This paper deals with the phenomenology of magnetic reconnection during reversed-field pinch helical self-organization. Numerical results obtained by solving a three-dimensional nonlinear visco-resistive fluid model to describe the hot current-carrying plasma are summarized. Magnetic reconnection manifests itself during the plasma dynamics, interrupting the persistence of quasi-helical states. The

The way quantum mechanical ab initio computer codes allow to compute, through perturbation theory (the so-called SC-CP, self-consistent coupled-perturbed scheme), many properties resulting from the interaction of the electric field with a crystalline system is illustrated. The polarizability, which leads to the dielectric tensors as well as to the refractive indices and to the birefringence of materials

Museums, historical buildings mainly located in urban centers, may be seriously affected by pollution and other critical urban atmospheric conditions. In addition to museums, there are many other different cultural heritage indoor environments each having different characteristics, mainly depending on the type of preserved materials that are sensitive to pollution and urban conditions. In this contribution

The explosive eruptions that occurred between nineteenth and twentieth centuries produced a fundamental cultural impact on the development of Volcanology. Pyroclastic products and ignimbrites features start to be at the base of an international debate. Various descriptions of explosive eruptions, and a new terminology of their products, such as nuée ardente and ignimbrite, were presented and extensively

Marine litter is recognized as a global marine environmental problem. Beach litter surveys are used to monitor litter pollution and can be used to determine the origins of litter which can be used for the improvement of waste management. This research studied abundance, composition and sources of marine litter on the beach during one year period in four seasons in Vodenjak cove, central Croatian Adriatic

Socotra, the largest of four islands in the Socotra archipelago (Yemen), is characterized by high geo-morphological and biological diversity. Traditional management of land resources has been impacted by cultural shifts, globalization and urban expansion. In addition, the island has been affected by climate impacts, such as droughts and recent cyclones causing significant economic and environmental

The importance of populations of the Socotra dragon’s blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari Balf.f., 1882) for horizontal precipitation capture was estimated for the first time. Dragon’s blood trees (Asparagaceae) inhabit semiarid cloud forests with low levels of rainfall that strongly depend on additional moisture from fog and clouds. Our estimation was based on a detailed description of the aboveground

This survey reports on topics that were presented at the workshop on “Challenges with Rare Earth Elements. The Periodic Table at work for new Science & Technology” hold at the Academia dei Lincei in November 2019. The herein reported materials refer to presentations dealing with studies and applications of rare earth elements (REE) in several areas of Biology and Medicine. All together they show the

We reviewed and compared the occurrence and biogeographic origins of three arthropod groups, darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), spiders (Araneae) and butterflies (Papilionoidea) on the Socotra archipelago (Yemen). More than half of the darkling beetles (80.3%) and spiders (51.5%) are endemic to the Socotra archipelago, in contrast with only 5 species (18.5%) of butterflies. The number of

We conducted a study throughout Socotra Island (Yemen) to investigate the distribution, population structure and regeneration potential of the endemic and threatened tree species Dendrosicyos socotranus, the Cucumber Tree. In total, 163 live trees (excluding seedlings) were found in all (24) investigated locations, covering an area of 96 km2. The height, stem circumference, fertility and coordinates

In this paper, several techniques applied to different studies of artistic or archaeological objects carried out on different scenarios ranging from prehistoric works to the more modern paintings, passing through Roman or mediaeval samples, are described.

Abstract Socotra Island, in the western Indian Ocean, harbors high biodiversity and endemism and makes up the largest part of the Socotra archipelago UNESCO World Heritage site. Its climatic, pedological, and geomorphological characteristics, together with the long geological isolation and inaccessibility, led to the flourishing of unique tree diversity, with great cultural and ecological value. Lately

The Socotra Archipelago is a unique hotspot of biodiversity, particularly for terrestrial reptiles (28 endemic out of 31 native species) whose ecology is known only in general terms. We describe the ecological preference and the daily activity of 21 species of terrestrial reptiles, geckos, lizards, skinks, snakes and chameleon, from the largest island of the archipelago. The database includes 6950

Relative and absolute gravimetric measurements are carried out for metrological, geodetic and geophysical (structural and dynamic) studies. Gravimetry is largely used in Italy since long time for vast set of studies. Both relative and absolute measurements are carried out in several fields of geodesy, geophysics and geodynamic with different approaches. After a brief historical excursus, the paper

The presence of Loxosceles rufescens (Dufour, 1820), commonly known as the Mediterranean recluse spider, is recorded from Socotra Island (Yemen) for the first time. This originally circum-Mediterranean species is potentially harmful to humans, considering the strong cytotoxicity of the venom and the species often inhabiting human settlements. It has been shown that L. rufescens can easily be introduced

Abstract Functional recovery rates after peripheral nerve injury are quite poor. Studies have focused on the organization of axonal development and the alteration of the microenvironment of the regenerated nerve. It is a frequently used repair method to place a tube to the incision area with tubulization technique and to try increasing the effect by filling the tube with various substances. Hyaluronic

The endemic fauna of achatinoid terrestrial molluscs for the Socotran Archipelago (Yemen) is revised. The main group falls into two genera, viz. Riebeckia E. v. Martens, 1883 with five species and Balfouria Crosse, 1884 with seven species, two of which are here described as new to science, i.e. Balfouria nitida n. sp., and Balfouria minima n. sp. Another globally distributed species could be found

This article presents the methodological approach of age estimation of juvenile Socotra dragon’s blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari Balf. F., DBT) for the first time. To date, only the model for the age estimation of the tree crown after the first flowering event has been published. The DBTs were measured on Socotra Island (Yemen), on the Firmihin Plateau. A set of three indirect growth models was used

Abstract Annex I habitat types are a key factor for biodiversity conservation in Europe and distribution maps are essential for assessing their conservation status. We aim to increase the responsiveness to habitat knowledge needs and to propose the use of data collected at local scale for assessing a key indicator such as the Area of Occupancy (AOO) of habitats. In this paper, starting from the 4th

We report on the first finding of a widespread exotic pest species, the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on date palms Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae) on Socotra Island, Yemen. Our initial surveys reveal that the pest species is present in date palm plantations on the north-eastern coast of the island, within 5 km of the capital Hadiboh. More surveys

Quartz-based hunter-gatherer lithic technology is present around the world. It occurs particularly where the Precambrian crystalline basement outcrops, including South Africa, Northern Europe, North America and large areas of South America. However, little effort has been made to try to characterize its chemical composition to help understand either mobility strategies or exchange networks. We report

The article illustrates the MOLAB research project devoted to the non-invasive investigation of pre-Hispanic and colonial Mesoamerican manuscripts. In the present paper, we provide a description of the project and its aims, listing the artworks so far investigated and describing analytical techniques we employed. A presentation of the data obtained by the scientific analyses is then followed by a description

This paper presents a survey on inbreeding (F), phenotypic traits, coat colours and prevalence of health problems in a population of English Cocker Spaniels. The aims were to analyse the health and genetic variability of the population and to check whether the population falls within the standards for the breed from a morphological point of view. In addition, we studied the influence of F on phenotypic

The presence of nanogranitoids (crystallized melt inclusions showing a granitic s.l. composition) in regionally metamorphosed migmatitic and granulitic terranes was documented for the first time in 2009. This important finding represented a hallmark event for crustal petrologists, demonstrating that the pristine composition of anatectic melts may be preserved and recovered in small objects hosted in

XLab Frascati is a facility open to external users for different X-ray analyses, ranging from structural studies through X-ray diffraction to elemental mapping by means of µX-ray Fluorescence, colour tomography and X-ray imaging studies. This is possible thanks to our experimental layouts XENA (X-ray Experimental station for Non-destructive Analysis) and RXR (Rainbow X-Ray) along with our facility

As a contribution to the 2019 World Water Day, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei promoted a symposium on “Coastal protection and management”. A selection of the papers presented at the meeting have been assembled as a Topical Collection. Costal zones are densely populated due to their morphological, climate, economic and recreational opportunities, but are exposed to the adverse effects of the sea

Cancer is the second cause of death and morbidity in Europe. Unfortunately, currently available treatments cannot permanently cure most cancers, especially when metastatic. New therapy approaches are, therefore, urgently needed. Radionuclide therapy deposits cytotoxic radiation by means of energetic particles (alfa, beta, and auger) labeled to a carrier that specifically targets cancer cells. Targeted

This work presents the formalism for evaluating molecular SCF equations, adapted to four-component Dirac spinors, which in turn reduce to Slater-type orbitals with non-integer principal quantum numbers in the non-relativistic limit. If Slater-type spinor orbitals are used in the algebraic approximation to solve the Dirac equation, the “catastrophe” previously noted for atomic numbers \(Z>137\), in

A considerable literature has developed around the concept that the complexity of biological organisms, and the development of ever increasing complexity during biological evolution, is driven, in some way, by the maximization of entropy production (MEP). Most of these studies deal in very general terms with the living state and do not examine specific biological models. In the present study, we discuss

Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Congress grass, family Asteraceae) is found throughout the global agricultural and vacant lands. In the present work, the pharmacognostic, pharmacological and allelopathic traits of various parts (root, stem and leaves) of P. hysterophorus grown in Pakistan were investigated. P. hysterophorus growing/flowering season starts from March–April till August–September. The plant

We explored whether leaf detritus of an exotic species, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, affects the structural and functional processes of macrozoobenthic assemblages in four increased salt stress conditions of a transitional aquatic ecosystem (central Italy). We compared the dynamics of the weight loss of leaves of E. camaldulensis by leaching and feeding activities on palatable fraction, measuring the

Since the nineteenth century, street trees have become a significant component of urban landscapes, with multiple ecological roles and social-economic functions. However, data about their abundance and diversity, and information about the criteria used for the species selection, are still limited. Besides providing a historical overview, we analyze and compare data on abundance, diversity and criteria

Starting from the second half of the twentieth century, the Ionian coast of the Basilicata Region (southern Italy) has shown a progressive retreat. The analysis of the shoreline variations covering a time lapse of about 150 years has been carried out over the last 20 years according with the evolution of technology over time, so using various data sources and methods, as historical cartography, aerial

An axe head and a round bead were found at the burial site of an adult male (dated at 3770 ± 90 14C years BP) at Amboy, Córdoba (central Argentina). These artifacts were studied using electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, for a complete characterization of the materials and to infer the source. The axe head is carved from very fine-grained tonalite (composed dominantly

Abstract Converging cylindrical electromagnetic fields in vacuum have been shown (Zababakhin and Nechaev Sov Phys JETP 6:345, 1958) to exhibit amplitude “cumulation”. It was found that the amplitude of self-similar waves increases without bounds at finite distances from the axis on the front of the fields reflected from the cylindrical axis. In the present paper, we propose to exploit this cylindrical

Abstract This work presents the interdisciplinary research and intervention of a big format painting attributed to Salvator Rosa. In addition to the challenging nature of the restoration, due to its format and state of conservation, the painting is a good example of the proliferation of art commerce in Argentina by the end of nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Art collection and art dealing

Landslides and surface erosion are major processes controlling the progressive recession of many rocky cliffs along the Italian coastline. Nevertheless, many coastal settlements were built along cliffed sectors prone to rapid collapses. This represents a serious risk for tourists and living people, as well as for buildings, roads and railway networks. The densely urbanized coastline of the Campi Flegrei

Heavy metal contamination risk in agricultural fields has attained considerable importance in recent years especially due to harmful effects on food safety and the ecosystem. The purpose of this present research is to assess the heavy metal contamination risk of some micro-catchments, where tea cultivation has been taken place of Rize province in the Eastern Black Sea Region, by taking into consideration

Abstract Natural diamonds and their mineral inclusions represent the deepest regions of our planet. Diamonds form between about 120/130 km in the upper mantle and possibly up to 1000 km depth in the lower mantle, and they can transport mineral inclusions, which are fragments directly from regions that are inaccessible to geologists. Diamond–inclusion system is a very precious geological object not

In 1919, the observation during a solar eclipse of the deflection of light rays from stars near the Sun decreed the validity of Einstein’s general relativity. One hundred years later, the image of the black hole M87* by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration proved the existence of these fascinating objects on the one hand, and on the other, the validity of general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics

The Mediterranean basin presents specific geodynamic and morphodynamic features that allow tsunami genesis. Along the entire Mediterranean coast, morphological and sedimentological evidence testify the impact of extreme waves generated by exceptional marine events, tsunami and storms. Notwithstanding the discrimination between the effect of each of them is still debated, the long-time aged presence

In the frame of the CO.B.RA project, funded by the Lazio Regional Authority, ENEA carried out a series of diagnostic investigations on numerous instruments from the rich collection of the National Museum of Musical Instruments of Rome. This paper presents the results related to the study of the conservation status of one of the rarest and most significant museum’s instruments, the Barberini harp. To

Differently from animals, most of the plant organs are generated during post-embryonic development. This depends on meristems, regions located at the distal sides of the plants. In the meristems a set of self-renewal stem cells divides asymmetrically providing new cells to the growing organs. During embryogenesis, the acquisition of stem cell identity by two different sets of cells located at the basal

The structure of the lithosphere–asthenosphere system as imaged from the complementary inversion of seismological and gravimetric data can provide significant clues to understand the processes of orogeny and cratonization and to better formulate the theory of plate tectonics within a sound geodynamic context. In this paper, we review some studies sharing a common synergic methodology that uses the

Anisotropic partial differential equations recently received a large interest in the mathematical literature, due to their applications to double and multiphase variational energies, as well as to anisotropic energies in integral form. More specifically, from a mathematical point of view, we need to consider a generalization of the classical Laplacian elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations

Abstract From a multidisciplinary perspective, we propose a first comparative study on the pigments of archeological pottery San José and Santa María of Yocavil valley, Province of Catamarca, Northwest Argentina (ca. S XI–XVI AD). Both stylistic sets share a color palette in which the black, red and cream tones are structured. Considering that we are handling objects of cultural heritage, an analysis

The reconstruction of Roman decorative apparatus from delocalized fragments is an arduous challenge for the archaeologists. An archaeometric approach may integrate the archaeological analyses, based on the stylistic observations, improving the ability to merge adjacent fragments, especially in the absence of distinctive ornamental elements. In this work, the capacity of reflection FT-IR spectroscopy

The implications of chemical transformations in the description of the evolution of natural systems are revisited, starting from a historical perspective. The connection with information theory allows for the deepening of how the systems, not in equilibrium with the environment, are subjected to a change that favors the formation of structures of increasing complexity. Then, the metabolic processes

Portable devices for energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis and X and γ-ray transmission measurements were employed to analyze pre-Columbian metals from the North of Peru. Gold and silver are generally composed of gold, silver, and copper and silver, copper, and gold (and more rarely lead), respectively. Besides gold and silver, artisans from these cultures also produced artifacts with gilded

Neuromodulation is the alteration of neuronal and synaptic properties in the context of neuronal circuits. It allows anatomically defined circuits to produce multiple outputs reconfiguring networks into different functional circuits. In this work, neuromodulation is mimicked using a solution of two direct photochromic compounds, a naphthopyran and a spirooxazine, which are models of phasic excitable

The Eurasian seismic belt is the second largest seismic zone in the world. It has numerous seismic activities which have enormous impact on human’s life. It is of importance to study the spatio–temporal characteristics of the Eurasian seismic belt. As we can learn from previous studies, fractal and fractal dimension theories can be used to study seismic activities. In general, the temporal sequence

When ostrich (Struthio camelus) runs, its tarsometatarsus swings at a high frequency and has a small mass but can carry the weight of the whole body, which is enough to indicate that tarsometatarsus has the lightweight and anti-bending properties. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that there were no significant differences in the microstructure of different locations of tarsometatarsus

There are three different levels of description for macroscopic physical systems: macroscopic level using thermodynamics and continuum mechanics, mesoscopic level by the kinetic theory, and microscopic level by statistical mechanics of many-particle systems. The search for possible links bridging among these levels is the core part of the Hilbert Sixth Problem. Through a concrete example, we explain

Emilia-Romagna coast consists of 110 km of low and sandy beaches, which are particularly exposed to coastal erosion. Among different defence projects, the current trend is going towards soft interventions, such as beach nourishment. In 2016, the third intervention of “Security projects through submarine sand nourishment for critical areas of the regional coastline” was completed. This paper concerns

Abstract The physical and compositional properties of some common opals from Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria have been investigated through several methodologies such as optical and gemological equipments, X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman Spectroscopy and Laser Ablation Microprobe (LA-ICP-MS). The investigated opals show different colors such as light-apple and

Clay minerals are considered one of the materials of the 20th century for their peculiar physico-chemical features. Among them, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are an emerging nanomaterial with a particular tubular structure that makes them a low cost and valuable alternative to the most common carbon nanotubes. Due to their tubular morphology, HNTs are employed in several fields acting as nanocontainers

Sizing and shaping of mesoscale architectures with nanoscale features is a key opportunity to produce the next generation of higher-performing products and at the same time unveil completely new phenomena. This review article discusses recent advances in the design of novel photonic and plasmonic structures using a biology-inspired design. The proteinaceous capsids from viruses have long been discovered

The general aim of this paper is to present a possible multidisciplinary approach to the problem of connectivity among marine protected areas (MPAs) describing some of the mechanisms and vectors that control the dispersal of propagules among spatially distributed marine communities of MPAs in the Southern Adriatic Sea. A joint approach is described that focuses on (a) measurements of surface water