COMPARISON OF DUNE HABITATS OF NORTH MEDITERRANEAN COASTS - TUSCANY (IT) WITH THOSE OF BLACK SEA COASTS -DOBROGEA (RO, BG): SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Data related to the floristic and phytocoenotic features of dune areas located in two European coastal areas are reported. These areas are very different by the biogeographical point of view: the coast of Tuscany (Italy, Mediterranean Region, Italo-Thyrrenian province), and the coast of Dobrogea, a cross-border coastal strip between Romania and Bulgaria on the Black Sea (Eurosiberian Region, Escitian province). Both coasts are about 300 km long, and include main habitats (sensu Directive 92/43/EEC) of European coastal dune environments (habitats 1210, 2110, 2120, 2130, 2160, 2210, 2230, 2240, 2250) (Tab. 1). Some habitats have been identified exclusively in a specific geographical area (H2210, H2230, H2240, H2250 only in Tuscan coast (T), H2130, H2160 only in Dobrogea (D), some common to both (H1210, H2110, H2120) (Fig.1) (1, 2). A gradual increase of stenomediterranean species (Tuscany) or eurimediterranean species (Dobrogea) proceeding from north to south was found; as well as a high floristic diversity between the two compared bioregions even within the same habitats. Finally the floristic difference tends to increase from foredune habitats to fixed dunes. This is related mainly to phytoclimatic, phytogeographical, ecological and geomorphological factors. In both study areas a discontinue presence of some foredune habitats (eg. H1210, H2110, H2120) due to anthropic alterations was found

Some results and problems for anisotropic random walks on the plane

This is an expository paper on the asymptotic results concerning path behaviour of the anisotropic random walk on the two-dimensional square lattice Z^2. In recent years Mikl\'os and the authors of the present paper investigated the properties of this random walk concerning strong approximations, local times and range. We give a survey of these results together with some further problems.Comment: 20 page

FROM DOCUMENTATION IMAGES TO RESTAURATION SUPPORT TOOLS: A PATHFOLLOWING THE NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN IN BOLOGNA DESIGN PROCESS

The sixteenth-century Fountain of Neptune is one of Bologna's most renowned landmarks. During the recent restoration activities of the monumental sculpture group, consisting in precious marbles and highly refined bronzes with water jets, a photographic campaign has been carried out exclusively for documentation purposes of the current state of preservation of the complex. Nevertheless, the highquality imagery was used for a different use, namely to create a 3D digital model accurate in shape and color by means of automated photogrammetric techniques and a robust customized pipeline. This 3D model was used as basic tool to support many and different activities of the restoration site. The paper describes the 3D model construction technique used and the most important applications in which it was used as support tool for restoration: (i) reliable documentation of the actual state; (ii) surface cleaning analysis; (iii) new water system and jets; (iv) new lighting design simulation; (v) support for preliminary analysis and projectual studies related to hardly accessible areas; (vi) structural analysis; (vii) base for filling gaps or missing elements through 3D printing; (viii) high-quality visualization and rendering and (ix) support for data modelling and semantic-based diagrams

VEGETATION LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT OF “NATURAL RESERVE OF CHIARONE”, MASSACIUCCOLI LAKE BASIN (TUSCANY, IT)

The Massaciuccoli Lake is located in NW of Tuscany (Italy) (43°50’N 10°19’E) and it is integral part of the Regional Park of San Rossore, Migliarino and Massaciuccoli. This endorheic lake and the surrounding marshlands, with over 2,000 hectares of surface, form the largest retrodunal wetland of Tuscany. Over the last century this ecological system has undergone profound changes both because of land drainage, both because of the industrial and agricultural development of the surrounding areas that have heavily polluted lake, whose waters are still affected by serious eutrophication and ecological degradation. In order to preserve the great natural value of the lake in 1979, with the birth of the regional protected area, was established in the marshy area around the village of Massaciuccoli, the "Natural Reserve of Chiarone"(100 ha). Since 1985 the association LIPU (Italian League for Bird Protection) has obtained the management of the reserve, and its activity is directed to purposes of environmental education, environmental restoration, monitoring and conservation of specific habitats. This report shows the results of several years of investigation on the main vegetational types and their diachronic tranformations, the presence and distribution of endemic/rare/protected species, the changes on the structure of floating islands of peats and the main actions of conservation and management of these wetlands. The vegetation landscape is mainly formed by a mosaic of Phragmitetum australis Gams 1927, Cladietum marisci (Allorge 1922) Zobrist 1935, Typhetum angustifoliae Pignatti 1953, Myriophyllo-Nupharetum Koch 1926, and a large spread of microwoods of hygrophilous phanerophytes as Alnus glutinosa, Frangula alnus, Salix sp.pl. A particular aspect of this lake environment are the "aggallati", floating islands of peat incurred by intertwining rhizomes of straws. Above these peatlands often develop communities of Sphagnum sp.pl, Osmunda regalis L. and Thelypteris palustris Schott (Fig.1). The monitoring of these environments has highlighted the importance of ongoing management, in relation to the maintenance of certain habitats, through periodic cuttings, such as Sphagnum bogs, the control of exotic fauna such as Myocastor coypus, particularly damaging for Cladietum meadows and the special maintenance of the islands, whose structural peculiarity has lately been severely damaged catastrophic weather event

MANAGING CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH INTEGRATED SERVICES PLATFORM

Cultural Heritage management is a topical issue facing administrators, professionals and scholars involved in documentation, restoration and enhancement of the cultural assets. In the paper, after a general framework on the state of the art in the sector, two recent experiences are reported about Information System and integrated service platform for managing Cultural Heritage that authors contributed to develop with the aim of providing experts of the field with effective and flexible tools: the Information System for the restoration of the Neptune’s Fountain and the SACHER 3D Life Cycle Management for Cultural Heritage service. The paper describes in detail the two case studies and some possible implementation designed but not yet achieved for the latter, and finally presents some starting points for future research

New value from food and industrial wastes - bioaccumulation of omega-3 fatty acids from an oleaginous microbial biomass paired with a brewery by-product using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae.

Research on bioconversion based on insects is intensifying as it addresses the problem of reducing and reusing food and industrial waste. To reach this goal, we need to find more means of pairing waste to insects. With this goal, brewers\u2019 spent grains (BSG) - a food waste of the brewing industry - paired with the oleaginous biomass of the thraustochytrid Schizochytrium limacinum cultivated on crude glycerol - a major waste of biodiesel production - were successfully used to grow Hermetia illucens larvae. Combining BSG and S. limacinum in the diet in an attempt to design the lipid profile of H. illucens larvae to contain a higher percentage of omega-3 fatty acids is novel. Insect larvae were grown on three different substrates: i) standard diet for Diptera (SD), ii) BSG, and iii) BSG + 10% S. limacinum biomass. The larvae and substrates were analyzed for fatty acid composition and larval growth was measured until 25% of insects reached the prepupal stage. Our data showed that including omega-3-rich S. limacinum biomass in the BSG substrate promoted an increase in larval weight compared to larvae fed on SD or BSG substrates. Furthermore, it was possible, albeit in a limited way, to incorporate omega-3 fatty acids, principally docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from BSG + S. limacinum substrate containing 20% of DHA into the larval fat (7% DHA). However, H. illucens with this level of DHA may not be suitable if the aim is to get larvae with high omega-3 lipids to feed carnivorous fish

Late Pleistocene prey mobility in southwestern France and its implications for reconstructing Neandertal ranging behaviors

We thank Sarah Barakat for consultation. We also thank Jenni Henecke, Jen Everhart, Carol Lee, Charisse Carver, and Hope Williams for assistance with 87Sr/86Sr sample preparation. Access to the Metal Geochemistry Center at Yale University was kindly granted by Noah Planavsky, and Dan Asael assisted with 87Sr/86Sr measurement there. Jiuyuan Wang provided important advice on 87Sr/86Sr data correction, and Alice Knaf shared insights into sample elution. We would also like to thank Curtis Marean, Kim Hill, David Strait, Caley Orr, and Ben Schoville for advice and comments on the manuscript. Two anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments that improved the quality of the manuscript. Finally, we thank the late Harold Dibble for access to the Roc de Marsal collections. CRediT authorship contribution statement Jamie Hodgkins: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Alex Bertacchi: Formal analysis, Methodology, Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Kelly J. Knudson: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing. Troy Rasbury: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing. Julia I. Giblin: Methodology, Resources. Gwyneth Gordon: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing. Ariel Anbar: Resources. Alain Turq: Resources. Dennis Sandgathe: Resources, Writing – review & editing. Hannah M. Keller: Visualization, Writing – review & editing. Kate Britton: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing. Shannon P. McPherron: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – review & editing.Peer reviewe

RISC-mediated control of selected chromatin regulators stabilizes ground state pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic stem cells are intrinsically unstable and differentiate spontaneously if they are not shielded from external stimuli. Although the nature of such instability is still controversial, growing evidence suggests that protein translation control may play a crucial role. RESULTS: We performed an integrated analysis of RNA and proteins at the transition between naïve embryonic stem cells and cells primed to differentiate. During this transition, mRNAs coding for chromatin regulators are specifically released from translational inhibition mediated by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). This suggests that, prior to differentiation, the propensity of embryonic stem cells to change their epigenetic status is hampered by RNA interference. The expression of these chromatin regulators is reinstated following acute inactivation of RISC and it correlates with loss of stemness markers and activation of early cell differentiation markers in treated embryonic stem cells. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that RISC-mediated inhibition of specific sets of chromatin regulators is a primary mechanism for preserving embryonic stem cell pluripotency while inhibiting the onset of embryonic developmental programs.This work was funded by: FIRB RBAP10L8TY (MIUR), Fondazione Roma and PAINCAGE FP7 Collaborative Project number 603191 (RB,MD); Flagship Project InterOmics PB.05 and MIUR-PRIN-2012 (FC); Wellcome Trust Core Grant reference 092096 and Cancer Research UK Grant Reference C6946/A14492 (LP); CRUK-Cambridge Institute Core Grant reference C14303/A17197 (DB)