Nature-inspired calcium phosphate coatings : present status and novel advances in the science of mimicry

There has been a growing awareness in materials science that the adaptation of nature biological processes can lead to significant progresses in the controlled fabrication of advanced materials for an all range of applications. To learn from, understand and apply these natural processes for producing calcium phosphate coatings that are biologically similar to bone apatite, mimicking its properties, has driven the attention of many researchers in recent years. This article reviews the most relevant advances in this emerging research field, pointing out several approaches being introduced and explored by distinct laboratories

Liderazgo escolar y resultados de aprendizaje en escuelas primarias

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Formación de Profesorado y Educación, Departamento de Pedagogía. Fecha de lectura: 25-11-202

Love getaway: dispersal pattern and distance of the crested porcupine

The crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is undergoing a marked range expansion in Italy, and it is reaching the northern regions, where it was historically absent. We studied its dispersal ability by marking 86 subadult individuals through coloured tapes on dorsal quills, in contrasting environmental context (i.e. coastal scrubland, deciduous woodland, suburbs, rural areas and farmlands), in Southern Tuscany. Recaptures occurred only for 14 (16.3%) of them, allowing us to evaluate dispersal patterns, which ranged from 180 to 4896 m. We showed that no sexual difference occurred in dispersal distances, as expected by the monogamous mating system of this rodent. The season did not affect dispersal patterns significantly, although most of these movements occurred at the peak of the main reproductive season. Dispersal distance increased with increasing home range and with increasing woodland cover (i.e. % of study site covered by woodland). Forest reexpansion in Italy may thus have promoted the range expansion by this species during the last 40 years