Habitat management and conservation in the Isonzo River Mouth Natural Regional Reserve

La Riserva Naturale Regionale Foce Isonzo, il cui territorio coincide in gran parte con quello del SIC/ZPS 3330004, conduce interventi di conservazione e gestione sui 21 habitat di interesse comunitario, inclusi nell’all.I della DIR CE 92/43, presenti nell’area. Altri habitat non inclusi nella DIR CE 92/43 vengono gestiti in quanto ospitano specie di interesse comunitario, incluse nell’all. II e/o IV della stessa Direttiva, nell’all.I della DIR CE 79/409, nelle Liste Rosse Nazionali e Regionali oppure presenti con un numero di individui considerato di importanza internazionale o nazionale per l’avifauna. Gli interventi di conservazione attuati sono previsti e regolamentati nella Riserva dai propri: Piano di Conservazione e Sviluppo, Piano Faunistico, Regolamento e Piano di gestione degli habitat vegetali. Molti habitat vengono lasciati alla libera evoluzione. Per la loro conservazione viene considerata sufficiente la regolamentazione delle attività antropiche. Altri habitat vengono mantenuti per mezzo di interventi di gestione ordinaria quali: lo sfalcio, il pascolo e la gestione dei livelli idrici nelle aree arginate. Alcune superfici di prati e pascoli in abbandono, ed in via di scomparsa a causa del progressivo arbustamento, sono state ripristinate mediante il taglio e l’asporto della biomassa legnosa ed il riavvio delle attività gestionali necessarie. Diversi interventi di rinaturazione sono stati inoltre eseguiti, in aree precedentemente drenate ed arate a fini agricoli, realizzando nuovi stagni permanenti e temporanei, prati, pascoli e boschi. In seguito a tali interventi, in questi nuovi ambienti, sono attualmente presenti numerosi habitat e numerosissime specie di interesse comunitario.The Isonzo River Mouth Natural Regional Reserve, whose borders coincide very closely with those of the SAC/SPA 3330004, carries out conservation and management actions on 21 habitat of European interest, included in Annex I of the EU Directive 92/43, that are present within its borders. Other habitats are not included in Annex I of the EU Directive 92/43, but they are managed because they host species of European interest, included in Annex II and IV of the same Directive, in Annex I of the European Directive 79/409, in the National and Regional Red Lists, or that are present with numbers of international or national relevance in the case of bird species. The conservation actions that have been carried out are regulated by several Plans that have relevance for the Reserve: Conservation and Development Plan, Faunistic Plan, Reserve Regulations and Vegetation Management Plan. Several habitats are not directly modified by human intervention. Indeed, their conservation is assured simply by regulating human activities. Other habitats are maintained only through ordinary management actions, such as grass cutting, grazing and water level management in the diken areas. Some areas, characterised by abandoned meadows and disappearing due to shrub invasion, have been restored by cutting and removing the wood biomass and by carrying out the subsequent ordinary management actions. Furthermore, several renaturation actions have been carried out in areas that had been dried and used for agriculture. In such areas, permanent and temporary ponds, meadows and woods have been created. Following such actions, in these environments a lot of habitats and species of European interest have appeared

The role of work orientation on career construction and satisfaction in a group of workers.

openLa presente ricerca ha coinvolto 251 lavoratori (156 femmine e 95 maschi), i quali hanno completato diversi questionari riguardo i costrutti di orientamento al lavoro, adattabilità professionale, comportamenti proattivi di carriera, competenza emozionale, soddisfazione lavorativa e per la vita in generale. I risultati hanno dimostrato relazioni consistenti tra le variabili e la presenza di alcune differenze associate al genere, all'età, alla professione e alla variabile career shock (Covid-19). Inoltre l'analisi dei dati riporta anche degli effetti di mediazione e di moderazione

Considerations on dynamic soaring

This paper presents an analytical treatment of dynamic soaring, a behaviour that certain sea birds use to extract energy from wind gradient. Theoretical modeling and results of numerical simulations, based on a two-degrees-of-freedom point mass model, are presented

Forêts "déshumanisées" pour Cervidés -

La forêt, entendue comme un bois assez vaste, abrite aujourd'hui, outre des animaux non humains, des animaux humains totalement détachés de l'écosystème forestier. Bois, sylves et forêts, malgré leurs sens différents, avaient autrefois une profonde signification symbolique et constituaient des lieux d'initiation. Aujourd'hui, ce pouvoir leur a été ôté. A la lumière des exigences des Cervidés (brièvement décrits), l'article soutient qu'il est nécessaire de passer d'une gestion passive, souvent fondée sur des projets touristiques, peu formatifs ni éducatifs, à une gestion active. En prenant en compte l'ancien pouvoir symbolique du Cerf et le nouveau, mais important, pouvoir du Chevreuil, il sera nécessaire de reconsidérer la forêt comme un lieu spécialement dédié à une nouvelle éducation et formation à la Nature. L'homme qui entre dans une forêt pour les Cervidés (ou autres espèces) devra alors se « déshumaniser » et reprendre dans la sylve ce parcours initiatique, donc forestier, qu'il avait oublié. On présente ensuite quelques suggestions pratiques pour que l'homme expérimente, toujours à la lumière des exigences biologiques des Cervidés, cet antique lien avec la forêt et avec ce qui est sylvatique

Characterization of protein-interaction networks in tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Analyzing differential-gene-expression data in the context of protein-interaction networks (PINs) yields information on the functional cellular status. PINs can be formally represented as graphs, and approximating PINs as undirected graphs allows the network properties to be characterized using well-established graph measures.</p> <p>This paper outlines features of PINs derived from 29 studies on differential gene expression in cancer. For each study the number of differentially regulated genes was determined and used as a basis for PIN construction utilizing the Online Predicted Human Interaction Database.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Graph measures calculated for the largest subgraph of a PIN for a given differential-gene-expression data set comprised properties reflecting the size, distribution, biological relevance, density, modularity, and cycles. The values of a distinct set of graph measures, namely <it>Closeness Centrality</it>, <it>Graph Diameter</it>, <it>Index of Aggregation</it>, <it>Assortative Mixing Coefficient</it>, <it>Connectivity</it>, <it>Sum of the Wiener Number</it>, <it>modified Vertex Distance Number</it>, and <it>Eigenvalues </it>differed clearly between PINs derived on the basis of differential gene expression data sets characterizing malignant tissue and PINs derived on the basis of randomly selected protein lists.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cancer PINs representing differentially regulated genes are larger than those of randomly selected protein lists, indicating functional dependencies among protein lists that can be identified on the basis of transcriptomics experiments. However, the prevalence of hub proteins was not increased in the presence of cancer. Interpretation of such graphs in the context of robustness may yield novel therapies based on synthetic lethality that are more effective than focusing on single-action drugs for cancer treatment.</p

Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis of Proteins Associated with the Cardiorenal Syndrome

The cardiorenal syndrome refers to the coexistence of kidney and cardiovascular disease, where cardiovascular events are the most common cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease. Both, cardiovascular as well as kidney diseases have been extensively analyzed on a molecular level, resulting in molecular features and associated processes indicating a cross-talk of the two disease etiologies on a pathophysiological level. In order to gain a comprehensive picture of molecular factors contributing to the bidirectional interplay between kidney and cardiovascular system, we mined the scientific literature for molecular features reported as associated with the cardiorenal syndrome, resulting in 280 unique genes/proteins. These features were then analyzed on the level of molecular processes and pathways utilizing various types of protein interaction networks. Next to well established molecular features associated with the renin-angiotensin system numerous proteins involved in signal transduction and cell communication were found, involving specific molecular functions covering receptor binding with natriuretic peptide receptor and ligands as well known example. An integrated analysis of identified features pinpointed a protein interaction network involving mediators of hemodynamic change and an accumulation of features associated with the endothelin and VEGF signaling pathway. Some of these features may function as novel therapeutic targets

Proteomic-biostatistic integrated approach for finding the underlying molecular determinants of hypertension in human plasma

Despite advancements in lowering blood pressure, the best approach to lower it remains controversial because of the lack of information on the molecular basis of hypertension. We, therefore, performed plasma proteomics of plasma from patients with hypertension to identify molecular determinants detectable in these subjects but not in controls and vice versa. Plasma samples from hypertensive subjects (cases; n=118) and controls (n=85) from the InGenious HyperCare cohort were used for this study and performed mass spectrometric analysis. Using biostatistical methods, plasma peptides specific for hypertension were identified, and a model was developed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression. The underlying peptides were identified and sequenced off-line using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization orbitrap mass spectrometry. By comparison of the molecular composition of the plasma samples, 27 molecular determinants were identified differently expressed in cases from controls. Seventy percent of the molecular determinants selected were found to occur less likely in hypertensive patients. In cross-validation, the overall R(2) was 0.434, and the area under the curve was 0.891 with 95% confidence interval 0.8482 to 0.9349, P&lt;0.0001. The mean values of the cross-validated proteomic score of normotensive and hypertensive patients were found to be -2.007±0.3568 and 3.383±0.2643, respectively, P&lt;0.0001. The molecular determinants were successfully identified, and the proteomic model developed shows an excellent discriminatory ability between hypertensives and normotensives. The identified molecular determinants may be the starting point for further studies to clarify the molecular causes of hypertension

Disease map-based biomarker selection and pre-validation for bladder cancer diagnostic

YesContext: Urinary biomarkers are promising as simple alternatives to cystoscopy for the diagnosis of de novo and recurrent bladder cancer. Objective: To identify a highly sensitive and specific biomarker candidate set with potential clinical utility in bladder cancer. Materials and methods: Urinary biomarkers concentrations were determined by ELISA. The performance of individual markers and marker combinations was assessed using ROC analysis. Results: A 5-biomarker panel (IL8, MMP9, VEGFA, PTGS2 and EN2) was defined from the candidate set. Discussion and conclusion: This panel showed a better overall performance than the best individual marker. Further validation studies are needed to evaluate its clinical utility in bladder cancer.This work has been supported in part by the European Commission Program DIPROMON - HEALTH-F5-2012-306157-2: Development of an integrated protein- and cell-based device for non-invasive diagnostics in the urogenital tract