Riviste Online SApienza - R.O.SA - 2 (Sapienza University of Rome)
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Active thermoregulation in Lasius fuliginosus nests in spring (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
No full textThe aim of the study was to investigate characteristics of temperature conditions in Lasius fuliginosus nests in spring to possibly prove the spring warmup hypothesis. In spring (05.03 to 31.05.2024), 3 loggers, allowing measurements of temperature conditions were mounted on the outer walls of 3 L. fuliginosus nests in a deciduous forest near Kyiv (Ukraine). The temperature measurements were taken at 15-minute intervals. Simultaneously, the atmospheric air temperature was measured during the same period (at 3-hour intervals). Nests 1 and 2 were typical for this species: both in empty cores of oak trees (1 m diameter), while Nest 3 was auxiliary and located under a 0.05 m layer of oak bark. The physical data (air and nest wall temperatures) were used to construct a mathematical model of the thermal processes occurring in the core of a carton nest. The modelling showed that the anthills’ ability to maintain nest temperature in spring depends on their size and location inside the tree trunks exposed to environmental influence. The temperature inside a nest follows the average daily air temperature with a slight delay due to thermal inertia of the tree. The nest in tree #1 proved to be the most stable: even during cold spells as low as -5°C, the temperature in the core remained +25°C thanks to metabolic heat. Nest #2 also maintains the required temperature (+25°C) during temperature falls to +5°C. However, nest #3 does not provide conditions for offspring development during sudden cold snaps: the heat emitted is insufficient to compensate for losses at air temperatures below +20°C. This nest is not designed for active thermoregulation. It has been shown that L. fuliginosus are able to actively warm up their nest in spring, and the warmup rates (up to 25–26°C) are similar to the temperature conditions in the red forest ants’ anthills (Formica rufa group)
Gemmiti Roberta, Prisco Maria Rosaria, Festa Daniela (a cura di), La giustizia ambientale in Italia. Diario di una giornata, per parole e immagini, Società Geografica Italiana, Roma, 2024, pp. 254
No full textFrom the Global City to the Global City Making. The European and (Latin) American Capitals of Culture
No full textIn a context of reinforced interurban competition, merit-based tools – labels, prizes, honors – have become instruments for promoting urban innovation and disseminating good practices. Initiated by the European Capital of Culture (1985), the global spread of cultural capital models aligns with neoliberal urban policies, merging political, cultural, and economic logics. A decolonial approach to policy mobilities should pay particular attention to the locus in which ideas are produced, recognizing asymmetries and historical socio-economic conditionings. This is particularly relevant to the (Latin) American Capital of Culture (2000). I argue that the “capital of culture” phenomenon is a political instrument inscribed within the macro-paradigm of neo-modernization ideology, which serves the city models based on the hegemonic urban imaginaries of creative, innovative, and smart cities. I focus on competing cultural definitions and conflicting urban imaginaries
Photogrammetry and satellite Earth observation techniques for sinkhole monitoring: application in the Vepe plain (Latera - Italy)
No full textSinkholes pose a serious risk to human activities, so it is essential to study their formation and behaviour. This study presents the results of a two-year monitoring conducted on a sinkhole in the Vepe plain (Latera, Italy). Monitoring began approximately 48 hours after the formation of the sinkhole, using UAV photogrammetry and satellite observation of the Earth, with reference to the ecosystem peculiarities of the area. Various HVSR tests were performed, focusing on the analysis of the directionality detected and dependent on the natural context. Finally, the water levels in the sinkhole were compared with rainfall data to investigate the relationship with the variation in water levels. The aim was to obtain more information on deep piping, a probable phenomenon behind sinkhole formation, and to develop monitoring protocols adaptable to different contexts
Innovative methods for safeguarding cultural heritage
No full textCultural heritage sites constitute irreplaceable records of human history, illustrating the progression of our social, architectural, and cultural practices. Increasing threats from climate-related hazards, such as shifting rainfall patterns, escalating temperatures, and intensified extreme weather, combined with geological and physical risks like landslides, earthquakes, and erosion, render these sites increasingly vulnerable. Earth observation technology is pivotal in preserving cultural heritage by improving documentation, enabling more effective monitoring, and supporting proactive conservation strategies. Recently, with advances in technology, advanced 3D scanning and imaging techniques, such as laser scanning and photogrammetry, have captured precise digital records of cultural heritage sites, documenting and helping conservators measure changes over time and swiftly identify structural vulnerabilities. Remote sensing technologies, including satellite imagery, aerial photography and UAV-based surveys, allow for extensive site evaluations, reducing risks and costs associated with onsite inspections, especially in remote or hazardous locations. Methodological frameworks and technological developments, encompassing remote sensing, satellite and aerial imaging, digital modeling with laser scanners, photogrammetry, and participatory data collection, are creating fresh opportunities for proactive, evidence-based conservation. Data-driven tools such as sensor arrays and digital twin models enable continuous monitoring, where real-time structural and environmental information is integrated into predictive models to anticipate emerging threats. This paper provides a comprehensive review of innovative remote sensing methods for safeguarding and monitoring cultural heritage under these compounded vulnerabilities. It focuses on integrating techniques employing remote sensing, geodetic methodologies, synthetic aperture radar, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), digital twin platforms, and participatory data collection initiatives with sensors and crowdsourcing. A key emphasis of this study is the integration of state-of-the-art techniques for monitoring cultural heritage assets. Examples of various studies conducted in Cyprus, more specifically the case study of the Neolithic UNESCO World Heritage Site of Choirokoitia, demonstrate the practical application of these frameworks, highlighting the TRIQUETRA project (funded by the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation programme) with an innovative integration of conventional and novel methodologies for risk quantification, site monitoring, and stakeholder participation. The findings underscore the critical necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration, sustained funding mechanisms, and robust policy support to ensure the long-term preservation of cultural heritage for future generations
New data and biogeographic analysis on species of the genus Longitarsus Latreille in Iran (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini)
No full textIn this paper, we provide detailed data on the distribution of 43 Longitarsus species reported so far for the Iranian fauna. Three of these species, Longitarsus gracilis Kutschera, L. helvolus Kutschera, and L. parvulus (Paykull), collected in the northern provinces, are reported for the first time for Iran. For them, the photos of the habitus, aedeagus and spermatheca are also reported. In addition, the presence of L. succineus (Foudras) is confirmed with new records. Finally, a biogeographical analysis of the Longitarsus species in Iran is provided
Housing Revolutions in Working-Class Urban Peripheries. The Case of Barcelona
No full textThis article jointly and relationally considers the social circumstances and morphological aspects involved in the transformation of urban peripheries during the second half of the 20th century. The evolution of this residential territory generates a new framework of daily life, coexistence, socialization and mobilization. To this end, the Nou Barris district in Barcelona has been selected as a case study due to its significance in relation to successive revolutions in housing: the revolution of the residential landscape, the revolution of the domestic space, the homeownership revolution, and the revolution of urban social movements
Two new genera of Aolina (Dundubiini), with a key to the genera of the subtribe (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)
No full textTwo new cicada genera, Sinfonia gen. nov. and Streeyola gen. nov., are erected in the subtribe Aolina Boulard, 2012 (Dundubiini Distant, 1905), with the designations of Dundubia opalifera Walker, 1850 and Cosmopsaltria mongolica Distant, 1881 as the respective type species. Meimuna choui Lei, 1994 and M. opalifera (Walker, 1850) are combined with Sinfonia, comb. nov. Meimuna boninensis (Distant, 1905), M. chekianga Kato, 1940, M. chekiangensis Chen, 1940, M. gakokizana Matsumura, 1917, M. goshizana Matsumura, 1917, M. iwasakii Matsumura, 1913, M. kuroiwae Matsumura, 1917, M. mongolica (Distant, 1881), M. multivocalis (Matsumura, 1917), M. neomongolica Liu, 1940, M. oshimensis (Matsumura, 1905), and M. silhetana (Distant, 1888) are combined with Streeyola, comb. nov. Meimuna microdon (Walker, 1850) is transferred to Cantata Lee & Pham, 2021, comb. nov. A key to the genera of Aolina is provided
First record of Tropinota squallida ssp. pilosa from Italy (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae)
No full textTropinota squallida ssp. pilosa (Brullé, 1832), widely distributed in North Africa, Near East and south-eastern Europe, is recorded for the first time from Italy after its finding on Linosa Island (Pelagie Archipelago, Channel of Sicily). For the same island was previously reported the nominal subspecies, whose occurrence however has not been confirmed by recent entomological surveys