The residualisation of social housing sectors requires housing managers to intensify social management activities aimed at promoting tenants’ wellbeing and social cohesion. This paper discusses the implementation of such activities in the Italian public housing sector. It juxtaposes the vision conceptualised at the policy level with the daily activities of housing managers in practice on the ground and highlights the gaps between policy goals and realities of tenants’ involvement. While social management activities are expected to contribute to breaking the vicious circle of financial, technical, and social decline that has long affected public housing estates, the short timeframe of the planned interventions raises the question of the potential for structural change.
Light trapping is the most widely used tool for determining the diversity of nocturnal Lepidoptera, but UV LEDs have yet to be used as light sources for the large-scale monitoring of Lepidoptera. We assessed the efficiency of this novel light source for sampling moths using a Heath type moth equipped with a strip of 150 high brightness UV LEDs (emission peak 398 nm, ~ 15 W) powered by a 12 V battery. We compared the number of individuals, the number of species and the Geometridae / Noctuidae ratio recorded for the samples collected using UV LED traps with those collected in two monitoring programs carried out in the same geographic region using two different light sources: a 200 W incandescent lamp (Rothamsted trap) and a 160 W mercury vapour lamp (manual catch). The total catch consisted of 61,120 individuals belonging to 699 species. The species richness rarefaction curves revealed that the Rothamsted trap collected fewer species and individuals than UV LED traps. Furthermore, the median numbers of species and individuals caught by UV LED traps fell within the range of those caught by mercury vapour lamp traps. In addition, the community composition recorded using incandescent lamps and UV LEDs was similar. The data obtained using UV LED traps, in absolute terms and in comparison with the other light sources and different sampling methods, clearly reveal that this light source is suitable for sampling macro-moth communities. For field work UV LEDs have many advantages, as they are resistant to mechanical damage, easily protected from heavy rain and energy efficient., Marco Infusino, Gunnar Brehm, Carlo Di Marco, Stefano Scalercio., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Morphological, anatomical, and physiological leaf traits of Corylus avellana plants growing in different light conditions within the natural reserve "Siro Negri" (Italy) were analyzed. The results highlighted the capability of C. avellana to grow both in sun and shade conditions throughout several adaptations at leaf level. In particular, the more than 100% higher specific leaf area in shade is associated to a 44% lower palisade to spongy parenchyma thickness ratio compared with that in sun. Moreover, the chlorophyll (Chl) a to Chl b ratio decreased in response to the 97% decrease in photosynthetic photon flux density. The results highlighted the decrease in the ratio of Chl to carotenoid content, the maximum PSII photochemical efficiency, and the actual PSII photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) associated with the increase in the ratio of photorespiration to net photosynthesis (PN) in sun. Chl a/b ratio was the most significant variable explaining PN variations in shade. In sun, PN was most influenced by the ratio between the fraction of electron transport rate (ETR) used for CO2 assimilation and ETR used for photorespiration, by ΦPSII, nitrogen content per leaf area, and by total Chl content per leaf area. The high phenotypic plasticity of C. avellana (PI = 0.33) shows its responsiveness to light variations. In particular, a greater plasticity of morphological (PIm = 0.41) than of physiological (PIp = 0.36) and anatomical traits (PIa = 0.24) attests to the shade tolerance of the species., R. Catoni, M.U. Granata, F. Sartori, L. Varone, L. Gratani., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Barn owl pellets were analyzed for comparing the small mammal fauna among three islands of Tuscan archipelago, Italy. Rarefaction analyses and diversity analyses were used on barn owl pellet samples at a total of 18 sites. Apodemus sylvaticus appeared the most abundant species in Elba and Capraia, and Mus musculus in Pianosa. Diversity profiles showed that Pianosa and Elba were very similar in terms of dominance and evenness profiles, whereas Capraia had higher dominance and lower evenness. Using our original data and literature review, we found that 5 species are found in Pianosa, 1 in Giannutri, 0 in Montecristo, 5 in Giglio, 7 in Elba, 6 in Capraia, and 1 in Gorgona. There was no effect of island area, human population size, or linear distance from mainland on species richness.
The dietary habits of a population of the sand lizard Lacerta agilis
were studied in the Alpine valley Stura di Demonte, North-western Italy. The faecal contents of 33 adults (16 females and 17 males) and 8 juveniles were analysed. There were negligible sexual differences in terms of trophic diversity and of the overall diet based on taxonomic prey categories. Juveniles had a lower prey diversity value in comparison with females but not with males. There was a positive relationship between the total number of prey items found in individual faecal contents and lizard body size, and this result may explain the more diverse diet of adults in comparison to juveniles. When the adult trophic strategy was analysed by means of the
relativized electivity index, that takes into account prey availability, it was
observed that the main taxonomic prey groups were eaten according to their proportion in the environment, with the only exception of ants (Formicidae) that were highly avoided by lizards.
From September 1994 to August 1995 we studied the diet of coypus, Myocastor coypus, in a freshwater habitat located in the Ticino regional park (NW Italy). Adult and young coypus were directly observed foraging in and near water. Aquatic macrophytes (81.8%) represented the staple food all year round. Common reeds (Phragmites australis) and Elodea spp. were the main components of the overall diet. A complementary seasonal consumption of submersed/floating-leaved macrophytes and emergent macrophytes was observed, the former ones reaching the highest value in summer (65.7%) when the latter ones were at their minimum (16.2%). Differences in diet composition of adult and young coypus were recorded in summer, when adults consumed more submersed/floating-leaved plants (mainly Callitriche stagnalis and Myriophyllum spicatum) and young coypus more terrestrial plants, predominantly black locust Robinia pseudoacacia leaves. Terrestrial vegetation was a usual integrative resource of the coypu diet all year round, particularly for young coypus in summer. Slight damage to the plant community was observed in small areas over-grazed by coypus. Nevertheless, 7 out of 12 threatened Italian hygrophilic species were eaten by coypus, suggesting that particularly sensitive aquatic plants could suffer from long–term foraging. Selective control of coypus in natural ecosystems of particular conservation concern is suggested, in order to limit damage to native plant communities of freshwater habitats.
Grillotia epinepheli sp.n. is described on the basis of plerocerci found in the body cavity and peritoneum of the teleost, Epinephelus guaza (L.) (Perciformes: Serranidae) caught off Sardinia, Italy. The species is distinguished from congeners by its tentacular armament, particularly in the basal armature. The metabasal region is armed with rows of 8-9 principal hooks beginning on the internal face; hooks 9 (9’), if present, much smaller than hooks 8 (8’) and similar to minute hooks on the external face. There are three intercalary rows consisting of 3, 2 and 4 hooks each. The external face is armed with a longitudinal band of minute hooks arranged in about 4 files. Basal armature well developed and composed of 7-8 rows of falciform and spiniform hooks.
A new species of trichosomoidid nematode, Huffmanela paronai sp. n., is established on the basis of its egg morphology and biological characters. The dark-shcllcd, cmbryonatcd eggs of this histozoic parasite occur in masses in the epidermis of the swordfish Xiphias gladius L. (Xiphiidae, Perciformes) from the Ligurian Sea in northern Italy. The eggs are concentrated in groups appearing as black spots in the skin of the fish host, being distributed mainly on the lower part of its body (lower jaw, gill covers, pectoral, anal and caudal fins, lower half of body). The parasite’s eggs are characterised mainly by their shape and markedly small size (48-51 x 21-24 pm), an aspinose surface, relatively small polar plugs, and thick egg wall (3 pm). This is the first Huffmanela species reported from fish in Europe.
Řekne-li se Leonardo, vytanou nám na mysli názvy jeho nejznámějších malířských děl Madona ve skalách, Poslední večeře, Mona Lisa či Dáma s hranostajem. Teprve potom anatomické nebo technické náčrty, přestože jich je mnohem víc. Byl samouk, přitom však nejuniverzálnější z lidí v době, kdy všestrannost ještě nepatřila k nesplnitelným snům. Svými poznatky obohatil téměř všechny vědní oblasti doby, v níž žil - anatomii, fyziologii, botaniku, paleontologii, kartografii, geologii, matematiku, chemii, aerodynamiku, astronomii, optiku, mechaniku, hydrauliku i akustiku. Měl dobré důvody cítit se geniálním umělcem i učencem., Ivo Kraus., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The paper focuses on the patronage of Cardinal Jacoppo Stefaneschi (died 1343) viewed from the perspective of book and monumental painting in the context of more general problems. First it analyses the relationship between the aesthetically discerning patron and Giotto, a celebrated artist tending towards a different style orientation and then it outlines some conceivable ramifications of this association for the further development of Giotto´s workshop. It examines the possible iconographic significance of the Stefaneschi altar in the period political context, and following this proposes more precise dating of the Stefaneschi Triptych and the Codex of St George. This layer of Italian art is immensely inspiring for the subsequent development of Bohemian painting in the period of the Luxembourgs.