Deteriogenic flora of the Phlegraean Fields Archaeological Park: ecological analysis and management guidelines

Biodeterioration, the alteration caused by living organisms, on historical buildings and stone monuments is a well-known problem affecting two-thirds of the world’s cultural heritage. The study of the flora growing on wall surface is of particular importance for the assessment of the risk of biodeterioration of stone artifacts by vascular plants, and for maintenance planning. In this study, we investigate how rock type, exposure and inclination of the wall affect the biodeteriogenic flora at 13 sites of the Archaeological Park of the Phlegraean Fields located in the province of Naples, in southern Italy. For each site, we analysed randomly selected square areas with 2 × 2 m size, representing the different vegetation types in terms of vascular plant species cover. The total num - ber of plant species recorded was 129, belonging to 43 families. Erigeron sumatrensis, Sonchus tenerrimus and Parietaria judaica are the most commonly reported species, while Capparis orientalis is the species with the highest average coverage. Substrate type, exposure and surface inclination affect the floristic composition, with the average plant cover significantly higher on vertical surfaces and at western and southern expo - sure. All the main biodeteriogenic vascular plant species grow on more or less porous lythotype like yellow tufa, conglomerate and bricks. Finally, woody plants eradications methods are proposed by the tree cutting and local application of herbicides, to avoid stump and root sprouting and to minimize the dispersion of chemicals in the sur- rounding environment

First Italian record of Paspalum notatum Flüggé (Poaceae) and its typification

In the present work the presence of Paspalum notatum Flüggé (Poaceae) in Italy was reported for the first time. It is a neophyte native to America, known for applications in phytoremediation. Its typification, ecology and invasiveness status are also presented

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE EXOTIC VASCULAR FLORA OF CAMPANIA (SOUTHERN ITALY)

New data concerning the distribution of 41 non-native species for Campania are presented. Acer saccharinum subsp. saccharinum and Jacaranda mimosifolia are reported for the first time in the Italian peninsula and in continental Italy, respectively. Euphorbia pulcherrima is excluded from Italian exotic flora. Using data from field surveys in Campania the naturalization status of Cenchrus longispinus was also updated. Finally, new sites are given for 37 other alien species previously reported for Campania

Manihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae), nova tujerodna vrsta v Italiji

In the present work the presence of Manihot esculenta Crantz is reported for the first time for Italy and Europe, a neophyte native to South America: ecology and invasive status are presented.V članku poročamo o prvem pojavljanju vrste Manihot esculenta Crantz, neofita iz Južne Amerike, v Italiji in Evropi in predstavljamo njegovo ekologijo in invazivni status

Biodeteriogens at a southern Italian heritage site: Analysis and management of vascular flora on the walls of Villa Rufolo

Colonisation of vascular plants on ancient historical buildings is known to cause severe damage. The aim of the present work was to analyse the deteriogenic vascular flora of Villa Rufolo in Ravello, one of the most famous heritage sites in southern Italy. The deteriogenic flora were analysed in terms of diversity, structure, chorology, origin and potential damage to the building. The hazard index (HI) was applied to evaluate the impact of the biodeteriogens in question. The total flora included 61 taxa with the prevalence of therophytes (42.6%) and widely distributed species (42.6%), mostly derived from natural or semi-natural environments in the surrounding area (95.1%). The plant colonisation pattern showed the presence of some very harmful but not very abundant vascular plants (6.6%), including Ficus carica, Hedera helix subsp. helix, Capparis orientalis and Parthenocissus tricuspidata. Analysing the potential deteriogenic impact of each species (DI), a new index proposed by the authors, it emerged that the most dangerous were Centranthus ruber subsp. ruber and Parietaria judaica. Methods for the eradication of the most damaging species are discussed and proposed

The degree of satisfaction and health status of the medical personnel of ambulance teams

Introduction. The specific activity of healthcare personnel, including ambulance teams, is associated with multiple occupational risk factors, the combination of which negatively affects the health status, satisfaction degree, and quality of professional life. At present, the importance of maintaining the physical and mental health of health workers is emphasized as a necessary condition for the success in providing medical care in different situations, of anti-epidemic measures, and the adoption of appropriate management decisions in cases of extreme situations. Aim. This study aimed to assess the degree of satisfaction and health status of the medical personnel of ambulance teams in the Republic of Moldova. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out by the method of questioning, regarding the working conditions and health status of the medical personnel of ambulance teams of the Republic of Moldova. Results. The participants in the survey were 500 medical personnel, including 77% nurses and 23% physicians. Study findings showed that, of the total number of respondents, 71% are satisfied with their current job, 25% are partially satisfied and 4% are not satisfied and would like to change their job. The main reason for satisfaction regarding the current job, for 63% responding, is a professional achievement. In addition, 67.7% of personnel mentioned the existence of the prospect of professional development. At the same time, there is competition between the desire for higher incomes, a factor that can cause workers to leave, and professional achievements, a factor that affects retention in the current job. The main factors influencing the degree of dissatisfaction are the bad condition of the roads, followed by the difficult conditions for providing medical assistance, burnout at work, inappropriate behavior of the patient, relatives, etc. Regarding working conditions, 58% of surveyed consider them favorable and practically do not affect the working capacity and health status, 40% attribute them satisfactorily, partially affecting the working capacity and health status and 2% considered working conditions to be unfavorable and dangerous for health. During the period of the pandemic, 71% of surveyed personnel were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of which 62% were at the workplace, due the exposure to a high risk of infection through contact with patients potentially infected, insufficient protective equipment etc., in 6% of respondents, the state of health after COVID-19 being unsatisfactory. Also, the data indicate that 40% of medical personnel have chronic diseases, the most frequent being gastritis, pancreatitis, hypertension, bronchitis, sinusitis, allergies, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Conclusions. The provision of prehospital care is a vast and varied profession that plays a significant role in the daily work of the health care system of the Republic of Moldova. Working conditions are a crucial determinant of job satisfaction and the health status of healthcare personnel, which in turn influence the quality of healthcare provided. Thus, it is necessary to explore the determinants of professional satisfaction and the health status of medical personnel for defining areas of intervention in order to ensure the high social status of medical personnel

Integrazioni alla flora vascolare dell’Isola di Capri (Campania, sud Italia)

In the present work new data of vascular plant species (Atriplex prostrata Boucher ex DC., Bidens subalternans DC., Cyrtomium falcatum (L.f.) C.Presl, Lantana camara L. subsp. glandulosissima (Hayek) R.W.Sanders, Oloptum thomasii (Duby) Banfi & Galasso) and confirms (Anacamptis morio (L.) R.M.Bateman, Pridgeon & M.W.Chase, Neotinea maculata (Desf.) Stearn, Salvia clandestina L., Schoenus nigricans L., Viola riviniana Rchb.) are reported for Island of Capri

Climatic and anthropogenic factors affect Ailanthus altissima invasion in a Mediterranean region

Ailanthus altissima is an aggressive invasive tree worldwide, but the ecological factors that lead to the spread of this species in Mediterranean ecosystems are still unclear. Here we aim to identify such factors, focusing on the interaction of human activity with climatic conditions. We determined the occurrence and abundance of Ailanthus in 240 sites and studied their relationship with 20 variables representing climatic, geographic, and topographic factors, as well as land use, in the region of Campania (southern Italy). Overall, we found that temperature and rainfall in Campania are suitable for Ailanthus, with the only major constraint being the temperature at an altitude exceeding 900 m a.s.l. We found that Ailanthus is unable to spread where the mean annual temperature is lower than 11.1 °C. By contrast, precipitation variables showed poor correlation with Ailanthus distribution, suggesting that rainfall in the selected study sites is suitable to sustain the growth of this tree. About land use variables, roads were the primary landscape feature along which this species spread and invaded new areas. Roads probably combine high propagule pressure and favorable growing conditions in terms of available resources i.e., light, water, and mineral nutrients, that allow Ailanthus to establish and spread along roadside edges in different ecosystems. In conclusion, we found that climate and human-associated variables are correlated with the current occurrence of Ailanthus, with the temperature being more influential at high elevation sites and road distance playing a prominent role in low elevation areas