177,192 research outputs found
Up-to-date distribution, ecology and cultivation of Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél. var. thapsiae Venturella, Zervakis & Saitta in Sicily
No full textVenturella et al. [1] described a new taxon named Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél. var. thapsiae Venturella, Zervakis & Saitta (Madonie Mts) on Thapsia garganica L. and provided ecological data on the locus classicus. P. eryngii var. thapsiae was reported on pastures evolved, from 1000 to 1500 m a.s.l., on limestone and is characterized by a double period of fructification (autumn and spring).
P. eryngii var. thapsiae is a choice wild edible mushroom belonging to a special group of Pleurotus species which appear in nature in close association with Apiaceae plants.
As part of the project's census of fungi in Sicily two new localities of growth were localized in the Natural Reserves of Capo Gallo and Capo Rama (Palermo). The ecological characteristics of the locus classicus are different from those found in the new localities of growth. The latter are located along the Tyrrhenian coast, from 10 to 50 m a.s.l., on carbonatic soils and subjected to thermo-Mediterranean climate sensu Rivas-Martinez [2].
The new findings of P. eryngii var. thapsiae expand the distribution area known for Sicily, as well as provide new ecological data. In addition, the availability of new biological materials allows to proceed with the preparation of new strains to be used in the cultivation tests.
The tests are expected to show the production efficiency and the quality properties of the different strains selected. The cultivation tests are also to assess the suitable environmental conditions required in order to reach yield values that will permit a large-scale cultivation
The check-list of fungi in Sicily (southern Italy): current survey status
No full textA number of checklists are currently available in several continents, European and extra European countries (Holland, Switzerland, France, United Kingdom, North America, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Russia, Africa, Iran, Oman, Turkey, Asia).
The checklists are modern tools for evaluation of fungal biodiversity and precious documents to obtain ecological data and information for management and exploitation of protected areas, agro- and forest ecosystems.
A checklist of Sicilian fungi was edited by Venturella (1991), followed, in 2009, by a new report (Gargano et al., 2009). At that time the number of macrofungi from Sicily correspond to 1500 taxa. Nowadays the number of fungi in the region is greater than before and equal to 1724 taxa (1406 Basidiomycetes and 318 Ascomycetes).
Among the class Basidiomycetes the most remarkable order is Agaricales Underw. (831 taxa) followed by Russulales Kreisel ex P.M. Kirk, P.F. Cannon & J.C. David (193 taxa), Boletales E.-J. Gilbert (108 taxa) and Polyporales Gäum. (104 taxa) while Pezizales J. Schröt. (152 taxa) show the higher value of diversity in the class Ascomycetes. The most remarkable families are Russulaceae Lotsy (159 taxa), Tricholomataceae R. Heim ex Pouzar (140 taxa), Agaricaceae Chevall. (129 taxa), Cortinariaceae R. Heim ex Pouzar (104 taxa), Boletaceae Chevall. (102 taxa), Pyronemataceae Corda (58 taxa) and Pezizaceae Dumort. (102 taxa).
A huge number of ectomycorrhizal fungi (547 taxa) characterize the woods of Sicily with percentage values ranging from 20% to 50% of the total number of fungi. Other important ecological categories are the terricolous saprobes (St, 376 taxa) and the humicolous saprobes (Sh, 224 taxa) which are widely distributed in the different vegetation types of Sicily (3,4). Besides the woods hosts a high number of necrotroph parasites (Pn) corresponding to 46 taxa.
The above-mentioned data are the basis for the upcoming second edition of the checklist of Sicilian fungi
PROBLEMATICHE FITOPATOLOGICHE DEGLI ALBERI MONUMENTALI
No full textLa fase di senescenza, lo stress e/o gli stati di sofferenza fisiologica degli alberi monumentali sono tra le principali cause dell’insediamento dei “patogeni di debolezza” o “opportunistici”, di difficile monitoraggio in quanto presentano una lunga fase asintomatica all’interno dei tessuti delle piante (Anselmi et al., 1999). Biscogniauxia mediterranea (De Not.) Kuntze (Xylariaceae) è un patogeno di debolezza ad habitus endofitico, polifago, che si riscontra frequentemente su piante deperenti o morte di molte specie del genere Quercus L. (Henriques et al. 2014). Un altro “patogeno di debolezza”, che si riscontra frequentemente su alberi senescenti, è Botryosphaeria stevensii Shoemaker (Botryosphaeriaceae), ascomicete responsabile della morte di numerose angiosperme e gimnosperme (Krai et al., 2013). Tra le tracheomicosi che colpiscono gli esemplari vetusti di olmo si ricordano Ophiostoma ulmi (Buisman) Nannf. e l’aggressivo O. novo-ulmi Brasie (Ophiostomataceae), responsabili della “grafiosi dell’olmo” che causa la defogliazione anticipata, il disseccamento della chioma, il ripiegamento a uncino dei rami giovani e l’imbrunimento della circonferenza
dei rami o del tronco (Brasier, 1991). Uno dei problemi più rilevanti è rappresentato dall’azione degli agenti di marciume radicale ed in particolare di Armillaria mellea Vahl) P. Kumm. (Physalacriaceae), Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. (Bondarzewiaceae) e di varie specie di Ganoderma P. Karst. (Ganodermataceae) quali Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst., G. adspersum (Schulzer) Donk e G.
applanatum (Pers.) Pat. (Hibbet& Thorn, 2001). Tra i micromiceti, uno degli agenti di cancro più diffusi sui cipressi monumentali è Seiridium cardinale (W.W. Wagener) B. Sutton & I.A.S. Gibson (Pestalotiopsidaceae). Per quanto riguarda i macromiceti agenti di carie è possibile riscontrare numerose specie che si insediano su differenti alberi monumentali: Fuscoporia torulosa (Pers.) T. Wagner & M. Fisch. (Hymenochaetaceae) su Quercus ilex L., Phaeolus schweinitzii (Fr.) Pat. (Fomitopsidaceae) su Pinus pinea
L., Inonotus hispidus (Bull.) P. Karst. ((Hymenochaetaceae) su Populus nigra L., il raro Hericium erinaceus (Bull.) Pers. (Hericiaceae) su Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Fistulina hepatica (Schaeff.) With. (Fistulinaceae) su Castanea sativa Mill. Tra i funghi che degradano il legno degli alberi monumentali agendo sia da saprotrofi che da patogeni ricordiamo Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill (Fomitopsidaceae) che è possibile riscontrare su Ceratonia siliqua L. e su Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. Molto comuni su
aceri, querce, faggi, castagni e pini monumentali sono i saprotrofi Schizophyllum commune Fr. (Schizophyllaceae) e Stereum hirsutum (Willd.) Pers. (Stereaceae). Sugli olivi secolari prevale la presenza di Omphalotus olearius (DC.) Singer (Omphalotaceae) che si sviluppa da saprotrofo sulle radici marcescenti e sulle ceppaie. La notevole diversità di specie fungine che degradano il legno degli alberi monumentali (Venturella et al., 2011) richiede massima attenzione nel mantenimento dell’equilibrio dell’albero vetusto e
del suo habitat ed un approccio multidisciplinare per la gestione di questo importante patrimonio forestale
Truffle gathering and trade in the Monti Sicani Regional Park (Sicily, Italy), a new perspective for the local economy and for employment in economically depressed areas
No full textItaly is one of the most important countries in Europe for truffles gathering and trade. The socioeconomic potential of truffles has been recently investigated in Sicily, an unexplored region for hypogeous fungi until 1990. This paper provides an updated report on the distribution of truffles in a regional park, located in the inner part of Sicily. Topics covered include the methods of collection of Tuber aestivum and T. borchii, the periods of collection of truffles, the procedure for preservation
before marketing and the percentage of truffle buyers in Sicily. Besides, a map of the investigated area integrating the presence of the truffle with all other ecological elements is provided. There are currently 278 truffle gatherers in Sicily, distributed in the different provinces. In the investigated area, it is estimated that average of about 190 kg/year of T. aestivum and T. borchii are collected per truffle gatherer. The truffle market in Sicily is not regulated as in other Italian Administrative regions. The selling price varies from 80 to 200 e/kg, depending on the truffle species. The collection and marketing of truffles is an important source of income. It promotes tourism by encouraging the creation of gastronomic routes of quality products
Ecological role and exploitation of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean area
No full textThe paleoendemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (Posidoniaceae) represents a key species of the most important and productive ecosystem in subtidal habitats of the Mediterranean Sea. This species is the most common seagrass in Sicily where it forms dense and extensive beds, which are characterized by high coverage and primary production values, along the Western coasts. According to phenological processes, the beaching of P. oceanica residues (banquette) represents a great environmental, economic, social and, hygienic problem, conflicting with a number of activities (tourism, bathing
establishments, etc.). Even though seagrasses play a fundamental ecological role in limiting coastal erosion and promoting the origin of the coastal dunes, the presence of P. oceanica residues along the coasts can negatively decrease the tourism value of beaches. As a result, according to national and regional laws and guidelines, local authorities are required to remove banquette and to accumulate it in landfills. In this work, the ancient exploitation and current uses of P. oceanica residues are reported according to literature and field data
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
No full textWe 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
A revision of Tamarix specimens (Tamaricaceae) kept in the BCN herbarium of Barcelona (Spain)
No full textThe taxonomy of genus Tamarix L. is notoriously controversial and many taxa are still not or wrongly identified. A huge number of tamarisk specimens are kept in the most important herbaria of Spanish universities but many labels needs a deep nomenclatural revision. The Tamarix collection in Universitat de Barcelona (BCN) is composed by 158 samples, collected
in different Comunidades Autónomas de España, and corresponding to 14 taxa
Brain oscillations, inhibitory control mechanisms and rewarding bias in web addiction. Two opposite young subjects’ clusters?
No full textInternet Addiction (IA) is considered a subtype of impulse control disorder, and a behavior related to rewarding system deficits. However whether and how impulse control deficits are related to in rewarding mechanisms is actually unexplored. The present research aims to examine the neural correlates of deficits in inhibitory control and the rewarding mechanisms in IA in a sample of young people. Internet Addiction Inventory (IAT) was applied to a sub-clinical sample. Secondly, cortical oscillations (frequency bands) and personality trait (Behavioral Inhibition System, BIS; Behavioral Activation System, BAS) were considered to explain IA. Oscillatory brain activity (delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma) and response times (RTs) were monitored during the performance of a Go/NoGo task in response online gambling videos, videogames or neutral stimuli. BAS, BAS-R (BAS-Reward subscale), BIS and IAT predicted the low-frequency band variations, although in an opposite direction: reduced delta and theta and RTs values were found for higher BAS, BAS-R and IAT, in the case of NoGo for gambling and videogames stimuli; in contrast increased delta and theta and RTs values were observed for higher BIS. Two potential different young subjects’ clusters were suggested: with low inhibitory impulse control and rewarding bias (higher BAS and IAT); and with impulse hyper-control (higher BIS)
The nutritional and medicinal value of Pleurotus species from Italy
No full textThe genus Pleurotus is a cosmopolitan group of fungi which comprises ca. 30 species and subspecific taxa. The genus Pleurotus also represents the second main group of cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. The Pleurotus species are efficient colonizers and
bioconverters of lignocellulosic agro‐industrial residues into palatable human food with medicinal properties. Besides Pleurotus species demonstrates significant nutritional and their bioactive compounds (mainly polysaccharides) possess antibacterial, antibiotic,
antitumor, hypocholesterolemic and immunomodulation properties. Extracts of the Mediterranean culinary‐medicinal Oyster mushrooms P. eryngii var. eryngii, P. eryngii var. ferulae, P. eryngii var. elaeoselini, and P. nebrodensis were tested for their in vitro growth
inhibitory activity against a group of bacterial reference strains of medical relevance: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, S. epidermidis RP62A, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442, and Escherichia coli ATCC10536. All of the Pleurotus species analyzed inhibited the tested microorganisms in varying degrees. The cold‐water extracts of P. eryngii var. ferulae and P. nebrodensis can affect the tumor phenotype of human colon cancer HCT116 cells. The in vitro antitumor effects indicate that some Pleurotus species can be
considered as possible sources for new alternative therapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Studies carried out on a new productive strains of "cardoncello" mushroom, P. eryngii, a prized Italian culinary‐medicinal mushroom, demonstrated that this food is very
low in saturated fat, dietary fiber and, a good source of vitamins. The vitamin B12 content makes P. eryngii suitable as a possible alternative food for vegetarians or for those with diets lacking in foods of animal origin
The genus Pleurotus in Italy
No full textOn the basis of personal observations, herbarium specimens and, data reported in the literature the authors report morphological, ecological and distributive data on Pleurotus taxa from Italy. New descriptions are here provided based on the most distinctive-discriminating eco-morphological characters of twelve Pleurotus taxa
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