1,721,001 research outputs found
Comparison of revegetation techniques on mineral clay soil: analysis of quantitative response of vegetation cover
Full text linkRevegetation of mineral-clay soils is a notably complex ecological and technically challenging undertaking that depends on substrate profile and local micro-environmental conditions, factors making it a particularly long procedure as well. This study compared and assessed the medium-term effectiveness of four treatments employed to promote stable pedogenesis and herbaceous recolonisation of abandoned clay quarries in the Apennine foothills of northern Italy’s Emilia- Romagna region. The treatments included: slow-release N organic fertiliser, phosphate fertiliser, organic amendment and topsoil [the soil top layer (0-0.2 m) of a local natural meadow]. The state of the vegetative cover was monitored monthly from 1994 through 2004, until problems of slope stability at the site compromised the integrity of the trial plots. Significant effects were achieved by the recycled topsoil through 8 years and by organic amendment through 6 years; the effects of slow-release nitrogen were notably limited over time and phosphorous delivered a medium-term response but of notable year-toyear swings. No interactions among factors emerged in the mediumterm. After 11 years, treatments did not induce effects statistical appreciable. Our results suggest that the tested agronomic strategies on mineral clay soil did not trigger, in the medium-term, secondary succession processes able to potentially alter the spontaneous revegetation course
Post-infection activity of fungicides against Phytophthora infestans on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
No full textAbstract Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans
is the most devastating disease of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum
L.) and causes important economically losses
if not properly controlled. Control is achieved mainly by
preventive fungicide applications. However, even if curative
applications are discouraged because they increase the
risk of resistance development in the target pathogens, in
practice fungicides may be applied also when the disease
is already present, a situation that commonly occurs in the
field. The aim of this work was to study the curative activity
of several fungicides toward P. infestans to determine
their efficacy when applied after the infection process. Nine
trials were performed in greenhouse using potted tomato
plants that were treated 24 h after inoculation. Disease
severity was assessed three times from the development
of the symptoms on the untreated plants and data analysed
using a linear mixed model. Differences in post-infection
control between the different chemical classes were found.
Metalaxyl-M and cymoxanil showed the best curative
activity while among the CAA fungicides, a good efficacy
was expressed by dimethomorph. Interestingly, evidence of
synergy between active ingredients having different modes
of action was observed such as in the mixtures containing
dimethomorph + ametoctradin, dimethomorph + pyraclostrobin
and fosetyl-Al + propamocarb. This study provided
useful information on the post-infection activity of some
fungicides used to control tomato late blight and should be
taken into account to perform more in depth studies at the field level and to improve the management strategies of the
disease
Past landscape features may be captured by historical floristic data. A case study in northern Italy
Full text linkHistorical floras, i.e. lists of plant species recorded in a given geographical area, are not usually considered for capturing past landscape features. In this study, we tested the usefulness of the simultaneous use of historical floristic data and a coeval topographic map to evaluate the main features of the past vegetation landscape and the potential of such data in change detection. Our study site was the Monte Fumaiolo area (northern Italy), where historical floristic data were independently recorded by two famous botanists during the 1930s. Past floristic data were then compared with current cartographic and vegetation data. Despite the fact that the two authors explored a comparable area, they significantly differed in the use of toponyms and in the distribution of floristic records among toponyms. This is reflected by a low floristic similarity at the toponym level between the two data sets. Nevertheless, the species classification into ecological categories allowed to highlight how the two authors recorded similar information on the landscape features. However, the use of these floristic data may have some flaws in landscape change detection.</p
Utilizzo del Dizionario corografico di Serafino Calindri per ricostruire i sistemi agro-forestali del XVIII secolo
No full textIn this paper we present an approach aimed at systematically collecting and explicitly analyzing the agroforestry data reported in the historical-geographical (chorographic) descriptions. Our study area is the Bolognese hilly and mountain territory and Serafino Calindri’s chorographic dictionary (1781 and 1783) is our data source. We obtained a matrix of 240 units for 18 agroforestry products with the related productivity. The proposed methodological approach allowed to reconstruct the Eighteenth-century Provisioning Ecosystem Services in terms of nutrition (e.g., wheat, grapes, fruit, nuts, acorns, hay and meadows), raw materials (e.g., hemp, silk) and / or energy supply (e.g., wood). We also obtained a landscape framework consisting of two main land cover categories, which were the hillside agricultural areas (organized mainly as mixed crops producing wheat, grapes, fruit, hemp and silk) and the mountain forest and semi-natural areas characterized by the production of wood, acorns, nuts from chestnut, hay and meadows. The proposed approach confirms that historical-geographic descriptions are valuable records of the past landscape and can be useful for better understanding how the present’s landscape legacy
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Primary tumors and tumor-like lesions of the eustachian tube: a systematic review of an emerging entity
No full textEustachian tube (ET) primary tumors and
tumor-like lesions are rare diseases presenting with common
ear, nose and throat symptoms. Pathology can range
from developmental anomalies to high malignant neoplasms.
Hence this review aimed at suggesting a classification
and outline relevant aspects of ET primary tumors
and tumor-like lesions, describing clinical findings, diagnostic
management and therapeutic approaches. MEDLINE,
CINAHL, OVIDSP, HIGHWIRE, and GOOGLE
databases were searched from inception to July 2011 for
relevant studies. Further papers were identified by examining
the reference lists of all included. Sixty-five papers
met the inclusion criteria, enclosing 78 cases. Case reports
are increasing in the past few years. Benign lesions and
tumor-like lesions of ET have been reported. Moreover,
melanomas, carcinomas, and sarcomas can affect the ET as
a primary site
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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