bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-actor policy dynamics in research evaluation: Experts, databases, and academics
Authors: Dagiene Eleonora , Waltman Ludo , Dix Guus
Published: July 2024

This mixed-methods study examines the complex interplay of actors and factors shaping research assessment policies in Lithuania in the period 1996–2008, a period of transition towards Western practices. Analysing policy documents, bibliometric data, interviews, and grey literature, we focus on the interactions between policymakers, international experts, providers of publication data, and researchers. Our findings reveal the significant influence of international networks on Lithuanian policymakers, leading to the adoption of quantitative assessment and reliance on Web of Science data. However, this narrow focus, coupled with existing power dynamics and top-down decision-making, led to unintended consequences and conflicts among disciplines, culminating in a Constitutional Court challenge. This research also highlights the substantial role of journal publishers and data providers in influencing policy shifts. We underscore the need for international organizations to adopt open data sources that encompass a wider array of scholarly outputs. Additionally, national policymakers must consider disciplinary differences and research capacity when designing assessment policies. The Lithuanian experience serves as a cautionary tale, emphasizing the importance of context-specific, inclusive, and flexible research assessment systems, particularly relevant for ongoing reforms such as the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).
Developing an Interdisciplinary Research Agenda in Intercultural Competence for Rural Teacher Training
Authors: Soto Jairo Eduardo , Colón Andrés , Barrios Javier , Llinas Jhony
Published: July 2024

This interdisciplinary study explores teacher training's role in fostering intercultural competence. Emphasizing the rural context, it delves into the complexities of cultural diversity within educational settings. By integrating various disciplines, the research seeks to develop strategies for enhancing teachers' ability to navigate multicultural environments effectively. The study aims to address the unique challenges faced by educators in rural areas and propose practical approaches to promote intercultural understanding and collaboration. It examines the synergy between research and intercultural skills in teaching practice, emphasizing their role in promoting educational equity and inclusion. It reflects the nexus of research skills, intercultural competence, and teacher training in contemporary education. By focusing on a research agenda, to foster inclusive and diverse education. It targets four public schools in Suan, Atlántico, analyzing local culture's impact on teaching methods to generate knowledge and improve educational outcomes.
Does Crime Matter? The Politics of Crime Prevention in Colombia
Authors: Gelvez Juan David
Published: July 2024

Why do governments prevent crime in some places and not others? Who are the primary beneficiaries of the security provision? This paper examines how the incumbent uses crime prevention projects as a pork-barrel good, in order to finance swing-voter municipalities. Using a mixed-method approach, which includes the analysis of agranular dataset of crime prevention funds and interviews with policymakers and bureaucrats, I study how electoral incentives can explain differences in security provision in Colombia. To do so, I conduct several fixed effect models and a regression discontinuity design that measures the effects of electoral results on money distribution, taking advantage of party alignment and margin of victory. I also interviewedpolicymakers and bureaucrats to shed light on the mechanisms behind these results. My study suggests that electoral competition, party alignment between national and local politicians, and the minister’s interest play pivotal roles in shaping security provisions across the country
Influence of Turbulent Gaseous Jet Configuration on Entrainment – Experimental Study
Authors: Ben David Holtzer Ben Binyamin , Tartakovsky Leonid
Published: July 2024

Recently published studies report on significant Particulate Matter (PM) formation, comprising organic carbon aerosols, in hydrogen- and hydrogen-rich reformate-fed Internal Combustion Engines. There is a lack of the knowledge about the hollow- cone jet entrainment characteristics at different stages of the jet development, jet interaction with a lubricated cylinder wall, and the entrainment characteristics comparison with the round-jet. The method of shadowgraphy imaging accompanied by the smoke-wire visualization of the ambient entrainment by the jet is suggested and employed for the first time for entrainment and jet structure investigation. We show that the hollow-cone jets exhibit different vapor front entrainment behavior, compared to the round jet. In contrast to the round jet. The phenomenon of a twofold impact of the leading vortex on the farfield ambient with repulsing the ambient downstream the leading vortex and pulling it toward the trail-jet region upstream the vortex is found in the hollow-cone jets after the collapsing. We demonstrate that in contrast to the round jet, the hollow-cone one entrains the ambient in the near field through the inner TNTI.
Functional localization of the frontal language area using speech arrest induced by low intensity transcranial magnetic stimulation
Authors: Yamashita Yuichi , Maeshima Hiroaki , Abe Mitsunari , Honda Manabu , Okanoya Kazuo
Published: July 2024

Objective:To investigate a modified method of speech arrest (SA) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for non-invasive functional localization of the language-related area in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG).Methods:Instead of the conventional overlearned speech production, we used reading of an unfamiliar manuscript as the speech task. While participants were reading the manuscript aloud, 5-Hz TMS pulse sequences were applied for 2 seconds at random times. The stimulation site was monitored using a real-time navigation system with the participants’ pre-obtained structural MRI images.Results:We identified a SA hot-spot in the left IFG (Broca's area) in 24 out of 28 subjects with a lower TMS intensity (88% of active motor threshold) than that used in previous reports. In 5 subjects, right IFG stimulation also induced speech distortion. Conclusion:Using a speech task involving reading an unfamiliar manuscript, we successfully induced SA with a lower TMS intensity than those previously reported. This low-intensity stimulation enabled a reduction of not only participant discomfort, but also the contaminative effects of stimulation.
Rate estimation revisited
Authors: Gershman Samuel J.
Published: July 2024

Two views of Pavlovian conditioning have dominated theoretical discourse. The classical associative view holds that associations are learned based on temporal contiguity between stimuli, and conditioned responses directly reflect associative strength. The representational view, exemplified by Rate Estimation Theory (Gallistel & Gibbon, 2000), holds that animals learn the structure of the stimulus distribution, from which a measure of contingency between stimuli is derived and used to generate conditioned responses. Unlike contiguity, contingency is a relative measure, comparing the rate of reinforcement in the presence of a stimulus to the background rate. This turns out to be crucial for explaining the effects of manipulating the background rate while holding the stimulus-conditional rate constant (i.e., changing contingency without changing contiguity). It has also been argued that contiguity theories face irremediable conceptual difficulties stemming from the coercion of continuous time into discrete bins. This paper makes two contributions to the debate. First, it shows that Rate Estimation Theory faces its own computational and conceptual problems. Second, it shows how to fix these problems while retaining the core of the theory. Surprisingly, this leads to the insight that rates can be estimated using an algorithm closely resembling a classical associative theory (the Rescorla-Wagner model). The key difference lies in the response rule rather than in the learning rule.
Does direct gaze during online meetings enhance the illusion of transparency?
Authors: Takashima Kaito , Miura Asako , Yonemitsu Fumiya , Sasaki Kyoshiro , Ikeda Ayumi , Yamada Yuki
Published: August 2024

We investigated the psychological effects of a continuous gaze from a conversation partner using an application developed by NVIDIA, which was designed to maintain artificial eye contact. We focused on a phenomenon known as the transparency illusion, in which individuals perceive being subjected to excessive scrutiny from their conversation partners. We aimed to explore whether the transparency illusion is influenced by factors such as the conversation partner’s natural eyes and an artificial gaze. We recruited 57 participants. During the experiment, the participants engaged in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Subsequently, they were asked to express whether they believed they had won or lost the game. The game was played under three distinct conditions: video-off, video-on without artificial gaze, and video-on with artificial gaze. As a result, we could not conclude whether the presence of a gaze or the use of an artificial gaze enhanced the illusion of transparency.
The problem of viewpoint IV: Evidence from photographs
Authors: Maniatis Lydia Maria
Published: July 2024

Photographs are used to demonstrate the intrinsic ambiguity and dynamic nature of the pictorial percept with respect to object orientation and observer viewpoint, previously demonstrated and analyzed with the use of line drawings in Parts I-III (Maniatis 2023, 2024a,b) of this series.
Embracing Change: Impermanence Acceptance Mediates Differences in Death Processing Between Ayahuasca Users and Non-users
Authors: david Jonathan , Berkovich-Ohana Aviva , Dor-Ziderman Yair
Published: July 2024

Background: How the human psyche interacts with the theme of death is fundamental to individual and societal life, profoundly influencing cognition, affect, and behavior. Death-related psychological phenomena, such as death anxiety and acceptance, have been shown in clinical studies to be influenced by psychedelic (LSD and psilocybin) interventions. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive assessment of death-related processes in non-clinical settings, the mechanisms underlying long-term changes, and in particular, the effects of ayahuasca—a potent Amazonian psychedelic brew—on these dimensions.Methods: The present cross-sectional study addresses these issues by comprehensively investigating death processing, candidate mechanisms-of-change, and their predictors, in ayahuasca veterans (N=54) compared to non-users (N=53). For this purpose, a battery of questionnaires and behavioral measures targeting various aspects of death processing were employed. These included fear and anxiety of death, death acceptance, death-avoidant behaviors, and accessibility of death thoughts. Tested mediators included personality, ontological afterlife beliefs, trait mindfulness and the construct of impermanence awareness and acceptance. Results: The findings demonstrated lower levels of death anxiety, avoidant behavior and explicit and implicit fear-of-death, as well as greater acceptance of death, for ayahuasca veterans. Mediation analyses revealed that these group differences were not due to demographics, personality, trait mindfulness, ontological beliefs, or impermanence awareness, but rather to impermanence acceptance. Finally, within the ayahuasca group, lifetime ego dissolution experiences, but not ayahuasca intake habits, predicted degree of impermanence acceptance. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate robust and multi-dimensional differences in how death is processed by ayahuasca veterans relative to non-psychedelic users. In contrast to literature suggestions, degree of impermanence acceptance but not ontological beliefs are shown to be the underlying mechanisms-of-change. Finally, the findings support the role of acute subjective ayahuasca experiences in inducing long-term effects. Future (psychedelic and non-psychedelic) interventions can directly target impermanence acceptance for effectively managing existential terror.
Clinical Psychology, Social Identities and Societal Challenges: Implications for Diversity-Sensitive Practice and Training
Authors: Kaurin Aleksandra , Asbrand Julia , Mann Hendrik , Calvano Claudia
Published: July 2024

Clinical psychologists are increasingly urged to recognize and understand the significance of societal factors such as marginalization experiences, within themselves and among the individuals and communities they serve. At the same time, there is a dearth of research in the field to guide this pursuit, and especially so in European contexts. We conducted an online survey (N = 646) to assess the social identities of clinical psychologists (graduate and trainees) in Germany and their incorporation of societal challenges in therapy and training. Overall, our sample was demographically rather homogenous and privileged: Clinical psychologists tended to be white (91%), non-migrant (77.6%), female (74.5%), cis-gender (93.8%), heterosexual (75.4%), able-bodied (56.0%), and grew up in families with academic background (68%). Although the majority of participants expressed a tendency to contemplate their identity when it came to their psychotherapeutic practices and believed that discussing societal challenges in therapy was pertinent, only a small proportion (~5%) reported actively introducing related subjects during therapy sessions or taking them into account during initial case conceptualization (~8%). The majority of participants indicated a lack of coverage of related topics in standard clinical psychological curricula. Greater perceived competence in addressing these topics was linked to clinicians initiating discussions about marginalization or discrimination in therapy. We explore the implications for future training aimed at fostering equitable, effective, and diversity-sensitive therapeutic practices.
Examining the Role of Employed Identity Markers in the Forms of Capital
Authors: Krebsbach Jennifer
Published: July 2024

The paper investigates the significance of Employed Identity Markers (EIMs) in the array of cultural and social capital and their conversion into other social forms of capital, using the logic of Pierre Bourdieu. The EIMs, such as “As a truck driver…” or “As a grad student…”, are examples of expressions that individuals use to establish their identity and at the same time, to validate their next statements. This theoretical study is aimed at analyzing how these markers are linked by Bourdieu's concepts of embodied, objectified, and institutionalized cultural capital to EIMs which, thereby, facilitate social connections, build social capital, and perform the transformation between different capitals.My analysis describes EIMs productivity in fortifying the statements’ authenticity and the boost of the speakers to the authoritative level. EIMs are demonstrated to have multiple functions, including justifying the speaker's knowledge and enhancing the rhetorical quality of their speech. The present research uncovers the intricacies of the application of identity markers in different contexts which gives valuable insight into social statuses and pathways, especially within the framework of cultural and social capital.
AI – Ready? How African governments are assembling policy in anticipation for data and AI driven techno-futures.
Authors: Ndaka Angella
Published: July 2024

With the current growth of artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven applications in Africa, and the increasing media attention on data-driven decision-making in virtually all key spaces in government as well as the society, policy makers are becoming increasingly aware that AI-driven ecosystems are inevitable. In this chapter I draw from feminist STS approaches to discuss how different governments are anticipating AI technologies, paying particular attention in the ways this anticipation relates to framing and reframing of public policies. Of interest is the way the policy strategies capture or mute the role of the institutions and the people that will shape AI investment, design and use, and overall governance. By examining the three publicly available AI policy strategies, the chapter examines how different governments in the continent are anticipating and framing AI techno-futures. The chapter responds to the question: What do the publicly available AI policy strategies reveal about how African governments are framing and anticipating AI techno-futures? It tries to compare how different policies are framed, as well as what they reveal about how the governments see AI and big data compared to how the market sees it. The policies analysed reveal that African governments foregrounds technological advancement, economic growth, and research, and less focused on people and institutions whose role is important in determining how the value in the technology is shared equitably. The chapter argues that African governments and critical AI scholars need to invest in policy methodologies that counteract the tendency of large and emerging tech actors from presuming an inevitable journey of converting data to monetizable knowledge and other useful products. The chapter proposes that governments and AI critical scholars should “start seeing like a market” by focusing on the apparent assemblage of power, knowledge, and profits, and advancing policy frameworks that require a comprehensive account of how value is extracted from data collection processes, and how this ‘value’ translates to the flourishing or disenfranchising of the populations from which data is extracted. The chapter reveals some gaps and challenges to deliberative policy assemblage and engagement in relation to AI techno-futures in Africa. It proposes some of the ways different actors can contribute meaningfully to AI policies through deliberative policy processes.
مدى اسهام الامتنان والتقدير في مكان العمل في تعزيز ثقافة العاملين لعينة استطلاعية من مدراء الاقسام العلمية /جامعة تكريت
Authors: Rawa Ahmed Ibrahim  , Mazin Rashid Yousif  , Montaser Hassan Muhammad Khaled
Published: July 2024

الغاية الأساسية من هذا البحث هو عملية التعرف على مدى الاسهام كل من التقدير والامتنان في مكان العمل من تعزيز وتوطين الثقافة لدى العاملين وذلك من خلال التركيز على أشياء وركائز مهمة ايجابية تسعى لها المنظمات المعاصرة في قوية الصفات الإيجابية لدى العاملين فيه المواقع الوظيفية المختلفة وذلك من خلال التركيز على مشاعر الشخصية في الماضي والحاضر والمستقبل وكذلك السمات الفردية التي تركز على السعادة والسرور وكذلك المنظمات الإيجابية التي تتمتع بممارسات إيجابية حكيمة, ومن هذا المنطلق معرفة مشكلة البحث ما مدى اسهام التقدير والامتنان في تعزيز ثقافة العاملين مدراء الأقسام العلمية في جامعة تكريت, وقد استخدم الباحث التحليل الوصفي الاستكشافي في عملية التشخيص وتحليل عن طريق أداة البحث الاستبانة بحيث تم  توزيع (182) استبانة وبالاستعانة بالبرنامج الرياضي الاحصائي (Spss,v.25) لحزمة من الاحصاءات التي تلائم النتائج المطلوبة واستنتجت الباحثة ان من اجل معالجة وتعزيز الثقافة يتوجب على الجامعة الاهتمام بعملية الامتنان والتقدير في المنظمة المبحوثة.
COMPONENTS OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM OF INLAND WATER TRANSPORT OF UKRAINE
Authors: Kens Artem ,   SO «Institute of Market and Economic&Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine»
Published: July 2024

he issue of the development of inland water transport of Ukraine is gaining new relevance in the context of globalization challenges and the need to adapt the transport system of Ukraine in the conditions of the war and its recovery after the war. Backlogs in infrastructure modernization, insufficient funding, bureaucratic barriers and the lack of a clear long-term strategy make it difficult to effectively use inland water transport, despite its great potential in solving environmental problems and increasing economic efficiency.The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for improving the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of inland water transport in Ukraine. The results of the research will contribute to Ukraine's integration into international transport networks and ensure the sustainable development of water transport.The integration of Ukrainian inland water transport into international networks is critical, as it ensures adaptation to global practices and investment attraction. Upgrading infrastructure and introducing incentives for investors are crucial for the rapid development and modernization of the industry. It is necessary to introduce innovations and the latest technologies to improve efficiency, safety and environmental sustainability.Organizational and economic elements of water transport are interconnected and interdependent, creating a system where changes in one aspect require adaptations in others. This requires flexible management to achieve strategic goals.An algorithm for assessing the impact of strategic initiatives has been developed, which adapts to changes and optimizes resources to maximize positive impact. The algorithm incorporates big data analytics and machine learning, ensuring the effec-tiveness of strategies in a dynamic environment. These findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to renewal and innovation in inland waterway transport, aimed at sustainable development and effective integration into global logistics chains.The field of application of the research results covers public transport strategies, infrastructure project planning and sustainable development policies. The imple-mentation of the proposed changes will contribute to increasing the efficiency, safety and environmental friendliness of inland water transport in Ukraine. The findings highlight the need for an integrated approach to reforming the inland waterway transport sector, with an emphasis on innovation, modernization and international integration. This approach will allow Ukraine to use its great transport potential to improve the socio-economic development of the country and reduce the environmental burden.Keywords: inland water transport, organizational and economic mechanism, evaluation algorithm, efficiency, adaptation
EVOLUATION OF ECOLOGICAL LOSSES BY TRANSPORT&LOGISTIC VEHICLS IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
Authors: Кostiuk Yurii ,   SO «Institute of Market and Economic&Ecological Research of the NAS of Ukraine»
Published: July 2024

This article thoroughly examines the environmental damage caused by emis-sions from transportation and logistics vehicles in Odesa, within the framework of sustai-nable development objectives. It presents a detailed analysis of the main pollutants emitted by vehicles using gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas, underscoring the significant contribution these emissions make to both local and global environmental issues. The study highlights the substantial volumes of greenhouse gases produced and the current lack of economic regulatory mechanisms to manage them effectively. Comparative analysis of global environmental tax rates on CO2 demonstrates Ukraine's position as having the lowest rate, suggesting inadequate regulatory measures. Through methodical calculations, it was deter-mined that Odesa's total CO2 emissions for the year 2022 amounted to 1,089,421.9 tons. This resulted in an estimated environmental damage cost of $893,326 USD, which remains uncompensated due to regulatory shortcomings.The findings emphasize the necessity of integrating such emission data into environ-mental damage assessments and implementing robust economic instruments to regulate emissions. Additionally, the paper explores strategic approaches to enhance emission regu-lations, including the potential introduction of more stringent environmental taxes or cap-and-trade systems, and suggests ways to align these with international environmental stan-dards. The broader implications of such regulatory adjustments are discussed, particularly their role in facilitating sustainable urban development. This comprehensive analysis aims to provide policymakers and urban planners with an understanding of the environmental stakes involved and practical steps towards achieving sustainability in urban transportation systems. By comparing Ukraine’s policies to international standards, the research offers valuable insights into potential reforms that can drive the sustainable future for Ukraine. Keywords: transportation and logistics vehicles, environmental damage, sustainable development, greenhouse gases, emission regulation, environmental tax.
ХОЛОДНА ЛОГІСТИКА ЯК СКЛАДОВА ТРАНСПОРТНО-ЛОГІСТИЧНИХ СИСТЕМ ПРИМОРСЬКИХ МІСТ
Authors:   Odessa National Maritime University, Shcherbyna Veronika
Published: July 2024

Abstract.Cold logistics in the modern world is gaining more and more relevance. The development of international trade and the globalization of the economy contribute to an increase in the volume of transportation of goods that require special storage and transportation conditions. Cold logistics originated in the pharmaceutical industry, now more and more goods require a special temperature regime - agricultural products, fish and meat products, etc. Also, in connection with the growing popularity of a healthy lifestyle and increasing awareness of the importance of proper nutrition, the demand for fresh vegetables and fruits is actively growing. This presents new tasks and requirements for the cold logistics system.Changes in temperature regimes, increased air humidity levels, and other factors can negatively impact the quality and safety of products during transportation. Therefore, addressing these issues requires the implementation of innovative technologies and logistics management strategies aimed at ensuring stability and safety of supplies.As a result of the conducted research, it was found that cold logistics represents an important field of logistics specializing in effectively maintaining temperature conditions during the storage and transportation of products. This sector plays a key role in ensuring the safety, quality, and freshness of food products, especially those prone to rapid spoilage.Recently, there has been a trend towards consolidation of cold supply chains. Understanding the essence of cold logistics and the peculiarities of the transportation organization in the cold chain are important aspects for ensuring the efficiency and reliability of logistics processes.This article examines theoretical approaches to defining the concept of "cold logistics", investigates the characteristic features of cold logistics, provides a characterization of "fresh" and "frozen" category goods, identifies factors stimulating and restraining the development of the cold logistics market, and explores the interaction of participants in cold supply chains in transport and logistics systems of port cities.Keywords: cold logistics, transport and logistics system, port cities, supply chain
“Visibility” at Italian natural parks: preliminary data from the first-ever pilot project by ENEA and CUFAA
Authors: Petralia Ettore , La Torretta Teresa , Stracquadanio Milena , Malaguti Antonella , Cremona Giuseppe , Papitto Giancarlo , Cocciufa Cristiana , Gualtieri Maurizio , Piersanti Antonio
Published: July 2024

“Visibility” is meant as the greatest distance at which an observer can see a distant object in contrast with the horizon and, when referred to a landscape, it depends on the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, somehow linked to the presence of air pollutants. Visibility can hence become a useful indicator of air quality and the project Visibility, representing the first case of visibility monitoring in Europe, aims to apply this approach within the Italian National Parks as natural areas with a significant fruition vocation. The goal is to test the U.S. National Park Service protocol I.M.PRO.V.E. (Interagency Monitoring of PROtected Visual Environment) for the quantification of a coefficient that describes the light extinction (Bext) as a function of different chemical-physical parameters associated with molecules dispersed in the air, and the Circeo National Park (LT) was selected for the “pilot” action, with the positioning of the measuring instruments for atmospheric pollution evaluation at the Lago dei Monaci site. 24-hours samplings were performed in spring-summer 2021 and winter 2021/2022, to measure the air concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter, sulfates and nitrates, elemental carbon and organic carbon, metals and trace elements and the gaseous species nitrogen dioxide, with the consequential calculation of the Bext. The visual detection of the degree of air transparency was performed by a panoramic camera pointed in the direction of the “landmark” Monte Circeo, taken as a reference for the definition of long-distance visibility.
Protected Natural Areas and sustainable use: the Spiaggia dei Conigli in the “Lampedusa Island” Nature Reserve (Agrigento, Sicily, Italy)
Authors: Dimarca Angelo , Billeci Vincenzo , Casamento Giulia , Di Pietro Rosario , Maraventano Giuseppe , Prazzi Elena , Sorrentino Gerry
Published: July 2024

The Spiaggia dei Conigli, falling within the “Isola di Lampedusa” Nature Reserve (Agrigento, Sicily, Italy) is of great naturalistic interest due to the presence of various habitats of community importance and as a regular oviposition site of sea turtle Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) (Reptilia Cheloniidae). Since its establishment, the Nature Reserve has activated numerous conservation and protection interventions and actions, renaturalization and re-orientation of seaside use, becoming a concrete example of integration between nature protection and territorial promotion. Over the last three years, the management body Legambiente Sicilia has strengthened the regulation of the site by initiating an action to limit attendance, in order to further reduce the impacts on habitats and species and to guarantee a more rewarding and aware of the naturalistic values of a protected natural area. The first results of this action are presented in this paper.
Gelsari and Lentini marshes (Sicily, Italy), a wetland of extremely high biodiversity. Consequences on avifauna from the crossing of an overhead high-voltage power line
Authors: De Pietro Roberto , Messina Francesca
Published: July 2024

In the Gelsari and Lentini marshes (Sicily, Italy), which constitute a vast and historically well-known wetland on the central eastern coast of Sicily, the crossing of an overhead high-voltage power line surprisingly had been planned and approved. This choice was made despite the high landscape value that these marshes possess, the environmental protection constraints they enjoy, the interest they hold for the biodiversity conservation in Sicily, and their extraordinary ability to attract avifauna. At present, the work, which began in August 2021, has resulted in the placement of all supports. An estimate of the risk of mortality of avifauna that the presence of the power line will produce has been made, limiting the survey to species of high conservation interest, which are among those present in the marshes. It turned out that the risks of collision of avifauna and especially of species considered of high conservation interest, due largely to the characteristics of the power line and especially its route, are extremely high; the damage that is likely to occur does not, therefore, seem to have been properly assessed, neither at the design nor at the approval stages of the project. Given that the impact of the power line does not appear to be mitigable, neither with regard to the landscape nor with regard to avifauna, considering, in the latter case, especially the high mortality risks to which species of high conservation interest would be subjected, it is believed that the only solution to avoid such damage is to make a modification to the route of the power line in the section affecting the marshes.
The new layout of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Catania (Italy) one year after its opening
Authors: Sabella Giorgio , Viglianisi Fabio Massimo
Published: July 2024

On 9 July 2021 the Museum of Zoology of the University of Catania (Italy), the oldest Sicilian zoological museum whose foundation dates back to 1853 by Prof. Andrea Aradas, reopened to the public with a new layout, which involved the elimination of all the showcases in which the specimens were displayed. The new project instead envisaged that all the vertebrate specimens present in the main room, around 170, are arranged on open platforms and grouped according to systematic or biogeographical criteria. An emotional museum was thus created in which the elimination of the showcases and the possibility to walk among the exhibits without barriers or limitations increase the emotional and emphatic involvement of the visitor, helping the transmission of information on biodiversity and the relationship between man and nature.
Design and preparation of a thematic showcase on alien species at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Catania (Italy)
Authors: Sabella Giorgio , Viglianisi Fabio Massimo
Published: July 2024

As part of the Interreg FAST (Fight Alien Species Transborder) project, in which the Zoology Museum of the University of Catania (Italy) is involved, in the Museum main room a thematic exhibition relating to alien species, also equipped with interactive supports, has been planned. This action is part of the communication strategy of the aforementioned project, providing for the promotion of Citizen Science initiatives that bring all citizens closer to this problem, increasing their awareness and participation. Some of the most representative and iconic animals linked to this issue will be exhibited within this space. Visitors will be able to observe both vertebrates such as the Nutria (Myocastor coypus Molina, 1782) or the American pond turtle (Trachemys scripta Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792), and invertebrates such as the Red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, 1790) or the Louisiana red crayfish (Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852). Also, a large poster illustrating all the species of alien birds in Europe will complete the exhibition, which will also be accompanied by information panels in Italian and English regarding not only the animals on display but also the aims and objectives of the FAST project. Adjacent to the exhibition space an 80-inch touch screen monitor will be installed with a software, also for children, for the recognition of native and alien species, accompanied by information collected in a database on alien invasive species present in Sicily and in Malta.
Cats versus rats in the Eternal City (Rome, Italy)
Authors: Grano Mauro
Published: July 2024

Since ancient Rome (Italy), cats have lived together with man in a marked commensalism. The story of a great Mayor and a candidate for Mayor for this city in the last years has characterized the marriage between cats and rats in the streets of the Eternal City.
Three days at school with FAST
Authors: Puglisi Antonino
Published: July 2024

“Three days at school with FAST” is the name of the environmental education project included within the FAST (Fight Alien Species Transborder), Project Interreg Italy-Malta. The FAST Project aims to record the entry and spread of non-native animal and plant species; and even more so those invasive species capable of reducing biodiversity in the islands of Sicily and Malta, located in the center of the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, an important part of the project concerns dissemination, raising awareness among the community about alien species, the problems associated with them and the protection of biodiversity. Environmental education in schools (today considered an important form of dissemination of good practices) is the focus of the three days at school with FAST. An attempt was made to give the youngest elementary and middle school students tangible experiences, to teach them useful practices for the protection of nature by explaining, for the purposes of greater knowledge and awareness, environmental issues and problems linked to the most well-known and widespread alien species in Sicily, Thanks to the game and the experiences proposed in the three scheduled meetings, the aim is to enhance and at the same time learn to protect local environmental resources.
Since 2015, the first solitary bee hotels in Sicily located in the small island of Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve, Sicily (Italy)
Authors: Basile Sara , Montevago Luca , Di Dio Vincenzo , Sabella Giorgio , Mulè Rosaria , Manachini Barbara
Published: July 2024

Natural pollinators, mainly represented by solitary apoidea, play an essential role in ecosystems and biodiversity. Their population has sharply declined recently, putting both flora and fauna biodiversity at risk. Many studies report that artificial nesting for reproducing solitary bees, also known as bee hotels, can support conservation and increase the number of pollinators. Unipa and LIPU Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve wanted to create the first bee hotels in 2015 near the coast. In particular, the goal of this project was to protect and increase biodiversity on the islet of Isola delle Femmine, a peculiar and challenging to-balance environment where there are more than 200 botanical taxa present on the island, some of which are endemic to Sicilian north-western coast, including pollination by insects. In the current state of knowledge, it is the first case of installing bee hotels in a coastal area so close to the sea, which entailed a significant technical challenge in the construction using recycled material. The hotels built were wholly colonized in a very short period, and even when maintenance and replacement of materials were carried out in less than a week, the recolonization was rapid. Most individuals belonged to the Megachilidae family, which is characteristic of the Mediterranean. The bee hotels have also been a source of curiosity and insight for the reserve visitors. In conclusion, the bee hotel proved useful for colonizing pollinators and increasing reserve use.
Recent findings of alien insect in citrus and olive groves in the Mediterranean basin: new risks for integrated pest management (IPM)
Authors: Bella Salvatore
Published: July 2024

Recently, the number of alien arthropods found in the Mediterranean basin has increased considerably. This phenomenon occurred especially in the milder climate areas of the southern sector. In this context, citrus and olive groves see their productions and even their existence at risk. In the last three decades, the increased number of allochthonous species introduced to Italy and potentially harmful to Citrus and Olea genera has alerted and worried farmers, especially for those species capable of transmitting diseases for which no phytosanitary remedies are yet known. The adoption of an integrated supra-regional surveillance and monitoring system is therefore essential. Here the focus is on some invasive alien insect species (phytophagous and predators) recently reported on the Italian territory on Citrus and Olea plant species.
Protected Natural Areas and Renaturation: the Nature Reserve “Grotta di Santa Ninfa” (Trapani, Sicily, Italy)
Authors: Casamento Giulia , Dimarca Angelo , Barraco Gianfranco , Biondo Elena
Published: July 2024

The Nature Reserve “Grotta di Santa Ninfa” (Trapani, Sicily, Italy) protects an area of geological and naturalistic interest extended for about 140 ha and included in a larger Special Conservation Area. Since its establishment, the Managing Body has started the actions of environmental restoration of the plateau above the chalky slope where the entrance of the Grotto opens, altered before the establishment of the Reserve by widespread discharges of inert waste. This work describes the actions carried out and the results obtained.
Checklist Birds of Wetlands in south-western Sicily (Italy): Capo Feto and Pantano Leone
Authors: Barbera Antonino , Surdo Salvatore
Published: July 2024

Over the years the importance of checklists as indispensable basic knowledge instruments in the correct management of Sicily’s natural heritage has been reinforced by the requests contained in international conventions on biodiversity especially by the need to implement the Habitats Directive. Today’s growing interest in biodiversity makes it essential that inventories of fauna and flora are compiled and kept up to date for each individual region to serve as an initial, indispensable knowledge base. In this paper, a first detailed (and, partly, commented) checklist of the waterbirds, diurnal raptors species of two naturalistic areas in Sicily (Italy) is presented. Regarding the Capo Feto (Mazara del Vallo) wetland, the checklist includes 94 species of waterbirds and birds of prey, As far as the Pantano Leone (Campobello di Mazara) wetland is concerned, the checklist includes 73 species of waterbirds. Capo Feto is a nationally important site for the Kentish Plover, an endangered species (EN) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that nests there. Pantano Leone is a nationally important site for the overwintering of Common snipe.
Lepidoptera from the Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy)
Authors: Morin Lucio , Surdo Salvatore , Viviano Roberto , Dentici Antonino , Sparacio Ignazio
Published: July 2024

On the basis of specific entomological researches carried out on Isola delle Femmine Nature Reserve (Sicily, Italy) in recent years, a first check-list of the Lepidoptera with 46 species recorded is provided. Additional taxonomic, faunal and geonemic informations for four of these species are provided: Idaea leipnitzi Hausmann, 2004 (Geometridae), Maradana fuscolimbalis (Ragonot, 1887) and M. vidualis (Chrétien, 1911) (Pyralidae) and Crassicornella crassicornella (Zeller, 1847) (Tinaeidae).
Current status and expansion of Western Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica rufula (Temminck, 1835) (Aves Hirundinidae) in Sicily
Authors: Surdo Salvatore , Cusmano Andrea , Cumbo Giovanni , Di Lucia Nino , Zafarana Manuel Andrea , Galasso Paolo
Published: July 2024

The recent paper published by Corso et al. (2021) about the status of the Western Redrumped Swallow, Cecropis daurica rufula (Temminck, 1835) (Aves Hirundinidae), in Sicily was mainly focused on updating the distribution of breeding pairs in the south-eastern part of the region; hence the decision to provide a more complete and up-to-date regional picture of the current status of this species collecting unpublished data and investigating the most suitable locations in the period 2011–2022. This survey highlights as, also in western and central Sicily, the species has been showing an increase in number of breeding pairs, found in 18 new UTM squares (11 of these for which the breeding was ascertained and 7 for which was very probable) in comparison to the last updated data. A new map of the distribution of the Western Red-rumped Swallow in Sicily is therefore presented here.
Peristeriones (Περιστεριώνες), the typical pigeon houses in Sifnos Island (Cyclades, Greece)
Authors: Grano Mauro
Published: July 2024

This work takes into consideration the characteristic dovecotes of the Cycladic island of Sifnos. Their great importance that they had in the past for the agriculture of the island and the current architectural feature are analyzed.
Colonies of herons and other allied waterbirds breeding in Sicily, 2007-2022
Authors: Rannisi Giuseppe , Galasso Paolo , Cusmano Andrea , Termine Rosa , Zafarana Manuel Andrea , Ientile Renzo , Surdo Salvatore
Published: July 2024

We describe the results of the first regional census of herons and other colonial waterbirds, including Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo, Little Bitterns Ixobrychus minutus, Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax, Squacco Herons Ardeola ralloides, Western Cattle Herons Bubulcus ibis, Grey Herons Ardea cinerea, Purple Herons Ardea purpurea and Little Egrets Egretta garzetta, carried out throughout Sicily from 2007 to 2022. We also collected data about Great Egrets Casmerodius alba and other waterbird species in Ardeidae colonies without any breeding evidence, as Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia and Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Collected data highlighted a regional widespread increase of the numbers in known colonies and nests of each species, especially of Bubulcus ibis that showed a sharp increase in number from 30 nests recorded for the whole region in 2007 up to 530 nests in 2022, mainly concentrated in eastern Sicily, in the province of Catania. Also A. ralloides, N. nycticorax and E. garzetta showed a positive trend with an increase in the number of colonized locations and nests recorded, with A. ralloides occupying the most of the Sicilian colonies with at least few pairs. On the other hand, A. cinerea showed a slight negative trend, with 45 nests recorded in 2007 and only 31 in 2022, at the end of the study; A. purpurea is an irregular breeder with an oscillating and unpredictable trend related to only 1–4 ascertained pairs maximum for the whole region. Despite the P. carbo is a regular breeding species in Sicily, it has not showed any sign of expansion in the last decade, remaining confined to a few historical locations near the Simeto River and Lentini Lake. All data here presented are related to the minimum and ascertained numbers of colonies and counted nests. Small colonies may not have been counted in some unmonitored locations, often inaccessible. It is highly recommended, in the near future, the creation of a coordinated survey network that would improve and make the census more in-depth and better standardized.
An updated estimate of the wintering population of Sanderling Calidris alba (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) in Sicily for the years 2015-2022
Authors: Galasso Paolo , Surdo Salvatore , Zafarana Manuel Andrea
Published: July 2024

The Sanderling Calidris alba (J.F. Gmelin, 1788) overwinters along the sandy coasts of Italy with an average of about 546 individuals for the years 2006–2010, showing a positive long-term increase. The species regularly overwinters in Sicily, for which the latest estimate reports 30–130 individuals in the years 2000–2004. Since no further updated estimates are available, new data were collected every winter on the field during the years 2015–2022, monitoring the most suitable stretches of beaches and collecting additional data from birdwatchers and photographers. A wintering regional population with an average of 100 individuals per year (65–136) was recorded, with an estimate of 145 individuals per year (110–180). The sandy coast of the Gulf of Gela hosts 54% of the recorded regional wintering population and about 10% of the whole Italian population and can therefore be considered a “site of national importance”. Other important areas are the Gulf of Catania, which hosts 24% of the regional population and 4.57% of the Italian population, and some sandy coasts of Ragusa’s province. This survey shows an increase of the regional wintering population in the last decades, highlighting Sicily’s role at national level for the wintering of the species. Conservation measures and sustainable management of Sicilian sandy coasts are strongly recommended to support the wintering of C. alba and other species of shorebirds.
New stranding records of Janthina janthina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gastropoda Epitoniidae) in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Messina, Italy) and observations on its behaviour
Authors: Villari Alberto , Ammendolia Giovanni , Scuderi Danilo , Battaglia Pietro
Published: July 2024

An unusual occurrence and massive stranding of the pelagic snail Janthina janthina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Gastropoda Epitoniidae) is reported along the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina (Italy). The diet of the Mediterranean species consisting of Porpita porpita (Linnaeus, 1758) and Velella velella (Hydrozoa) is reported. Further information on the genus Janthina Röding, 1798 are provided. Charts, photographs and a video clip on the construction of the ‘raft’ by the mollusc and its predatory behaviour are attached.