Morphological, chemical and mineralogical characterization of some soils developed on hard carbonate rocks in Sardinia

This preliminary note considers 19 profiles of Sardinian soils developed on hard limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolomite of different age and territorial condition, reporting on the description of the profiles and their physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics. The results indicate that the soils examined belong to xeric subgroups of three orders: Entisols, Inceptisols and Alfisols. All the profiles show a clay texture and the clayey constituents are related to the degree of soil evolution

Seishin Habitus: Spiritual Capital and Japanese Rowing

Sport occupies an important place in educational curriculum, such as club activities in Japanese schools and universities; is it also imbued with what Bourdieu suggests are guaranteed capital properties? That is, can physical education help to accrue capital and can such capital become cultural and economic capital? Further, is this capital similar to that resulting from academic education? Although Western culture recognizes Cartesian differentiation, mind and body are seen as one in the Japanese understanding of the individual, unified by the concept of spirit (this is different to the concept of soul). Recognizing this concept of the body is crucial in addressing the question of transferring educational (in this case physical) capital into forms of cultural capital. This paper investigates the responses of members of a Japanese University Rowing club when addressing questions dealing with various uses of the body in rowing and perceived opportunities for future employment

Ultrasonic communication in mice: relevance in neuroscience

I topi emettono le vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche per comunicare tra di loro in diversi contesti sociali: la separazione materna per i cuccioli, il gioco per i topi adolescenti, accoppiamento e interazione sociale per i topi adulti. Le vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche possono essere acquisite grazie a strumenti specifici e analizzate sulla base dei parametri quantitativi e qualitativi utilizzando sistemi manuali o automatizzati di classificazione. Negli ultimi anni, l'importanza delle vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche è stata consolidata come un valido strumento per l'analisi comportamentale dei topi sia nel contesto degli studi etologici che nell'ambito medico, specialmente per lo studio di patologie caratterizzate da deficit nella comunicazione come i disordini del neurosviluppo e in particolare i disturbi dello spettro autistico. Infatti, è stato dimostrato che vi è una comunicazione ultrasonica alterata in diversi modelli murini di disordini del neurosviluppo e attualmente è emersa l'evidenza che lo studio delle vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche può fornire un valore aggiuntivo ai modelli dei disturbi del neurosviluppo. Inoltre, alterazioni nello schema della comunicazione ultrasonica sono state rilevate nei topi anche dopo trattamenti farmacologici, sempre nel contesto dei disturbi del neurosviluppo. Questa tesi comprende lo studio dei seguenti aspetti: le caratteristiche delle vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche dei topi, i contesti dove vengono emesse le vocalizzazioni e i fattori che ne modulano l'espressione. Un focus particolare sarà dedicato all'analisi delle vocalizzazioni ultrasoniche nel contesto dei modelli murini dei disturbi del neurosviluppo (es. i topi Fmr1 knock-out e i topi CB1 knock-out).Mice emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to communicate each other in different social conditions: pups maternal separation, juveniles play, adults mating and social investigation. USVs can be acquired by means of specific tools and later analyzed on the base of both quantitative and qualitative parameters using manual or automated systems of calls classification. In recent years, the relevance of USVs has been consolidated as a valid tool for behavioral analysis of mice in both the context of ethological studies and in the field of studies of pathologies, expecially those characterized by deficits in communication as neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and autism spectrum disorders. Indeed, altered ultrasonic communication is found in several mouse models of NDDs and currently it is emerged the evidence that the study of USVs can provide additional value to NDDs models. In addition, alterations in USV pattern are detected in mice also after pharmacological treatments in NDDs context. This thesis covers the topics of USVs features in mice, contexts for USVs emission and factors that modulate their expression. A particular focus will be devoted to analysis of USVs in the context of NDDs murine models (e.g. Fmr1 knock-out mice, CB1 knock-out mice)

Effects of Al substitution on goethite formation

Goethites containing up to 32.7 mole % Al were synthesized and characterized through diffractometry, spectrometry, DSC and chemical techniques. Results indicate that crystal growth was favoured or hindered depending on the percentage of aluminum incorporated into the structure. Goethites to which 5-10 mole % Al were initially added crystallized best, as shown by the highest crystallite dimensions calculated from X-ray and Mössbauer analyses, and by the lowest surface areas values. Over such substitution degree goethite crystallization was hindered and for sample synthesized in presence of 40 mole % Al the separation of a discrete amount of gibbsite and bayerite occurred. Both crystallinity and Al-substitution degree influenced the goethite dehydroxylation endothermic peak temperature playing a competitive action in the peak shift. In fact, the increase in the thermal stability induced by the presence of Al3+ ions into the structure was counteracted by the decrease due to the particle size reduction. The stabilizing effect of aluminum was confirmed by the oxalate treatment which removed from the Al-free sample a Fe amount higher than that from the sample containing about 20 mole % Al, although both had similar crystallinity

Role of the caffeic acid oxidation products on the iron mobilization at the soil-root interface

Previous results show that the reduction of Fe(III) by caffeiic acid (CAF) is strongly influenced by the pH of the reaction medium (DEIANA et al., 1995). In particular, it has been found that al pH > 3.8 the reducing activity of CAF towards the Fe(III) ions in solution is low, but it increases when Fe(III) is complexed as Fe(III)-polygalacturonate. The mobilization of the Fe(II) ions, which form upon the Fe(III) reduction, has been shown to depend mainly on the nature of the Fe(III)-polygalacturonate complexes (DEIANA et al., 1994a). In particular, it bas been observed a high redox activity of CAF towards Fe(III) when the metal ion is coordinated by the carboxilic groups of the macromolecule. The Fe(III) reduction has been found to decrease when an oxydrilic group was inserted in the Fe(III) coordination sphere. The Fe(II) produced partly diffuses into the external solution and partly is still strongly held by the polysaccharidic matrix. The oxidation of CAF by Fe(III) gives rise to the formation of products (OP) with different polymerization degree, some of which are similar to those found in natural systems (DEIANA et al., 1994b). In order to determine the role of these products in the Fe(III) reduction as well as in the mobilization of the Fe(II) produced it was set up an electrochemical method to synthetize these products (DEIANA et al., 1994b). Here are reported some results about the interaction which establish between the CAF oxidation products and iron in both oxidized and reduced form

Todo lo que quiso saber sobre ella y no se atrevió a preguntar: Decálogo de la lenga

Domina las laderas y los bosques australes de Patagonia, muestra gran variación en respuesta a los ambientes que habita y devela su historia escondida en el ADN.Fil: Premoli Il'grande, Andrea Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Mathiasen, Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentin