Monetary Valuations of Monumental Trees and Other Natural Resources between Demand for Conservation and Recent Requirements for Outdoor Activities: Some Case Studies in the Madonie and Nebrodi Regional Parks of Sicily

The focus of this paper is on the valuation of the benefits that local communities living in protected areas may perceive with regard to some specific natural resources, and in particular to Monumental Trees. The current economic crisis which involves countries at world level, leads to think that in the near future the financial resources to be destined for interventions in favour of these environmental goods will be more and more scarce, with the result that most monumental trees will not be protected and this natural heritage will be totally degraded and therefore lost to local communities. Three Sicilian case studies were investigated, two concerning the Madonie Regional Natural Park, and the third one referring to an area of the Nebrodi Regional Natural Park. The monetary valuation of these environmental goods was carried out by using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM ), which belongs to the category of Direct Methods and of Expressed Preferences Method. For each of these case studies a survey was designed, identifying the targeted population from which to select a sample, from two to four different questionnaires were structured, with the description of the current and proposed supply of these environmental goods, where a suitable payment vehicle for the bids (expressed as Willingness to Pay, WTP) was chosen, where WTP elicitation “open” and “payment card” formats were used. A pre-testing of the CVM survey was carried out in order to check the questionnaire as to timing, flow of the questions, ease of understanding and delivery, and to identify any specific problem areas. The three CVM final surveys have the ultimate aim of estimating average and median WTPs expressed by local resident households and day-trippers to purchase the qualitative improvement of monumental trees supply and the additional services offered in the surrounding scenario of nature trails

Breakdown mechanisms in electrostatic deflector

The Electrostatic Beam Deflectors for the K800 Superconducting Cyclotron are the most critical elements of the beam extraction system. It has been carried out an accurate investigation from the microscopic point of view, leading to a better comprehension of the complex phenomena taking part in the breakdown process. The environmental conditions are high electric field (up to 130 kV/cm), high magnetic field (up to 5 T) in addition with high energy (70 MeV/u) and high power ion beam. It has been found that all the materials constituent the electrostatic deflector, and not only the electrodes, give an important contribute to the mechanism of breakdown that occurs in two main ways: insulator metalization and enhanced electrodes electron emission. These two effects are involved in a positive feedback process which amplifies the effects leading to a fast breakdown. These phenomena are here shown and some possible solutions are at the moment under test using several bulk (Mo, Ti, Cu) and coating materials (TiN, Diamond Like Carbon)

Radioactive ion beam opportunities at the new FRAISE facility of INFN-LNS

At the Laboratori Nazionali del Sud of INFN (INFN-LNS) in Catania, the construction of the new Radioactive Ion Beams (RIBs) facility FRAISE (FRAgment In-flight SEparator) has reached its ending phase. The facility uses the in-flight technique based on a primary beam fragmentation impinging on light Be or C targets. FRAISE makes use of light and medium mass primary beams, having power up to asymptotic to 2-3 kW, leading to RIBs, whose intensities vary in the range of asymptotic to 10(3)-10(7) pps, for nuclei far from and close to the stability valley, respectively. FRAISE aims at providing high-intensity and high-quality RIBs for nuclear physics experiments, also serving to interdisciplinary research areas, such as medical physics. Critical aspects for high-quality beams are the tuning and transport, representing time-consuming processes and requiring dedicated diagnostics and tagging devices measuring many features of RIBs. Some of these devices should be capable to operate in radioactively activated environments because of the expected 2 kW beam lost in the dipole after the production target. Due to its peculiar robustness to radioactive damage, Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology has been considered for the detection layer. In this view, an R & D campaign has been started aiming at developing the FRAISE facility, the new diagnostics system, and a new tagging device, the latter of which will be useful for the CHIMERA multidetector beamline. In this paper, we discuss the status and the perspectives of the facility with a focus on the RIBs opportunities

Farmacologia per Dietistica: Farmaci e Piante Medicinali

I quaderni “Farmacologia per Dietistica: Farmaci e Piante Medicinali”, rivolti agli studenti del Corso di Laurea in Dietistica, hanno l’obiettivo di fornire alcune fondamentali nozioni di Farmacologia e di Fitoterapia. Il volume inizia con una breve introduzione sul metabolismo energetico. Nei capitoli successivi vengono prese in esame varie categorie di farmaci come antidiabetici, antiiperlipidemici, antiipertensivi, antidepressivi e farmaci per i disturbi del comportamento alimentare. Particolare attenzione è stata posta sui pochi medicinali a disposizione per il trattamento dell’obesità. Per ogni categoria di farmaci, quando disponibili, vengono inseriti i prodotti fitoterapici, che hanno mostrato evidenze scientifiche di efficacia. Infine, sono stati trattati i principali integratori alimentari con particolare riferimento alle vitamine, minerali e probiotici. Un intero capitolo è dedicato alle interazioni tra farmaci e cibo e tra farmaci e fitoterapici

INCREMENTI TERMICI IN VITRO UTILIZZANDO DUE DIVERSI SISTEMI DI OTTURAZIONE CANALARE A CALDO: SISTEMA E&Q VS SYSTEM B

OBIETTIVO DELLA RICERCA: Una delle pi\uf9 comuni cause di insuccesso in Endodonzia \ue8 certamente rappresentata dall\u2019incompleta otturazione del sistema dei canali radicolari, in tal senso, un materiale da otturazione canalare dovrebbe penetrare e diffondere in modo omogeneo in tutto lo spazio endodontico. La guttaperca \ue8 il pi\uf9 comune materiale da otturazione usato e viene comunemente utilizzata in associazione con il cemento canalare. Sono da preferire tecniche che prevedono quantit\ue0 minime di cemento, come la condensazione verticale a caldo. L\u2019originale tecnica di compattazione verticale a caldo \ue8 stata modificata da Buchanan che ha introdotto la tecnica dell\u2019onda continua di condensazione mediante la sorgente di calore System B. Scopo di questo studio \ue8 quello di valutare due diversi sistemi di compattazione della guttaperca a caldo che utilizzano entrambi la tecnica dell\u2019onda continua di condensazione secondo: il System B (Sybron Endo) e E&Q Master (Sweden&Martina). Attraverso una analisi comparativa si sono valutati in vitro, mediante termocoppie, gli incrementi di temperatura lungo la superficie radicolare e lungo le pareti canalari, a vari livelli, durante l\u2019uso del System B e del sistema E&Q Master. MATERIALI E METODI: E' stato realizzato uno "split-tooth model", mediante un canino mascellare non cariato, estratto per motivi parodontali. La sagomatura del canale \ue8 stata eseguita utilizzando strumenti in Ni-Ti "M-two\u2122" (Sweden&Martina\uae). Per misurare la temperatura sono stati realizzati 6 solchi: 3 nella met\ue0 mesiale a 2, 4 e 6mm dalla LL, estensi sino alla superficie radicolare, 3 solchi nella met\ue0 distale a 2, 4 e 6mm estesi sino alla porzione intracanalare. In ognuno di questi solchi \ue8 stata inserita una termocoppia di tipo T collegata ad un termometro digitale. Sono state effettuate 20 otturazioni con il Sistema E&Q Master mediante un plugger FM portato a 3,5 mm dalla LL e 20 otturazioni con il System B, settato a 250\ub0C mediante un plugger FM portato sempre a 3,5 mm dalla LL. RISULTATI: Durante la tecnica dell\u2019onda continua di condensazione si realizzano, in entrambe le sistematiche, due picchi di temperatura, il primo causato dall\u2019inserimento del plugger all\u2019interno del canale, il secondo durante la fase di separazione. Per quanto riguarda il System B, gli incrementi termici medi pi\uf9 alti sono stati registrati nella termocoppia N.6 che ha riportato incrementi pari a 2,8\ub0C, mentre quelli pi\uf9 bassi sono stati registrati nella termocoppia N. 1 che hanno riportato valori di 0,4\ub0C. Per quanto riguarda il Sistema E&Q Master, gli incrementi termici medi pi\uf9 alti sono stati registrati nella termocoppia N.6 che ha riportato incrementi pari a 6,30\ub0C con picchi che raggiungono i 42,98 \ub0C mentre quelli pi\uf9 bassi nella termocoppia N. 1 che ha riportato valori di 2,11\ub0C. CONCLUSIONI: La diffusione del calore all\u2019interno del canale \ue8 influenzata da molti parametri come gli spessori dentinali residui, la circolazione sanguigna e la bassa conducibilit\ue0 termica della dentina. Gli incrementi termici medi sono stati registrati in relazione alla temperatura ambiente e dai risultati ottenuti si \ue8 visto che si hanno, sia sulla superficie esterna sia nella massa di guttaperca, incrementi medi inferiori a 10\ub0 C. Dall\u2019analisi dei risultati ottenuti possiamo concludere inoltre che entrambe le sistematiche ci consentono di ottenere un valido incremento termico della massa di guttaperca. I risultati evidenziano che l\u2019uso del Sistema E&Q Master e del System B, in vitro, sembra non determinare un pericoloso incremento di temperatura lungo la superficie radicolare tale da indurre danni iatrogeni

CT-scanning and virtual reproduction of the Saccopastore Neandertal crania

The two early Neanderthal crania from Saccopastore (Rome, Italy) have been CT-scanned and virtually reproduced using computer-assisted techniques. The matrix, still pervading many internal volumes, was partially removed in order to identify and isolate endocranial structures and internal features. Saccopastore 1 shows high degree of mineralisation. In addition, calcareous inclusions permeates the deeper layers of the bone, involving some degree of overflow and difficulties to clearly identify part of the anatomical structures of the basicranium. Anyhow, the endocast (never described so far) is almost entirely reproduced, as well as features of dental roots, maxillary sinuses, and inner ear elements. Saccopastore 2 shows also a high level of fossilisation, but with less problems for the scan process (given also the smaller volume of the anatomical districts preserved); even in this case, dental roots, maxillary and frontal sinuses, and inner ear elements can be identified. These two important specimens, dated to a crucial (Eemian) stage along the Neanderthal evolutionary lineage, are now available for CT-based analyses and comparisons

Estimating Urban-Induced Artificial Recharge: A Case Study for Austin, TX

Urbanization alters the character and state of the land surface. Urban-induced anthropogenic recharge sources that include leaky utility lines, storm sewer systems, and storm-water catchments, as well as over-irrigation of lawns, parks, and golf courses, can be significant. However, data may be sparse and quantification difficult. A case study for Austin, TX, uses commonly available data to estimate recharge from leaky utility lines and irrigation return flows. The estimates indicate that these sources accounted for at least 5 percent of the total recharge between 1999 and 2009 and that on a monthly basis these contributions can vary from \u3c1 percent to nearly 100 percent of the total recharge. Irrigation return flow was the most significant contributor in summer seasons; however, leakage from utility lines provided more total recharge. Urban recharge contributions were comparable to the mid-size watershed contributions over the 10-year period. These estimates are conservative and should be reevaluated as urbanization continues and as new data become available. Outcomes are relevant for habitat conservation, drought response planning, and urban groundwater management. Urban recharge can be important for buffering seasonal fluctuations during periods of low precipitation and springflow