564 research outputs found
Teaching Italian (and English) through proverbs in conversation: a case study of Pietro Paravicino's "Choice Proverbs and Dialogues in Italian and English" (1660)
No full textEffect of summer temperature on prolonged diapause of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) under realistic field conditions
No full textTo face recurrent temperature changes, tettigoniids inhabiting temperate climates overwinter as eggs in a diapause stage, being able to postpone embryogenesis for one or more years. To date, it is unclear if species living in warm regions, especially under the Mediterranean climate, could exhibit a diapause for a single year or enter a prolonged diapause due to higher summer temperatures experienced by eggs immediately after oviposition. In this two-year study, we tested the effect of summer temperatures on diapause of six Mediterranean tettigoniid species under natural field conditions. We found that five species can exhibit a facultative diapause depending on mean summer temperatures. For two species, a substantial shift in egg development from 50 to 90% occurred over an interval of c. 1 °C after the first summer period. All the species increased considerably their development (nearly 90%) after the second summer period irrespective of temperatures. Overall, this study suggests that diapause strategy and the different thermal sensibility of embryonic development varies considerably across species potentially affecting their population dynamics
Effectiveness of Tuned Mass Damper in Reducing Damage Caused by Strong Earthquake in a Medium-Rise Building
No full textA case study where a tuned mass damper (TMD) was installed at the top of a five-story reinforced concrete (RC) building is presented. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the TMD in changing the structural behavior of medium-rise existing buildings from dissipative to non-dissipative in order to eliminate reparation or demolition costs resulting from damages caused by strong earthquakes. The TMD mass is made by a RC slab lying on flat surface sliders. Horizontal stiffness and damping of the TMD are both provided by lead rubber isolators in the first proposed solution and by low-damping rubber isolators and viscous linear dampers, respectively, in the second. The improvement in the building’s structural behavior attained with the installation of the TMD was assessed by considering the flexural demand over capacity ratios of structural elements and the energy dissipated by the TMD. These results are compared with those of the same building retrofitted with a base isolation system. In both of the proposed solutions, TMD remarkably changed the modal behavior of the considered building, improved the flexural verifications, and dissipated most of the input seismic energy. It is therefore demonstrated that a TMD is a valid solution for the retrofit of medium-rise existing buildings
Dispersal ability of Barbitistes vicetinus Galvagni & Fontana, 1993 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) among different habitats including a morphometric analyses of the instars
No full textHabitats surrounding crop fields are often considered important for regulating agricultural pests and supporting their natural enemies; however, the presence of natural habitats can occasionally serve as reservoirs for outbreaks of species confined to these environments. Barbitistes vicetinus, an endemic bush-cricket native to northeast Italy, has become a major concern for agriculture and forestry due to the severe damage to broadleaf trees and crops such as vineyards and olive groves. During outbreaks, this species can move from natural habitats to adjacent crops, thus, studying its dispersal abilities is a key factor for understanding species habitat use and for developing control measures. In two experimental capture-mark-resight studies, we investigated movements and dispersal patterns of this flightless bush-cricket. In the first experiment, 100 B. vicetinus adults were simultaneously released in a vineyard and its adjacent natural habitat (hedgerow) and then sampled over an 11-day period. In the second experiment, 100 B. vicetinus individuals were released and subsequently sampled 24 h later, over the course of nine consecutive dates, covering the period from the nymph stage to adulthood. Moreover, to clarify the number of juvenile stages, a morphometric analysis was performed on 1347 individuals from the hatching period till the end of the adult stage. Similar movement rates were found between the two habitats, suggesting a comparable behavior to persist within them. However, movement rates were slightly higher within vineyards and changed depending on developmental stage. We found that this species had six nymphal instars and the adult stage. It was concluded that the higher dispersal ability exhibited by B. vicetinus during outbreaks allows individuals to colonize neighboring crops from adjacent habitats, thus management of the reservoir habitats should be considered to avoid spillover of individuals
Off-season irrigation as a climate adaptation strategy for future groundwater management in Northern Italy
No full textEnvironmental and habitat influences on the gut microbiota of two European pollinators
No full textPollinators are recognized as key contributors to crop pollination worldwide, and their recent
decline has made pollinator conservation a critical challenge. In social insects, the gut microbial
community is closely linked to essential functions such as longevity, fecundity, and overall health.
This suggests that disruptions in microbial associations may significantly impair pollinator fitness.
Flowers serve as a primary microbial source for pollinators, and the surrounding environment,
particularly floral diversity, can strongly influence the composition of the microbiota in eusocial
bees. It has been widely documented that bee biodiversity declines with increasing land-use
intensity, leading to the loss of floral diversity and nesting sites. Therefore, the landscape can
influence both the composition and diversity of pollinator microbiota.
This study aims to investigate the role of several environmental factors, such as landscape,
geolocation, and climate, in shaping the bacterial communities associated with two model European
pollinators, Halictus scabiosae and Bombus pascuorum. The microbiota of specimens collected from
different landscapes (agricultural and semi-natural sites) across five European countries (Italy,
Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK) will be investigated using a meta-barcoding
approach. The results will provide a comprehensive understanding of the ecological factors
influencing pollinators’ microbiota composition and their subsequent impact on insect fitness.
The insights gained will support the development of strategies aimed at enhancing microbial
diversity in pollinators, indirectly improving their fitness, and contributing to biodiversity
conservation with positive economic implications
Symbiotic control of harmful insects as an innovative sustainable method: the case study of Bactrocera oleae (Diptera, Tephritidae)
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