115 research outputs found
First observations of oophagy in a wild population of the sand boa (Eryx jaculus)
No full textThe sand boa Eryx jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) is found in the southern Balkans, Middle East and North Africa (Sindaco et al., 2013). Only recently The presence of this species has been confirmed in Italy, in a small area of southern Sicily (Insacco et al., 2015). Knowledge of the sand boa in Sicily is limited with few data on geographical distribution, morphology, and habitat (Insacco et al., 2015; Faraone et al., 2017). Even at a global scale the biology of
this species is little known due to its secretive habits (Tokar & Obst, 1993)
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Hidden in the bark: the unexpected presence of the leaf-toed gecko, Euleptes europaea (Gené, 1839) (Squamata, Sphaerodactylidae), in Sicily
No full textWe report the first observations regarding the presence of the leaf-toed gecko,
Euleptes europaea
, in Sicily. During field activities for environmental impact assessment several leaf-toed gecko individuals were found in a restricted coastal area in the north-west of the island, near the city of Palermo. Further surveys were then carried out to better assess the presence of the species. A total of 21
E. europaea
individuals were observed in a small area of approximately 4.4 hectares, consisting of mixed eucalyptus and pine reforestation. Out of the 21 individuals, there were 14 males, 5 females, and 2 whose sex could not be determined. Additionally, at least two pregnant females were observed. Leaf-toed geckos were found exclusively under eucalyptus bark, syntopic with two other Gekkota species (
Tarentola mauritanica
and
Hemidactylus turcicus
). The presence of such a breeding population of
E. europaea
is probably limited to a small area. However, our results do not allow us to clearly assess either its origin or its actual distribution and demography, therefore new field investigations are necessary
Steelmaking slag as aggregate for mortars: Effects of particle dimension on compression strength
No full textThe present paper reports on the results of some experiments obtained from the production, hydration and subsequent measurement of the mechanical properties of several mortars prepared using a commercial CII/B-LL Portland cement, steelmaking slag, superplasticizer and water. Relevant parameters for the mortar preparation are the weight ratios of cement/water, the weight ratio superplasticizer/cement and between fine and granulated coarse particles. It has been demonstrated that optimisation of such parameters leads to the production of materials with mechanical properties suitable for civil engineering applications. Moreover, materials with improved compressive strength can be prepared by the use of slag containing extensive amounts of large particles
Genomewide linkage scan of schizophrenia in a large multicenter pedigree sample using single nucleotide polymorphisms
No full textA genomewide linkage scan was carried out in eight clinical samples of informative schizophrenia families. After all quality control checks, the analysis of 707 European-ancestry families included 1615 affected and 1602 unaffected genotyped individuals, and the analysis of all 807 families included 1900 affected and 1839 unaffected individuals. Multipoint linkage analysis with correction for marker-marker linkage disequilibrium was carried out with 5861 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; Illumina version 4.0 linkage map). Suggestive evidence for linkage ( European families) was observed on chromosomes 8p21, 8q24.1, 9q34 and 12q24.1 in nonparametric and/or parametric analyses. In a logistic regression allele-sharing analysis of linkage allowing for intersite heterogeneity, genomewide significant evidence for linkage was observed on chromosome 10p12. Significant heterogeneity was also observed on chromosome 22q11.1. Evidence for linkage across family sets and analyses was most consistent on chromosome 8p21, with a one-LOD support interval that does not include the candidate gene NRG1, suggesting that one or more other susceptibility loci might exist in the region. In this era of genomewide association and deep resequencing studies, consensus linkage regions deserve continued attention, given that linkage signals can be produced by many types of genomic variation, including any combination of multiple common or rare SNPs or copy number variants in a region. Molecular Psychiatry (2009) 14, 786-795; doi:10.1038/mp.2009.11; published online 17 February 2009</p
First records of the Brahminy blindsnake, Indotyphlops braminus (Daudin, 1803), in Italy (Squamata: Typhlopidae)
No full textDas ästhetische Element in der historischen Erkenntnis. Croce und Windelband
No full textThe author makes a comparison between Benedetto Croce’s academic
writing of 1893, La storia ridotta sotto il concetto generale dell’arte, and Wilhelm
Windelband’s Rektoratsrede of 1894, Geschichte und Naturwissenschaft. By means
of this comparison, which is focused on the concepts of intuition and interest, the author
can reconstruct the dense network of sources of the theory of the history outlined by the
young Croce and by Windelband: from Lazarus to Simmel, from Köstlin to Labriola
Machine Learning-based feasibility estimation of digital blocks in BCD technology
No full textAnalog-on-Top Mixed Signal (AMS) Integrated Circuit (IC) design is a time-consuming process predominantly carried out by hand. Within this flow, usually, some area is reserved by the top-level integrator for the placement of digital blocks. Specific features of the area, such as size and shape, have a relevant impact on the possibility of implementing the digital logic with the required functionality. We present a Machine Learning (ML)-based evaluation methodology for predicting the feasibility of digital implementation using a set of high-level features. This approach aims to avoid time-consuming Place-and-Route trials, enabling rapid feedback between Digital and Analog Back-End designers during top-level placement
Predicting Digital Layout Success in Analog-on-Top Designs Using Machine Learning
No full textDesigning Analog-On-Top Mixed Signal (AMS) Integrated Circuits (ICs) is a labor-intensive and mainly manual process. A crucial step in this flow is reserving specific areas on the top-level layout to place digital blocks. This requires multiple time-consuming iterations between digital and analog teams, as several design characteristics are to be considered to determine whether the area is sufficient. Existing automated solutions are generally limited, as they often yield limited accuracy or have been tested only on simplistic use cases. In this work, we propose a Machine-Learning (ML) solution to determine whether the reserved area for a digital block is sufficient, handling this task as a supervised classification problem. Specifically, we perform an extensive benchmark of different ML models on labeled production-level designs, obtaining up to 94.8 % F1 score. Finally, we provide an in-depth analysis of how different design features impact the prediction quality of several ML models, showing that a feature reduction technique can improve the final accuracy by up to 8.6 %
Patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity of the Mediterranean banded centipede Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha) in Sicily and adjacent areas
No full textThe genus Scolopendra is a taxonomically complex group, with species displaying intricate evolutionary radiation across Mediterranean islands. The present work aims to explore the diversity patterns of the Mediterranean banded centipede S. cingulata across Sicily, some surrounding islands, and Southern Calabria, investigating its genetic (COI and 28S) and phenotypic variation. Through extensive sampling and the analysis of 92 COI sequences from 82 sampling sites, three distinct structured lineages were identified in the study area: Sicily/Malta (SM), Eastern Peloritani Mountains (EP), and Aspromonte (As). Conversely, 28S sequences did not reveal the same genetic structure observed in the COI, probably due to the occurrence of introgression phenomena. Morphological assessments showed significant variation among clades. Colour pattern analysis revealed distinguishable morphotypes among the three clades. SM juveniles exhibit a unique light morphotype, contrasting with the dark dichromatic morphotype common to As and EP juveniles. These findings seem to suggest multiple colonisation events and prolonged isolation periods in Sicily, which shaped the current diversity of S. cingulata on the island. The genetic distinctiveness and apparent parapatric distribution of SM and EP, with limited evidence of admixture, highlight the need for further studies to fully understand the evolutionary history and potential taxonomic implications for this taxon
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