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In Roman culture, military defeats are recorded as negative exempla, especially epoch-making defeats such as the river Allia, Cannae, Carrhae or Teutoburg. This depends on several factors. Originally, the responsibility of military victories or shortcomings was not attributed to the single commander, but as a deed concerning the whole community. Moreover, the dates of major defeats were included in the calendar as dies nefasti and, in some particular cases (as the Allia and Cannae) as dies vitiosi. With the Principate, this tradition begins to change. The transformation can be seen by the end of Augustan age, with the elaboration of a légende noire of unlucky commanders like Crassus and Quinctilius Varus. © 2010 Vita e Pensiero / Pubblicazioni dell'Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Population and the economic activities increases, are the main and most important causes of the impoverishment of land and marine ecosystems of the planet. Within this context, the land use and vegetation cover data, and those on the transition between the different land use categories, are among the most required information necessary for the individuation of the sustainable management strategies of environmental and landscape resources. The same information is also necessary to control the efficacy of the environmental politics and the environmental integration instances of specific field politics (agriculture, industry, tourism, ect). In fact, one of the main themes is landscape transformation which changes, going from a “natural” use (woods and/or forests and wetlands) to a “semi-natural” use (agriculture) or artificial use (building, industry, infrastructures). These transitions, other than determining a permanent or irreversible loss of fertile soil, cause further negative impacts as landscape fragmentation, biodiversity reduction, alteration of the hydrogeological cycle and microclimatic changes. It is therefore interesting to evidence the changes which have taken place over time in land use, paying particular attention to those areas where the human presence, by means of compatible farming practices, may represent a positive factor for landscape and biodiversity conservation. The analysis of land use changes and/or of the vegetation cover may take place on different levels depending the characteristics of the satellite imageries available (spatial resolution, multi temporality of the acquisition). The two main approaches are the spatial one (based on maps) and the statistic one (based on punctual information). The advantage of the first is the possibility of using data in GIS environment (Geographic Information System), where these data may be compared with other spatial information (pedological and climatic maps, ect.). The WP5 of the ManagMed project envisages for the Natura 2000 sites (“Bosco S. Adriano” - ITA020025 and “Vendicari” - ITA090002) studies concerning land use changes throughout the multi-temporal analysis of the structure and of the characteristics of the landscape of the sites. These sites are characterized by a high environmental and landscape heterogeneity. Bosco S. Adriano is characterized by the presence of forest landscapes of the hilly and sub-mountain range of the Mediterranean biogeographic region. Vendicari instead, hosts one of the most important and rare, coastal wetlands areas in Sicily, which has undergone, in years, heavy transformations that have determined a constant reduction of biodiversity. In both sites, the quantification of changes at a landscape scale was carried out through a multitemporal and multi-scale analysis. The multi-temporal analysis with use of GIS has already been used for other studies, in Italy, as well as in other countries. Besides the GIS analysis and on field surveys, an historical and bibliographical research was carried out, aiming at gathering information relative to the evolution, in time, of the human activity exercised on the site’s territory.

The WP5 (Action 5.4) of the ManagMED project foresees measurement, evaluation, and estimation of the parameters that have a negative impact on the sites, throughout the use of innovative inventory methods (A5.4). The preliminary studies (WP2) carried out on the chosen Nature 2000 sites, contributed in recognising phenomena and activities which have a negative impact on the protection state of the sites. Mapping, inventories, and forest monitoring constitute the support base allowing acknowledging of environments, and of conservation and evaluation methods of the natural resources, therefore permitting planning of ideal methods for the realisation of a non- passive integration between man and environment. Inventory and monitoring of forest resources which characterise the Nature 2000 “Bosco S. Adriano” site, were carried out through sampling of qualitative and quantitative type attributes, following the MNTFR project protocol (Monitoring of No-Timber Forest Resources). Such protocol was developed by different European research institutes with the aim of acquiring information about non-wood forest goods and services (NWGS: Non – Wood Goods and Services). In Italy the protocol was tested in some areas with the purpose of adapting it to the conditions of the Apennine-Mediterranean environment. Within the 5.4 Action of the WP 5 of the ManagMED project, the protocol was used as an inventory research method, finalized at individuating and monitoring of environmental risks and impacts on Nature 2000 habitats present inside the site. The objective was that of finding precise measures able to reduce such risks and that could be taken under consideration for the elaboration of the site’s management guide lines.

It was the purpose of this study to use static and dynamic baropodometry pre- and postsurgery in patients submitted to knee replacement with a mobile bearing. Baropodometric analysis was accompanied by clinical and subjective evaluation. Data obtained from the baropodometer revealed considerable oscillations occurring between pre- and postsurgery. Static examination showed a significant increase in the percentage of loading on the side treated that was not observed in the dynamic evaluation. An analysis of the Knee Society score showed a considerable increase in values between pre- and postsurgery similar to how the interpretation of correlations presurgery revealed statistically significant values between function and length of step, between pre- and postsurgery data for scores for function and length of step and Knee Score. The short-term results obtained are encouraging but only a long-term follow-up will be able to confirm the use of evaluating total knee replacement.