to inform wildfire risk management activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activities represent a major source of environment contamination. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of bees and ants as bioindicators to detect the heavy metal impact in post-mining areas. A biomonitoring programme involving a combination of honeybee hive matrices analysis and ant biodiversity survey was conducted over a 3-year period. The experimental design involved three monitoring stations where repeated sampling activities focused on chemical detection of cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr) and lead (Pb) from different matrices, both from hosted beehives (foraging bees, honey and pollen) and from the surrounding environment (stream water and soil). At the same time, ant biodiversity (number and abundance of species) was determined through a monitoring programme based on the use of pitfall traps placed in different habitats inside each mining site. The heavy metal content detected in stream water from the control station was always below the analytical limit of quantification. In the case of soil, the content of Cd and Pb from the control was lower than that of mining sites. The mean heavy metal concentrations in beehive matrices from mining sites were mainly higher than the control, and as a result of regression and discriminant analysis, forager bee sampling was an efficient environmental pollution bioindicator. Ant collection and identification highlighted a wide species variety with differences among habitats mostly associated with vegetation features. A lower variability was observed in the polluted landfill characterised by lack of vegetation. Combined biomonitoring with forager bees and ants represents a reliable tool for heavy metal environmental impact studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) is a recently discovered member of the Circoviridae family. So far, its presence has been reported in North America, Asia, South America, and Europe. In this study, blood and tissue samples from 189 Sardinian suids (34 domestic pigs, 115 feral free ranging pigs, and 39 wild boars) were used to genetically characterize the PCV3 strains from Sardinia. PCV3 infection in the animals was confirmed by real time PCR. The detection rate in the three groups analyzed was l7.64% in domestic pigs, 77.39% in free ranging pigs, and 61.54% in wild boars. Moreover, our results showed that co-infection of PCV3 with other viruses is quite a common occurrence. Molecular characterization of Sardinian PCV3 strains was performed by sequencing 6 complete genomes and 12 complete cap genes. Our results revealed that there is a high similarity between our strains and those identified in different countries, confirming the genetic stability of PCV3 regardless of geographical origin. Haplotype network analysis revealed the presence of 6 whole genomes or 12 unique ORF2 haplotypes and a nonsynonymous mutation in ORF2 that leads to an R14K amino acid substitution. Phylogenetic analysis of whole genome and ORF2 was also conducted. The Sardinian strains were allocated in three different clusters of phylogenetic trees of both complete genome and ORF2. With this study, we have provided a snapshot of PCV3 circulation in Sardinia. Our findings might help to achieve a deeper understanding of this emerging porcine virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bismuth is no longer available in Europe except as part of combination therapy. Lactobacillus reuteri has also been used as an adjuvant for Helicobacter pylori therapy. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of a b.i.d. quadruple therapy containing Pylera® or L reuteri for H pylori infection. Materials and Methods: We performed two open‐label randomized pilot studies. Adult patients positive for H pylori were randomly assigned to b.i.d therapy with quadruple therapy containing bismuth (2 capsules of Pylera® plus 250 mg each of tetracycline and metronidazole for a total of 500 mg of each), or the same dose of antibiotics plus 2 × 108 CFU L reuteri DSM 17 938 plus 2 × 108 CFU L reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 (Gastrus®) once daily and pantoprazole 20 mg b.i.d. Regimens were given with meals for 10 days. Cure was defined by negative 13C‐UBT or stool antigen test. Results: A total of 99 subjects (29% men) were enrolled; 92 completed the study. In the Pylera® group, H pylori infection was cured in 95.7%; 95% CI = 85%‐99% (44/46) PP and 88%; 95% CI = 75%‐95% (44/50) ITT vs. 84.8%; 95% CI = 71%‐95% (39/46) PP and 79.6%; 95% CI = 65%‐89% (39/49) ITT in the Gastrus® group, respectively. Cure rates in naїve patients were 100%; 95% CI = 85%‐100% (25/25) PP with Pylera®, and 89.7%; 95% CI = 72%‐97% (26/29) with Gastrus®. Compliance was excellent and side effects mild with both regimens. Conclusions: B.i.d. bismuth quadruple therapy was highly effective for H pylori eradication in treatment of naïve patients in Sardinia. Replacement of bismuth with Gastrus® might be considered when bismuth is contraindicated or unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legume's benefits are well-known and exploited in animal production systems, and the commercial availability of novel clover cultivars is an important opportunity for Mediterranean climatic areas. However, the successful performance of a legume species is strongly affected by the presence of specific rhizobia in the soil. The performances of 10 annual clover cultivars belonging to nine species, both uninoculated and inoculated, were compared at two locations in Sardinia (Italy). The rows (2 m length each) were established in autumn and seed inoculation with a selected commercial rhizobial strain was performed at sowing. In the following spring, shoot length, the number of root nodules, shoot dry matter yield and nitrogen concentration were determined on complete recovered plants. Inoculation affected shoot length, with significant differences at each site. It ranged from 7.9 to 39.7 cm. The average shoot DM production in the two locations ranged from 0.21 to 1.92 g per plant and there was a significant interaction of the location x cultivar. Inoculation significantly increased the growth of four cultivars. However, a cultivar selected in Sardinia, Trifolium brachycalycinum 'Antas', was irrespective of both location and inoculation, producing more shoot DM per plant than did the other clovers (about 1.80 g per plant). The results demonstrated that the clover agronomic performances differed among cultivars and locations. In addition, they highlighted that inoculation with a selected rhizobial strain is very useful for some clovers, suggesting that is preferable to ascertain at each site the need for clover inoculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is associated with multi-factorial syndromes, commonly known as porcine-circovirus–associated diseases, which cause severe economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. Four genotypes (PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2c, and PCV2d) have been identified. Lately, the prevalence of PCV2d has been increasing in many countries, thereby prefiguring a global replacement of PCV2b. Wild boars are also susceptible to PCV2 infection, with virus prevalence similar to that of domestic pigs. This work was aimed at expanding the knowledge about the molecular epidemiology of PCV2 in Italy. For this purpose, we analysed 40 complete ORF-2 sequences from PCV2 strains isolated from domestic pigs and wild boars in Sardinia (Italy) over a period of 5 years (2009–2013). Phylogenetic and Bayesian analyses were performed on three data sets compiled from DNA sequences over a large geographical area. PCV2b was found to be dominant in Sardinia, whereas no PCV2a and PCV2c were found. This study indicates the presence of genotype PCV2d-2 infecting both domestic and wild pigs, thus confirming its circulation in Italy. Sardinian sequences clustered mostly with Italian isolates and with strains from China, Belgium, Croatia, Taiwan, Korea, and Portugal. Genetic variability of PCV2 in Sardinia appears to be a result of both local viral evolution and different epidemic introduction events. • PCV2 exhibits a high evolutionary rate, it's mandatory to continuously evaluate its evolutive process by molecular studies • Phylogenetic and bayesian analysis were performed on 40 ORF-2 Sardinian sequences collected over a 5-years period. • PCV2b is dominant in Sardinia and we confirm genotype PCV2d circulation in Italy among domestic pigs and wild boars. • Genetic variability of PCV2 in Sardinia seems the result of both local viral evolution and different epidemic entries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We present the analysis of optical spectroscopy fingerprints of three different varieties of Sardinian red wine, Carignano, Cannonau and Monica, belonging to Italian DOC (Controlled Origin Designation) red wines family. We selected 15 commercial wines (five for each variety), produced in the middle and south regions of Sardinia form monovarietal grapes. Despite different grapes, farming and tasting, all the samples share common absorption and fluorescence features. A two steps analysis is applied to achieve good classification of the wines. We recorded typical absorbance spectra with a large absorption below 300 nm and a visible absorption band at about 520 nm. Colour attributes according to chromaticity coordinates were evaluated by means of transmittance data and coupled to wine aging data to achieve classification. Despite similar values of lightness (L*), chroma (C* ab), and hue angle (h° ab) for the three varieties, good clustering was gathered for Carignano and Cannonau wines, whilst Monica variety has wide spread chromatic coordinates. UV excited fluorescence spectra display large and composite emission bands from the near UV down to the whole visible range. We performed multivariate analysis in the framework of the principal component analysis of fluorescence spectra coupled with absorption ones being able to achieve good clustering between the three varieties. One anomaly among Cannonau wines is discussed. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Classification of monovarietal Sardinian red wines by means of a new chemometric tool • Analysis of absorption spectra in the chromatic coordinates framework • Multivariate analysis of front face fluorescence spectra • Exploiting combined absorption and front face fluorescence spectroscopy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Monte Sa Idda type swords belong to a well characterized typological class, whose origin has long been debated and seems to coincide with the Iberian Peninsula. The name comes from the site of the first discovery of a hoard containing this type of swords, among other bronze artefacts, namely Monte Sa Idda, Decimoputzu-Cagliari, Italy. The swords were produced through fusion inside a casting mould. Such kind of casting mould has not been found in Sardinia, and this may suggests that finished objects were either imported or made using clay or sand casting mould. Moreover, the discovery of these types of sword, in hoards and in votive deposits, raises the problem of their functional use. It is unknown if the blades were intended to be used as weapons, and therefore subjected to cold working necessary for thinning and sharpening of the blade, or as ceremonial objects. In order to answer to these questions, a neutron diffraction experiment was performed on three swords belonging to the Monte Sa Idda type. The results obtained are presented and discussed in the paper. Highlights • Determination of the manufacturing technique of some “Sa Idda” swords • New data on their provenience • Determination of: alloy composition, dendritic segregation, mineralization phase [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediterranean silvopastoral systems provide a wide range of ecosystem services, among which soil C sequestration is one of the most relevant. Although the role of trees in enhancing soil C content of silvopastoral systems is widely recognized, the impacts of the tree cover on the overall soil C balance and hence the soil C sequestration rates are not clear enough to identify feasible options and effective management pathways. This study aimed to assess the effect of trees on soil C balance in a Mediterranean cork-oak silvopastoral system under contrasting cover classes. A three-year study was conducted in a Long-Term Observatory in Sardinia (Italy). A hierarchical design was used to test the tree effect (below and outside the tree crown projection) and the tree cover (high tree cover – from 39% to 42%; low tree cover – from 15% to 36%) on the soil C balance. The C balance was calculated as the difference between the C input from the herbaceous and tree components of the ecosystem and the C output from soil heterotrophic respiration. The position with respect to the tree stem influenced the C input, the C output, and the overall C balance. The tree class influenced only the C output and C balance. The annual C balance was higher (more gains) in low-covered areas below the tree crown projection (8.30 ± 0.72 Mg ha−1 of C) than in open pasture and high-covered areas. At the field level, the overall weighted C balance was significantly influenced by tree cover; according to this last evidence, the maximum C balance was reached at about 24% tree cover. The results highlight the importance of management practices oriented to increase herbage production, tree cover, and regulating tree distribution, which in turn can provide ecosystem services such as SOC sequestration. • The position with respect of tree within tree cover class influences soil C balance. • The soil C losses as Rh were higher beneath trees in high tree-covered areas. • The C input beyond tree crowns was higher in high than low covered areas. • No differences in C input between tree cover classes were observed beneath trees. • The more positive C balance was estimated at 24% of tree cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires are one of the main sources of threat and degradation of vegetated and anthropicareas in the Mediterranean Basin. In the last decade, Italy experienced about 5500 forest firesper year, which burned about 50.000 hectares per year, although a high interannual variabilitycharacterizes this phenomenon. Supporting wildland fire prevention and management is thekey objective of the S2IGI (Sistema Satellitare Integrato Gestione Incendi) project, whichaims to provide a short and medium term forecasting of wildfire danger, an early detection ofwildland fires, a real-time forecast of wildland fire propagation, and an assessment of firedamages, based on the use of advanced technologies as Earth observation (EO) dataexploitation.In more detail, the main goal of S2IGI is the development of added-value products based onsatellite images, weather numerical predictions and in-situ ancillary data, together with adedicated decision support system. Therefore, S2IGI can support the wildland firemanagement activities along the following three phases: (1) forecast and prevention,(2) monitoring, detection and suppression, (3) damage assessment and vegetationrecovery.The products delivered by this project derive from previous EU and national RTD projects, inwhich, for many years, the project partners have been involved; the same products have beenextensively evaluated during the training and the demonstration period of the past projects.Crowd sourcing data will be also tested as additional source of information during theemergency phases.S2IGI project is being developed encompassing the following main principles:a) to define, make and demonstrate a functional architecture, accounting for all types ofoperational scenarios of fire-related emergencies at local, regional and national level,respectively;b) to customize and implement into the system the whole set of unsupervised, fire-orientedEO techniques prioritizing the exploitation of the Copernicus data and products;c) to explore, test, and implement into the system innovative unsupervised techniques andalgorithms for fire detection and burn scar mapping;d) to provide the overall system with relevant, quantitative decision support functionalities, asthe near-real-time straightforward modeling of fires in controlled environments under knownboundary conditions.This paper is devoted to introduce the S2IGI pilot project, and to describe the main productsand the related validation methods. S2IGI is a three years lasting project supported bythe Regional Administration of Sardinia under the POR (Programma OperativoRegionale) FESR (Fondo Europeo di Sviluppo Regionale) Sardegna 2014– 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]