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.
Článek se pokouší kriticky zhodnotit tezi hledající impuls ke vzniku pozdně laténských oppid v severní Itálii, v regionu Emilia-Romagna, kde ve 4. – poč. 2. stol. př. Kr. sídlil keltský kmen Bojů. Po shrnutí dostupných pramenů, písemných i archeologických, vztahujících se k dané oblasti a období, přistupuje k jejich interpretaci z hlediska dané problematiky a ke komentování diskuse, jež k tématu probíhala v italské archeologii. Na podporu teze není shledán dostatek argumentů ani ve výpovědi písemných pramenů, ani v dostupném nálezovém fondu. and The article evaluates critically a theory searching for the impulse for the emergence of late La Tène opppida in the north Italian region of Emilia Romagna, where the Celtic tribe of Boii is reported to have dwelt in the 4th - early 2th centuries B.C. After summarising both written and archeological sources for the period and region in question, its interpretation is approached in light of this evidence and subsequently of discussions on the problem which are taking place in Italian archaeology. The theory is found to be insufficiently backed by both written sources and by archaeological evidence.
Článek zkoumá předpoklady hypotézy, podle níž několik keramických fragmentů ze středočeských oppid imituje tvary středomořské keramiky. Dosud aktuální názor na problematiku je shledán sporným z důvodu chronologických či formálních nesrovnalostí a je poukázáno na meze úvah o formální imitaci. Namísto nich je u většiny fragmentů středomořský vliv shledáván nanejvýš ve funkční inspiraci. V případě jednoho fragmentu by o imitaci bylo možno uvažovat jen v případě jeho datace do raně laténského období. and The article reconsiders the premises of a hypothesis according to which several pottery sherds found in the late La Tène oppida in central Bohemia imitate Mediterranean ceramic forms. The idea of the formal imitation of concrete vase types is questioned on the grounds of chronological and formal inconsistencies. Instead of a problematic theory of formal imitation, functional inspiration is proposed as a more appropriate mechanism to explain the reception of the Mediterranean influence. In one case, only change of the object’s chronology (to the early La Tène period) could help it maintain its status of an imitation.
Článek srovnává problémy soudobého práva na Západě, které je kritizováno pro úpadek právní jistoty i důvěry společnosti v právo, s problémy práva ve společnostech v italských státech mezi vrcholným středověkem a raným novověkem.Toto srovnání ukazuje, že řada problémů nacházených v soudobých právních řádech včetně nejistoty způsobené právním pluralismem nebo pluralitou pramenů práva, nestability práva, proliferace právních předpisů a rozpory mezi nimi nebo pomalého a formalistického soudnictví, které může podléhat i korupčním tlakům a včetně nátlaku lobbistických skupin se na Západě zjevně opakuje, což svádí k závěru, že jde o antropologické konstanty spojené s vládnutím prostřednictvím práva
v západním pojetí. To, zdá se, platí i o reformách práva, po kterých se opakovaně volá a které se provádějí, aniž by byly schopny přinést definitivní řešení. and The present article compares the problems of contemporary Western law, criticized for the demise of legal certainty and social confidence in law, with those in societies in Italian states between High Middle Ages and Early Modern period. This comparison shows that many problems found in
the present legal systems including uncertainty due to legal pluralism and plurality of sources of law, instability of law, proliferation of written law and conflicts between its provisions, slow and formalist judiciary which may be prone to corruption or pressures from lobby groups are repeated in the West
which suggests that these problems may represent anthropological constants linked to rule through law in the Western understanding. It seems that this observation holds true also for legal reforms which are regularly called for and put into practice without being able to bring about the ideal
solution.
1_Intraguild predation (IGP) and cannibalism occur in the field and could affect the dominance structure of guilds of coccinellid species. The exotic biological control agent Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is now well established in most areas of Northern and Central Italy, but it is unclear what effect this species could have on native dominant and non-dominant coccinellids with which it co-occurs. In order to predict the trophic interactions in coccinellid guilds and the likely effect of H. axyridis, the incidence of IGP and cannibalism among the following six species were evaluated under laboratory conditions: H. axyridis, three native dominant species, Adalia bipunctata (L.), Oenopia conglobata (L.) and Coccinella septempunctata L. and two native non-dominant species, Platynaspis luteorubra (Goeze) and Scymnus apetzi (Mulsant). Unfed and fed fourth instar larvae of the above species were paired in an experimental arena and the incidence of predation recorded over a period of 24 h. In absence of aphids, the survival probabilities (SP) of A. bipunctata and O. conglobata were lowest when paired with either C. septempunctata or H. axyridis (< 0.20 SP after 24 h). The SP of C. septempunctata was similar if paired with either a conspecific larva or H. axyridis (< 0.34 SP after 24 h) and that of H. axyridis was reduced similarly if paired with either a conspecific larva or C. septempunctata (> 0.71 SP after 24 h). The SP of P. luteorubra was lower when paired with A. bipunctata and C. septempunctata (< 0.07 SP after 24 h) than with other species and that of S. apetzi was greatly reduced when paired with all the dominant and exotic species (< 0.27 SP after 24h)., 2_In presence of aphids no predatory events occurred in most combinations. H. axyridis acted as a strong predator of native dominant and non-dominant coccinellids when the aphids are scarce. We did not find any evidence, however, that the incidence of IGP among exotic and native species is higher than either IGP or cannibalism in native species. The likelihood of IGP occurring in the field is discussed., Gabriele Rondoni, Andrea Onofri, Carlo Ricci., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
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