A matter of ephemerality: The study of Kel Tadrart Tuareg (southwest Libya) campsites via quantitative spatial analysis.

We examined the settlement structure from the Kel Tadrart Tuareg, a small pastoral society from southwest Libya. Our objective was to apply spatial analysis to establish the statistical significance of specific patterns in the settlement layout. In particular, we examined whether there is a separation between domestic and livestock spaces, and whether particular residential features dedicated to guests are spatially isolated. We used both established statistical techniques and newly developed bespoke analyses to test our hypotheses, and then discuss the results in the light of possible applications to other case studies.SP2016http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss1/art42

The call of nature. Three post-pandemic scenarios about remote working in Milan

In recent years remote working (RW) arrangements have increased in many countries, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also intensified the need for humans to live closer to nature. Within this context, the paper aims to discuss three possible future scenarios for the spread of RW by 2050, and how this could affect residential choices, people’s relationship with the natural environment, and thus the renewed role of large cities, small towns, and areas close to nature. A specific focus is placed on the city of Milan in northwest Italy. To give empirical foundations to our scenarios, we analyzed data for the year 2021. The first scenario we consider (the Gentrified City) implies the risk that Milan will become a gentrified city, thus pushing social and economic inequality. However, on the contrary, our data suggest that in Italy a potential pool of workers would leave the city and move to a small town or closer to nature if allowed to work remotely. This trend could lead to the second scenario (the Doughnut City), but data for Milan show that the share of those willing to leave Milan is lower than the national average, which can be explained by the good quality of offered services; thus, the city center is unlikely to empty due to RW. The desirable option would be represented by the third scenario: some remote workers move to intermediary cities (the Intermediary Cities scenario), reducing territorial disparities

Resilience of small-scale societies: a view from drylands.

To gain insights on long-term social-ecological resilience, we examined adaptive responses of small-scale societies to dryland-related hazards in different regions and chronological periods, spanning from the mid-Holocene to the present. Based on evidence from Africa (Sahara and Sahel), Asia (south margin of the Thar desert), and Europe (South Spain), we discuss key traits and coping practices of small-scale societies that are potentially relevant for building resilience. The selected case studies illustrate four main coping mechanisms: mobility and migration, storage, commoning, and collective action driven by religious beliefs. Ultimately, the study of resilience in the context of drylands emphasizes the importance of adaptive traits and practices that are distinctive of small-scale societies: a strong social-ecological coupling, a solid body of traditional ecological knowledge, and a high degree of internal cohesion and self-organization.SP2016http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol21/iss2/art53

Binding of recombinant PrPc to human plasminogen: kinetic and thermodynamic study using a resonant mirror biosensor

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are a class of sporadic, genetic and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases that affect both humans and animals. Propagation of these diseases is thought to be due to the misfolding of a neuronal glyco-protein, PrP(c), into a pathological insoluble conformer, PrP(Sc). In earlier works, some serum components were identified as exclusive PrP(Sc)-interacting proteins (Fisher et al., Nature 2000;408:479), and thus those macromolecules were thought to represent a potential diagnostic endogenous factor discriminating between normal and pathological prion proteins. In contrast, in agreement with a recent work (Kornblatt et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2003;305:518), in this paper we present a detailed thermodynamic and kinetic characterization of the interaction between recombinant bovine PrP(c 25-242) and the human serum component plasminogen, measured using a resonant mirror technique: our results reveal a high-affinity interaction between the two binding partners. For comparison, the complex obtained from the purified full-length PrP(c) and human plasminogen was also studied: both prion proteins (the recombinant bovine PrP(c 25-242) and the purified full-length PrP(c)) are able to bind human plasminogen. Both kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are affected by the modulation exerted by the H(+) ions in solution. Moreover, the analysis of binding, according to canonical linkage relationships, suggests the involvement of a His residue, consistent with the interaction between other serine (pro)enzymes and their ligands

High and medium resolution satellite imagery to evaluate late holocene human-environment interactions in arid lands: A case study from the Central Sahara.

We present preliminary results of an Earth observation approach for the study of past human occupation and landscape reconstruction in the Central Sahara. This region includes a variety of geomorphological features such as palaeo-oases, dried river beds, alluvial fans and upland plateaux whose geomorphological characteristics, in combination with climate changes, have influenced patterns of human dispersal and sociocultural activities during the late Holocene. In this paper, we discuss the use of medium- and high-resolution remotely sensed data for the mapping of anthropogenic features and paleo- and contemporary hydrology and vegetation. In the absence of field inspection in this inaccessible region, we use different remote sensing methods to first identify and classify archaeological features, and then explore the geomorphological factors that might have influenced their spatial distribution.EM201

The unexpected land use: rain-fed agriculture in drylands

Although excluded from most maps of current and past land use, dryland rain-fed (non-irrigated) agriculture has been and is pivotal to enhance resilience of human communities, and understand land-atmosphere interactions and regional climate in many parts of the world

Epidemiological significance of the domestic Black Pig ( Sus scrofa) in the maintenance of Bovine Tuberculosis in Sicily

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an emerging disease among wild animals in many parts of the world. Wildlife reservoir hosts may thus represent a potential source of infection for livestock and humans. We investigated the role played by the Sicilian black pig, an autochthonous free- or semi-free-ranging domestic pig breed, as a potential source of bTB infection in an area where bTB prevalence in cattle is high. We initially performed a preliminary field study to assess the occurrence of bTB in such animals. We sampled 119 pigs at abattoir and found 6.7% and 3.4% of them to be affected by gross tuberculous-like lesions (TBL) and Mycobacterium bovis culture positive, respectively. We then proceeded to investigate the dissemination and characteristics of lesions in a second field study performed on 100 animals sampled from infected herds. Here, tissues collected at the abattoir were examined macroscopically, microscopically, and by culture tests. Most pigs with TBL showed generalized lesions in both gross and histological examinations (53% and 65.5%, respectively). Head lymph nodes were the most frequently affected in both localized and generalized TB cases observed macroscopically and microscopically. M. bovis was the most frequently isolated etiologic agent. The molecular characterization of isolates from both field studies by spoligotyping and analysis of 12 mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit–variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) loci, followed by their comparison to isolates of cattle origin, suggested a potential transmission of mycobacteria from domestic animals to black pigs and vice versa. Our findings, along with ethological, ecological, and management considerations, suggest that the black pig might act as a bTB reservoir in the ecosystem under study. However, additional studies will be necessary to establish the true epidemiological significance of the Sicilian black pig

High and Medium Resolution Satellite Imagery to Evaluate Late Holocene Human–Environment Interactions in Arid Lands: A Case Study from the Central Sahara

We present preliminary results of an Earth observation approach for the study of past human occupation and landscape reconstruction in the Central Sahara. This region includes a variety of geomorphological features such as palaeo-oases, dried river beds, alluvial fans and upland plateaux whose geomorphological characteristics, in combination with climate changes, have influenced patterns of human dispersal and sociocultural activities during the late Holocene. In this paper, we discuss the use of medium- and high-resolution remotely sensed data for the mapping of anthropogenic features and paleo- and contemporary hydrology and vegetation. In the absence of field inspection in this inaccessible region, we use different remote sensing methods to first identify and classify archaeological features, and then explore the geomorphological factors that might have influenced their spatial distribution.Satellite imagery used in this study was generously provided by the DigitalGlobe Foundation, thanks to a grant entrusted to SB. This study was funded by the Marie S. Curie IEF the Europen Commission, grant No. 622344 PastoralMod, entrusted to SB, by the ‘PaisArque—Paisajes Arqueológicos Inaccesibles y en Peligro: Observación Terrestre y Tecnologías 3D para la Protección y Preservación del Patrimonio Cultural’ of the Fundación BBVA, and by the ‘SimulPast project’, CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 from the MINECO (CSD2010-00034)