'Perceived benefits of littoral wetlands in Uganda: a focus on the Nabugabo wetlands

Wetlands, commonly called swamps in Uganda, are estimated to cover about 13% of the total land surface area (about 30,000 km2) of the country and represent a considerable ecological, social and economic value. In 1989, the Ugandan government formerly recognised that wetlands need to be conserved and contribute considerably to the National economy and rural livelihood. The present analysis is focused on the Nabugabo wetland ecosystem. Located in Central Uganda, it is an important part of the extensive system of wetlands that surround Lake Victoria. The Nabugabo wetland is a source of important resources that are basic to the local economy, including fishing, water utilization, agriculture, livestock, wetland plants for construction and more recently, tourism. Investment in the area is low and a large percentage of the local community depends on the wetland resources for basic sustenance needs. After achieving Ramsar status, demarcation and conservation activities were initiated by the local and national leaders. However, these conservation efforts have provoked conflicts between the land owners and the policy makers, in particular to the demarcation of areas for conservation In the present analysis, we examine the benefits, perceived by local leaders and community members, of the wetland and its services, as well as views towards its conservation and management. The results show that differences between the community leaders and member exist regarding the perceived benefits of the wetlands. Tourism, while providing some opportunities for local persons is not always viewed positively. Conservation activities are viewed positively but some questions remain as to whether such efforts help or hinder the local population, in particular regarding access to basic resources

Water-protein and ligand-protein interactions as determined by selective NMR relaxation studies

Abstract Water-macromolecules and ligand-macromolecules interactions were investigated considering the effects induced by the presence of a macromolecule on both the water and the ligand NMR selective (R1SE) and non-selective (R1NS) spin-lattice relaxation rates. The results obtained from the solvent studies were used to describe the solvent dynamics at the macromolecule-solvent interface. On the other hand, ligand R1SE and (R1NS) analysis allowed the definition of the “affinity index”, [A]LT, an index related to the extent of the macromolecule-ligand recognition process

Solution structure of folic acid. Molecular Mechanics and NMR investigation

he structure of folic acid in solution was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and theoretical calculations. Dynamical information and geometrical constraints were obtained by carbon-13 relaxation study, homo-nuclear NOESY spectra and hetero-nuclear 1H–13C NOE experiments. This set of experimental data was used for the molecular mechanics and molecular dynamic calculations. The accuracy of the final structure was established by the RNMR factor, which was calculated comparing the experimental NOESY cross-peaks intensities and the corresponding values simulated by using the complete relaxation matrix analysis (CORMA) approac

Spectroscopic investigation of the conformational properties and self-association behaviour of natural compounds in solution

The conformational properties and self-association behaviour of rifaximin and rifaximin OR (Open Ring) were investigated in solution by NMR and IR spectroscopy. The dependence of proton chemical shift on concentration and temperature were analysed to study the self-association process. IR spectra of rifaximin and rifaximin OR were also used at different concentrations to investigate the entity of specific inter- and intra:molecular interactions. Although similar in structure the two molecules had different chemical properties in solution. This could be of some interest in view of the biological importance of this class of antibiotic molecules

X-ray Tomography Unveils the Construction Technique of Un-Montu’s Egyptian Coffin (Early 26th Dynasty)

The Bologna Archaeological Museum, in cooperation with prestigious Italian universities, institutions, and independent scholars, recently began a vast investigation programme on a group of Egyptian coffins of Theban provenance dating to the first millennium BC, primarily the 25th–26th Dynasty (c. 746–525 BC). Herein, we present the results of the multidisciplinary investigation carried out on one of these coffins before its restoration intervention: the anthropoid wooden coffin of Un-Montu (Inv. MCABo EG1960). The integration of radiocarbon dating, wood species identification, and CT imaging enabled a deep understanding of the coffin’s wooden structure. In particular, we discuss the results of the tomographic investigation performed in situ. The use of a transportable X-ray facility largely reduced the risks associated with the transfer of the large object (1.80 cm tall) out of the museum without compromising image quality. Thanks to the 3D tomographic imaging, the coffin revealed the secrets of its construction technique, from the rational use of wood to the employment of canvas (incamottatura), from the use of dowels to the assembly procedure

Spatial and seasonal changes in optical properties of autochthonous and allochthonous chromophoric dissolved organic matter in a stratified mountain lake

In this study, we present results on seasonal and spatial changes in CDOM absorption and fluorescence (fCDOM) in a deep mountain lake (Salto Lake, Italy). A novel approach was used to describe the shape of CDOM absorption between 250–700 nm (distribution of the spectral slope, S(l)) and a new fluorescence ratio is used to distinguish between humic and amino acid-like components. Solar ultraviolet irradiance, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), DOM fluorescence and absorption measurements were analysed and compared to other physicochemical parameters. We show that in the UV-exposed mixed layer: (i) fluorescence by autochthonous amino acid-like CDOM, (ii) values of S(l) across UV-C and UV-B wavebands increased during the summer months, whereas (i) average molar absorption coefficient and (ii) fluorescence by allochthonous humic CDOM decreased. In the unexposed deep layer of the water column (and in the entire water column in winter), humic-like CDOM presented high values of molar absorption coefficients and low values of S(l). UV attenuation coefficients correlated with both chlorophyll a concentrations and CDOM absorption. In agreement with changes in CDOM, minimal values in UV attenuation were found in summer. The S(l) curve was used as a signature of the mixture between photobleached and algal-derived CDOM with respect to the unexposed chromophoric dissolved compounds in this thermal stratified lake. Furthermore, S(l) curves were useful to distinguish between low and high molecular weight CDOM